Biophilia: The Science of Bringing Nature Indoors

People are spending more time indoors than ever. For many of them, it’s due to work, time constraints, and the draw of attractive distractions like Netflix. 

For others, spending time outdoors is simply not an option. Health concerns can keep people indoors. So can safety worries. In many places, nature has been replaced with more industrialized elements.

To counter this, interior decorators, planners, architects, even homeowners have begun to embrace biophilia. The result has been a trend towards moving natural features into indoor spaces.

Biophilia Definition

The term biophilia means the love of living things. It refers to our innate attraction to nature. Biophilia decor is a phrase used by interior designers. It’s used to describe the practice of incorporating natural elements into the interiors of homes, offices, restaurants, and other spaces.

Which Natural Elements Can be Used in Biophilic Design?

Biophilia is an umbrella term that encompasses so many things. Essentially, if it can be found in nature, or if it is representative of nature, then it fits. Here are just a few examples:

• Plants and shrubs
• Wood
• Rocks
• Water
• Natural light

Designers can take a very bold approach to biophilia. For example, one might incorporate a beautiful water feature with river stones at the entryway of a nice restaurant. 

It’s also possible to use a more subtle touch. A building might be designed to catch the afternoon sun through its windows, or a decorator may select furniture with exposed wood grain. 

Biophilia also means including elements that evoke or emulate the sensibilities of nature. This approach includes the use of soft, organic shapes and lines in contrast to abrupt, precise lines and angles. Artificial living walls would also fall into this category.

Why Is Biophilia So Popular Now?

The purpose of biophilia in design is to make people feel more connected to nature and to improve well-being in those spaces. While this isn’t a new design concept, it’s certainly gained a lot of attention recently.

There are many reasons for this. The first is that people are craving connections to nature more than ever. There are two seemingly contradictory driving forces behind this craving. 

On one hand, many people were able to spend the recent shutdown reconnecting with nature. They don’t want to lose this connection, especially not by spending hours each day in sterile work environments. 

On the other hand, there’s a segment of the population who were deprived of exposure to nature before the pandemic and were even more deprived during the shutdown. They crave this connection and would love to live and work in more natural environments. 

Finally, several recent studies have revealed the benefits of incorporating natural elements into homes and workspaces. People are heeding this advice in their design efforts.

Who Is Using Biophilic Design?

If you research biophilic design, most examples center on large, tech-forward businesses. This prominence exists because these companies have significant budgets to dedicate to architecture and building design and to maintain organic features and other natural elements. 

These examples are certainly interesting, but they can make biophilia seem unattainable for anyone without those resources.

However, if you dig a bit deeper, you can find biophilia in homes, small businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities. In many cases, people are embracing biophilia without even knowing the word. 

Have you noticed the growing indoor gardening trend or seen more houseplants than ever on your local Facebook marketplace? These are all signs that people are adopting biophilia on a large scale.

Examples of Biophilia Decor

If you want to incorporate biophilia into your home or workplace, you have to move beyond concepts to practical applications. Hopefully, these examples will give you some inspiration:

Outdoor Workspaces

This approach is very budget and weather-dependent. However, it’s also one of the best ways to get the benefits of exposure to nature. Companies that can are creating outdoor or semi-outdoor workspaces as part of their efforts to keep workers happy and engaged. 

Natural Colors and Textures

Many of the colors that are commonly used in homes and businesses can’t be found in nature. That’s slowly changing. Designers are beginning to heavily favor organic, earthy hues instead. 

Additionally, there’s a new focus on using textures that mimic those found in nature. For example, adding artwork that features natural stone or wood grain. Artificial living walls also add natural textures and low-spectrum green to interior spaces.

Windows and Skylights

Windows and skylights let natural lighting into homes and workspaces. This approach has significant health benefits, including increased focus and productivity as well as improved mood. Where it isn’t possible to enjoy the natural lighting, people are selecting full-spectrum lighting to mimic natural light.

Virtual Environments

It’s been discovered that simulations can create many of the same benefits as bringing in organic elements. Because of this, many businesses are using projectors and video screens to present images of skies, forests, and waterways.

Artificial Living Walls

An artificial living wall is a budget-friendly, easily maintained object that can be used to incorporate nature into any space. You can use them to cover entire walls, as accents, or connected together to become freestanding design structures.

Easily Incorporate Biophilia into Your Design

You can instantly transform your home or workspace with artificial living walls. Take some time to browse our inventory and find an option that works for you.