BIOPHILIC DESIGN- APPLYING THE CONCEPT TO THE DESIGN OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENTS
The theory of biophilia can be translated to the design of built environments through what has been termed Biophilic Design. The term “built environment”, referring to human-made places and spaces ranging in scale to provide the human activities of live, work and recreate, itself distinguishes the built from the natural environment. The term biophilic design was coined with the publication of a collection of articles on the topic entitled Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life. Biophilic design can be defined as approach to designing the built environment in a way that emphasizes the necessity of “maintaining, enhancing, and restoring beneficial experience of nature” (Kellert, Heerwagen and Mador).
There have been two major organizational systems used to describe aspects and principals of biophilic design. Kellert et al defines the two main dimensions of biophilic design as being either:
1. an organic or naturalistic dimension
2. place-based or vernacular dimension.
These two basic dimensions can then be applied to the following six biophilic design elements:
3. environmental features
4. natural shapes and forms
5. natural patterns and processes
6. light and space
7. place-based relationships
8. evolved human-nature relationships.
These are then continued to be broken down to more than 70 design elements and attributes as listed in figure 1 below.
Figure 4 Elements and Attributes of Biophilic Design (Kellert, Heerwagen and Mador)
This list is quite extensive and demonstrates the many design attributes that can be tied to biophilic design. Each element and attribute listed has been identified to specifically be tied to an aspect of our evolutionary development and adaption. For example, under environmental features, water is one of our basic human needs and tends to have a strong response in people. Water as strong element is noticeable in our built environments: fountains are often at the center and become the most popular places in towns and cities, water walls are often installed in spaces to create a sense of peace, and waterfront property is historically in high demand. This list does not imply that use of these elements guarantees effective use. Continuing with the element of water as an example, effective use in designing is contingent on how the element is perceived to create a positive response. Aspects such as quality, quantity, and movement, become important because poor quality water or either a deep pool or roughness of water could instill a negative reaction of fear (Mador). The vast number of elements, attributes and aspects to consider demonstrate the vast application that biophilia has to the design of our built environment. However, just as with the complexity of the concept becoming a barrier, the complexity and quantity of elements becomes a barrier. Holistically understanding the element, its tie to our inherent response to it, and effective ways to apply it to design can become intensive for one element, let alone 70. This complexity also is a barrier for people to get a full spectrum of understanding of the topic. Daylighting itself is a discipline all of its own. Relevant research will be discussed later in this paper, but it is important at this point to note the vast amount of evidence based research that would be needed to create quantitative data related to each of these very different elements.
DEFINING BIOPHILIC DESIGN ELEMENTS
Terrapin Bright Green, the environmental consulting and strategy planning firm that published one of the most comprehensive reports to date on biophilia, uses a bit vaguer approach to organize and define principles of biophilic design. Their definitions are based more on the form of connection that we could have with nature: direct, indirect or symbolic. Examples would be being in direct contact with plants, looking at plants through a window, or having a photograph of a plant. More specifically, the three pillars they describe as tenants of biophilic design are (The Economics of Biophilia: Why Designing with Nature in Mind Makes Financial Sense):
1. Nature in the Space: incorporation of plants, water and animals into the built environment
2. Natural Analogues: materials and patterns that evoke nature
3. Nature of the Space: psychological and physiological responses to spatial configurations
They then divide these domains further into 14 patterns (Terraping Bright Green - Indepth Ideas: Biophilia):
Nature in the Space
1. Visual Connection with Nature
2. Non-visual Connection with Nature
3. Non-rhythmic Sensory Stimuli
4. Access to Thermal & Airflow Variability
5. Presence of Water
6. Dynamic & Diffuse Daylight
7. Connection with Natural Systems
Natural Analogues
8. Biomorphic Forms & Patterns
9. Material Connection with Nature
10. Complexity & Order
Nature of the Space
11. Prospect
12. Refuge
13. Mystery
14. Risk/Peril