HEALTHY HOME Oliver Heath on biophilic design and connecting with nature
It’s spring, my favourite time of year, and the forest I’m walking through with my kids is bursting into life. The bluebells are flowering, fresh green leaves are unfurling, the damp earth beneath my feet is full of tiny creatures, and the tree tops are a chorus of birdsong. This feels amazing
– too good to head home or back to work.
It seems tragic that the incredible benefits we feel when we’re immersed in nature are lost in the spaces in which we actually spend so much of our time. In fact, studies suggest that we spend 90 per cent of our lives indoors, surrounded by geometric shapes and hard lines, where air quality can be five times worse than outside, being bombarded by the stress of our everyday lives, be that families, work or technology.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Our homes are the most important spaces in our lives and have a huge impact on our health and happiness. Following a concept called biophilia we can design a little of nature’s magic back into life. Biophilia – meaning a love of nature – explains our innate attraction to the natural world and recognises its ability to act as a force for good, improving our physical and mental wellbeing and putting us in a more relaxed, open and optimistic state of mind. The concept has been developed into what we
now know as biophilic design – a set of principles that aim to improve our connection with nature as a way to reduce stress. It involves making the most of the sensory elements of nature, such as the feel of fresh air and the sound of water. It’s also about introducing natural materials, colours, textures, patterns and even technologies that evoke a feeling of nature, and remembering that our homes need to have spaces that energise, stimulate and connect us with each other, while being calming, relaxing and restorative.
Bring biophilic design into your home…
• Make the most of available natural light by keeping your windows clear, clean and unobstructed by blinds and curtains.
• Add greenery in pots, trailing plants hanging from the ceiling and a herb garden on the kitchen windowsill.
• Include natural colours and patterns – those that remind you of positive experiences you may have had in nature. Blues will be calming, greens invigorating, and yellows warming and social.
• Use natural wood grains to add texture on furniture, flooring or wall panels.
• Make the most of sensory spaces such as bathrooms, with textural contrasts. For example with fluffy towels against cool tiles, plus gentle lighting and calming scents.
HB