Biophilia is a term I stumbled across doing my usual online trolling for content goodies.
First introduced by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, its the “passionate love of life and of all that is alive...”.
Basically, biophilia explains our need to sit by the ocean or in the woods (guilty), the calmness we experience from the sound of moving water (guilty) or our need to buy more house plants than we have house for (double guilty). Its the biological human instinct to connect with nature and a concept that has moved right into Interiors, called Biophilic Design.
Ever walk into a space and there's a living wall or a stream passing through or floor to ceiling windows or even just a fire place? That's Biophilic Design: Bringing nature into our built spaces. Most often this type of design is used to bring the outside in and many think that its beneficial to our overall health by reducing stress and energizing our souls.
You guys: This concept goes allll the way back to to The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. We're talking roughly 605BC!!
So how can you introduce this design theory into your space? Check out a few examples below for some inspo:
The Lobby of 1 Hotel, Central Park, NY, NY.
Loaded with natural elements like the greenery, wood selections, natural stone and those super cool looking, nest pendant thingies, the whole concept of this space was to give the guests a sense of peace and oneness with nature. Even the exterior of the building is covered in foliage. Mission Accomplished, if you ask me.
Fairlife Offices, Chicago, IL
Honestly, I might be more interested in the traditional "Office" type working environment if this was where I had to go every day. The design itself is impressive but the addition of the living wall, the floating, slatted wood ceilings and the color scheme reflecting our natural environment makes this space feel so calming and inviting. I wonder if Fairlife is hiring?
This Bathroom:
Um....is this heaven? Honestly, I don't love a bath but let me tell you, I would be so pruney if this was my bathroom. So much greenery! So much natural wood! So much SUNLIGHT!!! This is the bathroom of my dreams!
While some of these examples may feel extreme, there are easy ways to introduce biophilic design into your home. Pick pieces made of natural materials, include earth tones and patterns, buy that one-millionth house plants or just clean your windows and open the blinds to maximize natural sunlight. Think of all of your senses, including smell and touch. Look around. You're probably half way there!
While writing this, I cant help but think about the direct connection of Biophilic Design to the concepts of Feng Shui. Come back next week for a deeper dive into those theories.