Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life

Abstract

346 Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 22 No. 1 (Spring 2012) ISSN: 1546-2250 Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life Louise Chawla University of Colorado Citation: Chawla, Louise. (2012). "Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life." Children, Youth and Environments 22 (1). Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life A documentary by Stephen Kellert & Bill Finnegan Produced by Tamarack Media; marketed by Bullfrog Films, 2011 www.biophilicdesign.net Biophilic design connects people to nature and local landscapes through gardens, green views, green walls and roofs, indoor plantings, water, natural light, natural materials, and architectural forms derived from nature, on every scale from individual buildings to neighborhoods. This 60-minute film features leaders in design and environmental advocacy who identify the many ways that contact with nature is important for human health and well-being and present examples from architecture, landscape architecture and planning that respond to this need. It takes the concept of green building into new territory by adding human emotions and connection to place into the discourse of sustainability. As Stephen Kellert, one of the film’s creators, observes, “Sustainable design focuses only on reducing environmental damage from waste and pollution, or excessive use of resources like energy and water,” while failing to appreciate people’s equally important need for beneficial contact with nature. The most sustainable buildings and places are those that people love, that nourish the spirit as well as the body, so that people are prepared to protect them and care for them across generations. This is the type of design that the film presents. 347 Many of the featured projects are environments for children and youth, including the Edible Schoolyard at King Middle School in Berkeley, California; Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.; the environmental studies buildings at Oberlin College and Yale University; Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon; and Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas. Neighborhoods where children can play outdoors freely and encounter nature are also featured, including Village Homes in Davis, California; EVA Lanxmeer in The Netherlands; and High Point in Seattle. Overall, this is an inspiring film that presents green buildings and design not just as approaches to solving environmental problems, but seen from the larger context of biophilia, as opportunities for healing the human body and spirit and expanding human capabilities at the same time as they heal the earth. ...