Biophilic Design

Landscape architects are charged with greenscaping a project--to bring life to a building and its exterior spaces. Ironically, it has been observed that plants are not a major part of their education/interests and as a result, many landscape designers are not very good plantsmen. Sometimes they put the wrong plants in the wrong place. Many LA's use a short list of plants that suit their architectural aesthetic, and are hardy and adaptable to a wide range of site conditions. Unfortunately, many of these selected few plants offer little benefit to native wildlife, and to the overall ecology of a project, effectively 'greenwashing' our cities. Compounding this are planners, architects and landscape architects jumping on any available open space in a community under the banner of high urban density. This comes at a cost of reducing green space in our environments and assumes that you can drive or take some alternate transportation outside of the city limits to 'get away'.

A number of studies have shown that people prefer plants and nature within their living environment. Not only prefer, but are healthier and happier. Known as biophilia, there is an innate human need for a connection with nature. Some designers recognize this and maximize opportunities for nature in their projects, and are called biophilic designers. Terrapin Bright Green listed the multiple benefits of nature in cities in their 2014 report "14 Patterns of Biophilic Design". Terrapin Bright Green is an environmental consulting an strategic planning firm committed to improving the human environment with environmental opportunities. The 14 patterns are grouped by "Nature in the Space," "Natural Analogues", and "Nature of the Space." These groups list the design elements of biophilic design-- such as providing visual connections, sensory stimuli, airflow, presence of water, and biomorphic forms and patterns. With each of these they list the published research that shows their health benefits, such as, stress reduction, cognitive performance, and emotional preference (see chart below).

Of course, in addition to the health benefits, biophilic design promotes environmentally sustainable practices, ultimately connecting humans to nature in a way that promotes environmental awareness and stewardship. The report is available for free on the Terrapin Bright Green website at http://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/14-patterns/