Biophilic Design And Its Impact On Human Life| Biophilic Realm

 

Enclosed spaces that contain elements that directly or indirectly expose residents to nature offer many benefits to human health, economics, and education.

Health Benefits Biophilic Design

Nature makes us feel better, and science backs up this claim. The human body responds to its surroundings, and its nervous, endocrine, immune and sympathetic systems change according to its surroundings. Nature has a therapeutic and soothing effect on humans. To give examples, regular exposure to nature lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones, improves attention and mental health, and enhances creativity.

Hospital designs, for example, where biophilic principles are incorporated, can bring about significant changes in the healing and recovery processes of patients. Robert Ulrich noticed that patients whose windows overlooked nature tolerated pain better, were emotionally relaxed and recovered faster.

Another study indicated that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who spent 20 minutes in nature showed significantly better concentration than those who walked in a typical city environment

Biophilic Design - Educational Benefits

School architecture plays an important role in students' performance and improving their learning abilities. For example, in poorly lit, small, cold, and poorly ventilated classrooms, students perform poorly, due to negative spatial effects on students (David and Weinstein, 1987) . David, Weinstein, and other researchers use this study to provide a basis for some important propositions:

1. Environmental experiences in childhood remain influential throughout life; Therefore, how a school is designed and built can affect student learning

2. Planners, teachers, school administrators, architects and designers must recognize students' impressions formed by the architectural and physical characteristics of spaces within schools

3. Built environments have direct and symbolic effects on children.

Additionally, as another study noted, “Lights of different colors affect blood pressure, pulse, breathing rates, brain activity, and vital systems. Full-spectrum light, required to influence the pineal gland's synthesis of melatonin, which in turn helps determine the body's output of the neurotransmitter serotonin, It is crucial to the child's health and development”

Economic Benefits Biophilic Design

Houses or apartments with sea views always sell for higher prices in the real estate sector: “The United States showed that homes with full water views had a 58.9 percent increase in value, compared to only a 30 percent increase for those with partial views. Compared to a typical home in area, lakefront homes saw a 127 percent increase in value.

There are also studies on the impact of commercial buildings on absenteeism in the workplace. For example, according to a study conducted by the University of Oregon, 10% of employee absenteeism can be due to architectural structures that have no connection with nature. Absenteeism from work leads to economic losses in the private sector.

Another example is retail stores with natural connections or that incorporate bioactives. Studies show that these retail stores sell more and improve their profits.

Additionally, these examples put a contrast to the common assumption that biophilic designs are expensive. Biophilic designs, even if their applications are initially expensive, compensate for the additional expense in the long run by reducing absenteeism and attracting more customers with their attractive nature.

How to apply biophilic designs in your home

Bringing nature indoors helps you realize your potential, leaving your physical mind feeling relaxed and ready to focus on your task. But here the question is, “How can create biophilic designs?” Here are some tips you can use in your living spaces and workplaces:

·         Use natural materials such as wood, timber, stone and earth: wooden surfaces, for example, lower blood pressure and heart rate. Thus, you can furnish the house with wooden cabinets, wooden tables and chairs.

·         Build a visual connection with nature: Full-height glass windows increase visibility between indoor and outdoor spaces.

·         Presence of water

·         Create fun spaces like corners

·         A place that speaks to your five senses

·         Use natural perfumes to make you feel close to nature

·         Houseplants: Just one plant can improve air quality by 25 percent. You can decorate rooms with hanging plants.

·         Integrating chaos and order, applying different textures and shapes, creating a place with rich stimulants: a combination of wood and stones can be one of the options.

Use light and shadow of different intensities

Take advantage of daylight: Natural light is fundamentally important for balancing circadian rhythms; You can rely on windows instead of air conditioners.

Thermal contrast and air flow

Use natural analogues, for example, evoking inanimate, indirect organic nature. Objects and ornaments mimic natural shapes and organic geometry.

The importance of biophilia and biophilic designs

Biophilic designs have a significant impact on human well-being by bridging the widening gap between humans and nature. Additionally, they cushion the economy, promote healthy recovery, and improve the learning environment in classrooms. Moreover, they generate associations between people and living spaces. Thus, they motivate people to focus better and work more constructively.

Biophilic designs can be adapted to create green-themed cities in the future to reduce the heat island effect in tropical countries and drastic global changes due to climate change around the world. With the right strategies, we can also transform our living spaces into biophilic environments. It all starts with adopting a new awareness and recognizing the common needs of nature and humans:

Conclusion

In a world where our connection with nature is increasingly strained, biophilic design emerges as a transformative solution with far-reaching benefits. In this article we unveiled the remarkable influence of biophilic design on human health, education, and economics. It has illuminated the therapeutic and soothing effects of nature on our well-being, the positive impact on educational spaces, and the economic advantages of properties with natural connections. Moreover, it has provided valuable insights on how to implement biophilic design principles in your own spaces, fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and the natural world.