Since the late 2000s, humans have rapidly evolved to spend more time indoors than outdoors. This change has been even more evident since the Covid lockdown, which brought about virtual working, studying and living practices. These shifts emphasise the importance of including nature in our living and working spaces, a concept promoted by biophilic interior design. Keep reading to understand the biophilic meaning, features and benefits of including biophilic architecture and interiors and explore tips to incorporate biophilic design in residential interior spaces.
What is Biophilic Interior Design?
The biophilic meaning is derived from the term ‘biophilia’, which refers to the natural connectivity between humans and nature. Biophilic design in architecture and interiors seeks to enhance this connectivity by bringing nature indoors, enabling peace of mind and tranquillity in living spaces. This kind of human-centred design approach and concept has gained immense popularity globally in recent times due to the notable improvements that they cause in everyday lifestyles.
How is Biophilic Interior Design Beneficial?
Biophilic design interior spaces offer several benefits to humans, including:
- Enhanced Well-Being: Biophilic office interior design and residential design can have various positive impacts on the physical and mental health of human beings. These include an increase in general productivity, enhanced thermal comfort, regulated breathing and sleep cycles and an overall feeling of tranquillity and uplifted spirits.
- Encouraging Eco-Friendly Practices: With the use of natural materials and products, sustainable building practices are given priority with such design. With the increasing threats of global warming and climate change,—for which the construction industry is a major contributor—eco-friendly design concepts like biophilia interiors are the need of the hour.
- Financial Benefits: Biophilic design architecture spaces have reduced reliance on mechanical ventilation systems, thus lowering utility bills. With sustainable designs, zero-energy buildings are often created, pushing people to aim for green building certifications and significantly increasing property values.
The Biophilic Design Concept for Interiors
According to the Biophilic Design/Interior Design Matrix (BDM/ BIDM)—a strategic design tool developed by Stephen Kellert, a social ecology professor—there are six principles of biophilic design, which are particularly applicable to interior spaces. These are:
- Environmental Features: This includes actual nature or natural elements, such as plants and water features in indoor spaces, which can have a direct positive impact on the mental state of humans.
- Nature Shapes and Forms: Elements that mimic nature or are representations of nature, such as natural timber or stone, are included in this category. Such biophilic design elements help us stay connected to nature even if direct contact with nature is not available.
- Natural Patterns and Processes: These include items that mimic the way natural elements or organisms function in nature, i.e., items that embody biomimicry in architecture. For example, the golden ratio (commonly used to design interior products) represents the proportions followed by the bodies of many natural organisms.
- Light and Space: This principle emphasises the importance of natural light and sufficient cross ventilation in indoor spaces. It explains how natural as well as artificial light can impact and shape spatial relationships.
- Place-Based Relationships: According to this principle, humans often form an emotional and spiritual connection with built spaces. These connections are enhanced to create memorable spaces when elements of nature and culture are incorporated.
- Human-Nature Relationships: Nature can evoke various feelings in humans, including those of awe, excitement, protection, refuge, order, complexity and discovery. These same feelings can be felt in buildings when nature is incorporated into them with biophilic interior design.
Tips for Including Biophilic Design in Interiors
Biophilic house design can be achieved by adopting some of the following tips:
Prioritise Open Floor Plans
Open floor plans enhance visual connectivity between different spaces in a home and improve social interactions. They also increase the transmission of natural light across rooms and boost flexibility in space usage. Include courtyards in these plans to bring nature inside. Add semi-open spaces such as balconies and verandahs that can help you experience nature without leaving the building.
Include More Windows
Incorporate different types of windows (such as French windows and dormer windows) and glass features such as skylights. These maximise natural light entering enclosed spaces, bringing inside one of the most powerful natural elements. Position glass features to offer views of greenery, nature and other exterior features and provide seating near these to blur the boundary between the indoors and outdoors.
Add Indoor Plants
Indoor plants are the most direct representation of nature and are vital components of biophilic interior design homes. Their presence in built spaces not only enhances mental wellbeing, but also helps in purifying air. Other direct representatives of nature, such as water bodies or fountains, flower vases and green walls can also be added. These engage different senses of the human body, such as sight, touch, feel and smell, producing an enhanced connectivity with nature.
Use Natural Materials, Elements and Colour Schemes
Natural materials like wood, bamboo and stone in their raw forms are some of the most common elements found in biophilic interior design examples across the world. Use these along with other materials/items made from natural elements, such as lime or mud plaster, clay or terracotta products and organic fabrics. Apply neutral, soft and earthy colours in shades of red, brown, grey, yellow and green to further enhance the natural effect in interior design.
Enhance Lighting Design
While it is important to reduce the dependence on artificial lights, they are necessary during evening/ night times. However, the home lighting design can be based on softer colours and have regulated brightnesses. Avoid gaudy light fittings or lights that seem unnatural and provide a minimal number of lights in every room. If possible, include rhythm lights and circadian lighting that can mimic natural sunlight and be tuned to the human body’s daily cycles.
Incorporating Biophilic Interior Design into Projects
While there are a few guiding principles for biophilic interior design, it is more of an abstract concept based on human emotions and how they interact with spaces. To create spaces that actually enhance human connectivity with nature, deep knowledge and refined design skills are necessary. Brick & Bolt, a design-build company in India, collaborates with top architects to create innovative floor plans based on sustainable concepts like this. These services are complemented by expert execution by contractors, site engineers, project managers and other professionals in the industry. To get your house or commercial project designed and built on the basis of innovative concepts like biophilic design, get in touch with Brick & Bolt today!
Apoorva H P Achar