New design trend integrates nature to improve quality of life.
Story by Tracy Dickinson
Featured in Summer 2023
Long before the concept of biophilic design became the latest design buzzword, poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.”
Modern research tells us that Emerson was correct. Over the past 10 to 15 years, studies have connected biophilia, the human inclination toward natural processes and environments, to our mental health.
That growing understanding first began to alter the way commercial buildings were designed and finished, and the concept is influencing residential design as well.
According to BUILDER Online magazine, this design approach is especially common in health care design and office spaces because it focuses on “using natural elements to create nurturing, healthy spaces.”
In a 2022 article, the National Institutes of Health said, “The benefits of nature connectedness include relaxation, stress relief, lower blood pressure and heart rate, decrease in chronic pain . . . and reduced fatigue, aggression, and sadness.”
Creating this connectedness in a home or commercial space goes beyond the occasional decor item. Unlike green design, which focuses on energy-efficient and nontoxic materials, biophilic design focuses on connecting the resident to the natural environment itself. This is much more than adding plants and landscape paintings. As Metropolis Magazine says, “Biophilic design depends on repeated and sustained engagement with nature.”
Although pops of bright color appear, manufacturers and designers have gravitated toward soft greens, watery blues, and creamy neutrals.
Even before this concept was clearly defined, innovators like Frank Lloyd Wright were led by the same philosophy. His designs—both inside and out—seemed to flow directly from their settings and were rich with natural materials. Wright’s vision seemed to echo the words of Aristotle: “In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.”
Biophilic design addresses that human longing for the marvelous in nature. When natural elements are integral to a home or workspace, studies show that they reduce stress, improve both physical and mental health, and promote creativity and clarity of thought.
Over the past few years, homeowners have been drawn more than ever to the soothing colors, textures, and patterns found in nature. Although months of lockdown made most of us grateful for opportunities to leave home, the need to create a home space that was welcoming and comfortable became especially important.
Color is a simple yet foundational element in biophilic design. Color trends over the past several years have proven that. Although pops of bright color appear, manufacturers and designers have gravitated toward soft greens, watery blues, and creamy neutrals. The subdued colors of nature are known to produce a calming effect and have even been attributed to reduced blood pressure and increased concentration.
Similarly, the popularity of fabrics and furnishings with botanical and animal prints is growing. Curtains, seating pieces, bedding, even wallpapers can add that connection to nature, even if it is just in the patterns and not the fabrics themselves.
Material selection does play a role in biophilic design. Whether that means opting for natural materials rather than man-made or incorporating natural elements in the decor, those materials add texture and warmth that cannot ever be replicated with synthetics.
Other trends from the past several years reflect the principles of biophilic design even if they aren’t touted as such. Larger windows without mullions allow more natural light into a space. They also give the sense of bringing nature into the home rather than creating a barrier between the two. And when natural light is more accessible, research indicates that people think more clearly, are more engaged with one another, and have a more positive outlook.
Shapes that occur in nature add a sense of the organic to a home, softening the lines of modern construction that often appear hard. Shapes like curved arches between rooms and rounded edges on doorways and corners echo the soft curves found in plants and stone. Incorporating natural materials in architectural features, including shelves and trim, adds texture as well, further enhancing that biophilic design connection.
These concepts have already begun transforming commercial facilities such as hospitals, schools, and large office buildings that used to be considered cold and institutional. Architects and designers have recognized that beauty, especially that of the natural world, does more than please the eye. It heals the spirit.
To create a home that does the same, consider Rembrandt’s advice: “Choose only one master—nature.” •
