Biophilia – Definitions:
‘Bio’: ‘nature’ – all things governed by
natural forces.
‘Philia’: love – the Ancient Greek name
for the type of love that represents deep
emotional connection.
‘Biophilia’: is the word we use to reference
an innate human affiliation with other
living organisms and living systems.
Biophilic design: design working
in harmony with nature to promote
human health and wellbeing.
Biophilia includes: our connections
with and responses to:
– time of day, seasons of the year,
prevailing light and weather conditions
– colour, light and shade
– what we see, hear, smell, and touch
– the feelings and emotions that these
elements provoke or soothe within us.
The benefits of biophilic design
include the physiological (the body),
the psychological (the mind), and the
cognitive (intellectual processing).
Theories and Scientific Evidence
There are a variety of theories and
scientifically explored understandings
that help to explain the basic principles
and benefits of Biophilic design.
A deeply rooted relationship to natural
environments form part of human
history – natural connections are as
much a part of the human evolutionary
the process as our desire and instinct to
behave as social beings.
We are attuned to nature because
its rhythms chime with our own,
and we have learned an instinctive
understanding of its language. We are
exhilarated, refreshed, and comforted
when the natural world around us feels
as if it is thriving within its environment,
and when it feels ‘at home’ or ‘at one’
with where we are and what we can
experience.
Attention Restoration Theory
“The enjoyment of scenery employs the
mind without fatigue and yet exercises
it tranquilises it and yet enlivens it;
and thus, through the influence of the
mind over the body gives the effect of
refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the
whole system” ~Frederick Law Olmstead,
Landscape architect, 1865
Spending time in, with, or around nature
is not only something we enjoy, but also
improves cognitive function and focus
