Abstract
Biophilic design has received increasing attention as a design philosophy in recent years. This review paper focused on the three Biophilic design categories as proposed by Stephen Kellert and Elizabeth Calabrese in “The Practice of Biophilic Design”. Psychological, peer reviewed literature supporting the benefits of Biophilic design was searched for through the lens of restorative environments. Results indicate that there exists much evidence supporting certain attributes of Biophilic design (such as the presence of natural elements), while empirical evidence for other attributes (such as the use of natural materials or processes) is lacking. The review concludes with a call for more research on restorative environments and Biophilic design.
Highlights
Biophilic design is a design philosophy that encourages the use of natural systems and processes in the design of the built environment [1]
Biophilic design is based on the Biophilia hypothesis, which proposes that humans have an innate connection with the natural world [2] and that exposure to the natural world is important for human wellbeing
Two building rating systems that originated in the United States but are being promoted globally incorporate Biophilic design directly; these are the Living Building Challenge [4], which incorporates it through the Biophilia Imperative, and the new WELL Building Standard [5], which incorporates it through the Biophilia Precondition and Biophilia Optimization
Summary
Biophilic design is a design philosophy that encourages the use of natural systems and processes in the design of the built environment [1]. Biophilic design is based on the Biophilia hypothesis, which proposes that humans have an innate connection with the natural world [2] and that exposure to the natural world is important for human wellbeing. The idea behind Biophilic design is to incorporate natural features and systems into the built environment in order to provide human beings with their much-needed exposure to nature [1]. Two building rating systems that originated in the United States but are being promoted globally incorporate Biophilic design directly; these are the Living Building Challenge [4], which incorporates it through the Biophilia Imperative, and the new WELL Building Standard [5], which incorporates it through the Biophilia Precondition and Biophilia Optimization. Consulting firms have championed the concept, notably Terrapin Bright Green, who have published various white papers on Biophilic design [6] and Interface flooring, who have created a Human Spaces website [7] to encourage discussion around Biophilic design
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