What is biophilic architecture?

The concept of biophilia was first coined by the German philosopher Erich Fromm to refer to the “love of life”. In his book Anatomy of Human Destructivenes (1973), Fromm uses this term as the antonym of necrophilia.

For him, biophilia is the essence of humanist ethics; that is, human beings are the product of the natural evolution of species, are part of nature and, therefore, maintain an innate relationship with it. [1] [2]

Later, the concept was popularised by the biologist Edward O. Wilson in his book Biophylia, originally published in 1984 and reissued in 2021, revised and expanded by the author in a bold combination of biographical memoir, anecdotes and reflections on the close relationship between all natural processes and species. According to Wilson, biophilia is the innate human tendency to connect with life and natural processes. [3]

Biophilic architecture is therefore based on three core premises:

– It is integrated into, and respects, the natural environment in which it is implemented. Understanding the natural environment as the land and its pre-existing features, the natural water cycle and biodiversity.

– It is carried out using construction systems and natural materials with a reduced ecological impact. Building materials can be assessed by what is known as embodied carbon, which is the impact and greenhouse gas emissions generated by the production and manufacturing processes of raw materials before they are installed on site.

– It creates healthy environments that promote people’s wellbeing. A bioclimatic, mindful design that uses the sun’s natural light and heat, natural air renewal, and is also executed with healthy, toxin-free materials that protect the health of the people who inhabit them.

Biophilic design criteria

According to a United Nations report published in 2014 [4], more than 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a figure expected to rise to 66% by 2050.

The fact that our cities largely developed during an industrial revolution era, with technologies based on fossil fuels and a focus on fast road transport, makes them less human environments—often with serious pollution problems. Of the 323 most populated cities in the European Union, it is estimated that one in three exceeds the safe pollution limits set by the WHO. [5]

This leads to an ever-growing distance between people and nature, tending towards a life lived in enclosed, reduced spaces. In fact, it is estimated that between 85% and 90% of Europeans are already experiencing this situation on a daily basis.

In a post-COVID context in which health in the design of living and working spaces has moved to the forefront, more and more urban planners, architects and designers are seeking strategies to make inhabited spaces more comfortable, healthier and more conducive to wellbeing.

To successfully implement the strategies mentioned above, it is necessary to follow biophilic design patterns.

There are various articles and studies available that have attempted to categorise the main biophilic design criteria. Among others, the architect Stephen R. Kellert published two books between 2005 and 2008 in which he defined the relationship between biophilia and architecture. [6] [7] These books later served as the basis for the documentary Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life.

However, perhaps the most notable work—offering a more precise definition based on reliable studies—is the report produced in 2014 by the environmental consultancy Terrapin Bright Green, who defined 14 biophilic design patterns in an extensive report. [8]

The study organises the 14 patterns into four broad groups, demonstrating the health benefits of each proposed strategy, which we summarise here:

The first category is nature-in-the-space patterns. These refer to the presence of living plants, water and/or animals in a place. This classification also includes breezes, sounds, scents and other natural elements. Experiences of Nature in the space are achieved by creating connections with these natural elements, and especially through diversity, movement and multisensory interactions. The patterns included in this category are as follows:

– Visual connection with nature: direct visual contact with elements of nature, living systems and natural processes.

– Non-visual connection with nature:auditory, tactile, olfactory or gustatory stimuli that generate a positive relationship with nature, living systems and natural processes.

– Non-rhythmic sensory stimuli:random and fleeting connections with nature. These can be analysed statistically but cannot be predicted with precision.

– Thermal and airflow variability: subtle changes in air temperature, relative humidity, an air current perceptible on the skin, and surface temperatures that mimic natural environments.

– Presence of water:enhances a place’s perceptual experience through seeing, hearing or touching water.

– Dynamic and diffuse light: leverages variations in light intensity and shadow that change over time, recreating conditions found in nature.

– Connection with natural systems: awareness of natural processes, especially seasonal and temporal ones that are characteristic of a healthy ecosystem.

The following patterns refer to natural analogues and address organic representations of nature. They refer to objects, materials, shapes, colours, sequences and patterns present in nature, manifested as art, ornamentation, furniture, décor and textiles for the built environment. Each of these elements provides an indirect connection with nature. Natural analogue experiences occur by providing rich information in an organised or evolutionary way. The patterns included in this classification are:

– Biomorphic forms and patterns: symbolic references to contours, patterns, textures or numerical systems present in nature.

– Material connection with nature: materials and elements from nature that reflect local ecology and geology and create a distinctive sense of place.

– Complexity and order: sensory information that follows a specific hierarchy similar to that found in nature.

Finally, nature-of-the-space patterns refer to nature’s spatial configurations. This includes the innate or learned human desire to see beyond our immediate surroundings. It is our fascination with the slightly dangerous or unknown; for example, dark spaces, revealing moments, or experiences that include risk or even fear when the elements that provide us with safety are absent. To incorporate this category into our living spaces, deliberate and engaging spatial configurations should be encouraged, blending nature-in-the-space patterns with the natural analogues explained above. This category includes the following biophilic patterns:

– Prospect:an open view into the distance to enable effective surveillance and planning.

– Refuge:a place to withdraw from environmental conditions or daily activities where the person feels and is protected.

– Mystery:a quality achieved through a partially obscured view or other sensory devices that draw a person to explore further into the environment.

– Risk/Peril:an easily identifiable threat.

APPLYING BIOPHILIA IN ARCHITECTURE

Beyond defining biophilic design patterns, we know that properly applying biophilic design in architecture brings significant benefits for people. The most notable are [9]:

– Improved health, calm and productivity.

– Faster and more satisfactory recovery from illness.

– Reduced social problems.

– Improved behaviour.

– Improved quality of life, interpersonal relationships and sense of community.

– Increased motivation, productivity, concentration and memory.

– Reduced levels of stress and depression.

People who live in environments that meet the criteria of biophilic architecture have been shown to enjoy a higher quality of life. This factor was especially relevant during a global pandemic scenario in which most people had to learn to live temporarily confined to their homes.

A study carried out by the scientific digital publication ScienceDirect [10] identified the following points:

– Citizens who spent lockdown in a home with a garden, terrace or a reasonably sized balcony stated that they experienced that period more bearably than those living in a flat without outdoor spaces.

– Negative emotions were more frequent among people who spent this period in small homes with little natural light and without plants.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF BIOPHILIA IN ARCHITECTURE ACCORDING TO SPACE USE

The application of biophilia in architecture varies depending on the location and type of space, its function, or the audience it will serve. Depending on the building typology, strategies are defined that will help create environments that improve users’ quality of life.

In this article we have selected some of the living environments we humans occupy, in which architectural design and the setting are especially relevant to people’s comfort and wellbeing. These are:

(1) Biophilia applied to workspaces

(2) Biophilia applied to home design

(3) Biophilia applied to children’s spaces

(4) Biophilia applied to healthcare environments

(1) Biophilia applied to workspaces

Biophilic design is becoming highly relevant in the design of workspaces, where companies have identified better working environments and higher levels of productivity, happiness and employee wellbeing, translating into fewer sick leaves and greater profitability. [11]

Workspaces, together with schools, have undoubtedly been the architectural typologies most questioned after the pandemic. Interest in indoor environmental quality increased exponentially after lockdown, as the return to workplaces gradually began.

Proper ventilation, CO₂ levels, and the impact of heating or air-conditioning systems on air quality have become key concerns.

In many cases, these spaces stopped being used: offices were left empty or used in shifts, but homes also became workspaces, with kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms or terraces serving as improvised offices. It was an emergency solution that proved to have major advantages, such as improved performance, job satisfaction, reduced commuting and the resulting savings in time and money, as well as the associated pollution, among others.

However, direct contact with colleagues and co-workers has been shown to have a direct relationship with innovation and professional growth: those informal conversations, ad-hoc questions, brief planning meetings. That is where interruptions arise that break the daily routine, allowing people to learn from one another and improve every day.

In a routine of exclusively remote work, nothing is improvised; unexpected inputs do not arrive, and we cannot improve based on a colleague’s recommendation after they overhear a spontaneous conversation.

Therefore, at a time when most of us have undoubtedly understood the advantages of remote work—from reduced daily commuting to increased work performance—it is necessary to consider how new dynamics should combine the convenience of working from home with the in-person, essential interaction among team members.

Whether in an office or studio environment, or in a home-based remote-work setting, incorporating biophilic architecture undoubtedly has a direct impact on how the workspace is perceived and on wellbeing within it. There are some basic strategies to consider in the design of biophilic workspaces, summarised as follows:

– Ensure natural light for as much of the working day as possible.

– Incorporate natural elements such as water and plants into the workspace.

– Promote a calm workplace without excessive noise.

– Provide views of the sea or a natural landscape, whether through a real view from a window or through images that evoke or represent such spaces and remain visible throughout the working day.

– Incorporate the use of colours according to the work environment and requirements.

– Design workspaces using eco-friendly, natural and warm materials such as wood, stone, natural fabrics and fibres, etc.

– Use botanical forms instead of straight lines to establish visual relationships, for example between light and shadow.

In addition, it is important to ensure movement within the workplace itself. Biophilic elements can be distributed throughout the building so they are discovered on arrival, on departure, during breaks, at mealtimes, etc.

(2) Biophilia applied to home design

Biophilic design can also enrich and support our wellbeing at home. Below is a list of factors that can be implemented easily and are within our reach:

– Use furniture made from natural, eco-friendly, healthy materials, without toxic or synthetic finishes.

– Use decorative elements made with natural fabrics and fibres.

– Incorporate live plants; if this is not possible, use artificial plants preferably made from natural materials such as fibres or fabrics, or use natural elements such as logs or bamboo canes.

– Interior design with warm, soft colours.

– Combine different types of natural, dynamic and diffuse lighting.

– Visual connection with nature.

– Control thermal variability and airflow.

– Use forms and patterns that persist in nature.

– Incorporate outdoor or intermediate spaces such as courtyards, galleries, porches and terraces.

(3) Biophilia applied to children’s spaces

In recent years, society has been moving towards new models of child development in which group activities in outdoor parks are often replaced by individual practices, such as video games and computer screens in a closed room.

This new way of life, moving towards a world concentrated in cities, has brought imminent consequences that directly affect children’s health.

Recently, the United States government’s public Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that one in twelve children had asthma, due to increased pollution in cities. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through a series of investigations, concluded that approximately one in five school-age children had obesity, and that this had tripled since 1970. A study conducted by the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the EPA in 2017 determined that the number of children diagnosed with leukaemia has increased by 35% over the last 40 years. Spain’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that currently one in ten children has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This is because children increasingly spend excessive time on leisure activities in enclosed spaces.

These recent studies show that children are especially sensitive to environmental factors and lifestyle habits that directly affect their growth and development during a phase of constant physical and mental change, whose proper development depends mainly on the relationship established with their immediate environment—where they play, learn and live.

The study Children’s Environmental Health Indicator [12], carried out by the US multidisciplinary national organisation Children’s Environmental Health Networks, analyses how children who grow up in green, natural environments show better rates of intellectual and physical development. A healthy relationship between children and nature—good exposure to natural light and solar radiation, outdoor physical exercise, and wearing loose, brightly coloured clothing made from natural fibres—brings them numerous positive outcomes, especially during their growth and motor development stage.

Among the advantages of children connecting with nature are [13]:

– Supports proper development of the nervous, immune and endocrine systems.

– Optimises learning, study processes and the development of attention capacity.

– Reduces stress levels.

– Reduces the likelihood of developing illnesses such as asthma, childhood cancer, ADHD and obesity, among others.

– Reduces children’s susceptibility to pollution and climate change.

– Increases immunisation levels against toxic elements such as pesticides, mercury or lead.

– Enhances the ability to relate to people of different ages.

(4) Biophilia applied to healthcare environments

At the end of the 20th century, following several studies linking good indoor environmental quality and the natural environment to patients’ recovery processes, there was growing concern about designing healthcare environments that would help improve patients’ conditions.

In fact, in classical architecture, many cultures had already realised that a healthy environment—with good indoor environmental conditions, comfort, and a relationship with a spacious, green exterior—had positive effects on the sick. [14]

Examples such as Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona, built in the early 20th century, feature extensive garden areas where the different hospital pavilions are arranged, encouraging patients’ contact with the natural environment. It is a clear example of how urban planning fostered the conditions needed to create healthcare environments that ensured occupants’ wellbeing, and how the architecture of these settings took on a prominent role, with a Modernist style that has become a true landmark of the city. [15]

In other latitudes, we also find examples of how biophilic architecture played a relevant role in healing and patient recovery. In Finland, we have the paradigmatic example of the Paimio Sanatorium, a building constructed on the outskirts of the city of Turku specifically to accommodate tuberculosis patients—a disease that showed high recovery rates when the patient was in a natural environment with clean air. It is a healthcare centre with a clear objective: to constantly provide views of the nature surrounding the building, allow the maximum possible entry of natural light, and optimise patients’ contact with the outdoors through terraces and gardens. [16]

In the United Kingdom, we find the example of the Maggie’s Foundation centres, which arose from the need for spaces where patients living with long-term illnesses can receive support that is not offered by the oncology hospitals where they are treated.

The main objectives that shape these buildings are: an open plan; open, corridor-free spaces; constant views and direct access to the garden from any room, with openings that allow constant visual and physical contact with nature, birds and the sky; spaces designed with natural materials and warm colours that inspire calm; and appropriate natural light throughout the interior.

More recently, we have the example of Santos Reyes Hospital in Aranda de Duero, Burgos: an open, welcoming building constructed with natural materials such as wood, where natural lighting is prioritised, artificial lighting is controlled, acoustic and thermal comfort are ensured, and natural materials are used. These features make the hospital a healthy, comfortable and energy-sustainable building. The interior maintains constant views of the river and the exterior vegetation.

This section has mentioned only a few examples of buildings that respond to the typology of healthy healthcare centres. All of them can serve as examples and incorporate biophilic characteristics that can readily be extrapolated to any hospital built in the future. These aspects include incorporating natural ventilation and lighting; designing spaces with warm colours, natural materials and organic designs with plant motifs; and maintaining constant contact and visual connection with nature and vegetation.

BIOPHILIC CITIES

We currently live in an era witnessing the greatest urban growth to date; it is estimated that by 2050 approximately 54% of the world’s population will be living in cities. [17]

An essential aspect of ensuring the population’s health and wellbeing is facilitating and guaranteeing access to nature within the urban environment itself.

In response to this challenge, various initiatives have emerged that promote biophilic urban planning to strengthen the presence of natural, green environments in cities.

The Biophilic Cities initiative is an organisation made up of an international network of cities whose main objective is to build and maintain a constant connection with nature.

In addition to this organisation, there are other bodies such as the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), which promote initiatives such as GrowGreen, an innovative project aimed at helping cities evolve by integrating proposals based on incorporating, developing and managing nature.

Both organisations not only address human health as a primary aspect, but also seek solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss and inequitable economic systems.

But what do healthy, biophilic cities look like? Let us look at some examples where proposals for sustainable metropolises that embrace nature have proven successful.

(1) FUTURE PARKS initiative in the United Kingdom: Birmingham and Edinburgh:

This innovative, sustainable solution aims to manage and finance parks and open spaces that contribute to the public’s mental and physical health.

(2) IMAGINE AUSTIN in Austin, Texas:

Austin’s comprehensive plan is to provide spaces where people can walk, cycle and play, becoming a healthy city. It also makes it possible to find nearby healthy food options or healthcare centres.

(3) WINTERCITY in Edmonton, Canada:

This strategy aims to reduce the social isolation that occurs during the coldest winter months. By developing programmes and infrastructure, it makes it easier for residents to go outdoors.

(4) BREATHE in Edmonton, Canada:

This proposal aims to guarantee a network of open spaces for each neighbourhood according to its size as the metropolis grows.

(5) SWEET CITY in Curridabat, Costa Rica:

This project promotes the flourishing of pollinators throughout the city’s landscape in order to conserve local biodiversity in the urban landscape and strengthen the connection between humans and nature.

(6) HOME GROWN in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

This programme encourages the use of urban agriculture, parks, allotments and green spaces to achieve a better quality of life for city residents and provide them with access to healthy local food.

(7) STREET PARKS, San Francisco, United States:

This proposal emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It allows the city to respond better to the demand, precariousness and maintenance of green space it had until then.

Street Parks is a partnership between Parks Alliance and San Francisco Public Works (SFPW) that aims to support the development and maintenance of open spaces, neighbourhood beautification, and the activation of public land, vacant lots and hillsides. All of this is managed by the local community, community organisations and volunteers.

(8) HIGH LINE in New York, United States:

The High Line is a linear public park located on Manhattan’s West Side. It was a project to reinvent healthy public space in the city and neighbourhood, enabling connection. It is built on a historic railway line. This project, which always went beyond the simple idea of a park, allows users to walk through gardens, enjoy works of art, watch a performance, eat outdoors…

(9) Singapore, a prime example of a biophilic city:

The Gardens by the Bay, the buildings of the Central Business District, and the vast, wild nature reserves make Singapore a city with an exemplary biophilic landscape, where nature is fully integrated into everyday life.

Notable projects include Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) and the residential building Kampung Admiralty. Both are examples of architecture where nature and connection to it play a fundamental role. They feature rooftop gardens and allotments, treat and reuse rainwater, and provide a refuge for species such as dragonflies, butterflies and birds.

Singapore is hot and humid; the city provides shade and shelter for its residents thanks to the large number of trees in public spaces. In addition, the city has an extensive public transport network connecting all parts of the city. However, the main element that distinguishes Singapore as a prime biophilic city is its extensive park system.