Q&A with Oliver Heath, an expert in Biophilic Design
Biophilia is defined as the inherent human inclination to affiliate with nature. An extension of Biophilia, Biophilic Design incorporates natural materials, natural light, vegetation, views of nature and other experiences of the natural world into the modern built environment.
On the subject of our homes as a retreat and source of life support:
Our homes are absolutely critical to our mental and physical wellbeing. They are the backdrops to our lives; we spend two-thirds of our lives at home and 90% of our lives indoors. So, the spaces that we surround ourselves with inevitably have an important impact on the way that we feel… not just our physical wellbeing but also our mental wellbeing, in addition to our ability to improve our cognitive focus. Our homes invigorate us for the day to come and they relax us for the day just gone by. They connect us with families, friends and the things that we love.
On the subject of material selection and its impact on our health and wellbeing:
Our homes have become significantly less healthy over the last 20 years due to a build-up of chemicals in materials, fixtures and fittings but also as they have become increasingly sealed up. So, the more we can introduce natural materials, the less we are likely to be inviting in toxins. If we use materials like solid wood and use natural or water-based finishes, we can do a lot to reduce toxins in the home. When you add natural materials, I believe it adds a more sensory quality to
Our homes have become significantly less healthy over the last 20 years due to a build-up of chemicals in materials, fixtures and fittings but also as they have become increasingly sealed up. So, the more we can introduce natural materials, the less we are likely to be inviting in toxins. If we use materials like solid wood and use natural or water-based finishes, we can do a lot to reduce toxins in the home. When you add natural materials, I believe it adds a more sensory quality to the space at hand.
So it improves all the sensory qualities of the space; the visual, the acoustic, the sense of touch and smell. Many artificial materials off-gas toxins throughout their lifespan, creating poor indoor air quality, and as a result, negatively impact on the overall health and wellbeing of the occupants.
There was an interesting study by Rethink Wood back in 2014 that showed how the hygroscopic nature of timber actually moderates humidity and improves air quality within a space. It states that the colour and texture of timber have been demonstrated to evoke feelings of warmth, comfort and relaxation. So, thus, it can reduce heart rate and blood pressure levels, and so by reducing stress and anxiety, it can improve your psychological state.
Other studies from the Joanneum Institute of Health Technology show that sleeping in a real timber bed can reduce heart rates by 3,500 beats per day. And when we sleep better, it means we are more Biophilia is defined as the inherent human inclination to affiliate with nature. An extension of Biophilia, Biophilic Design incorporates natural materials, natural light, vegetation, views of nature and other experiences of the natural world into the modern built environment.
2 relaxed in our environment. Getting a better night’s sleep can improve your quality of life, improving your relationships, your ability to focus, your ability to work, and your physical health in all sorts of ways.
On the subject of nurture through nature:
We are starting to see a rise in the science of biophilic design, which is what happens when we improve the human connection to nature. People understand that nature is fundamental to our psychological and physical wellbeing and that introducing elements of nature is good. That can be a direct form of nature – so how do we introduce plants or greenery and improve contact with natural light? But it might also be about the indirect elements – how do we introduce natural materials, colours, textures and patterns that can in some way invoke a sense of nature?
I find this really interesting, the idea that we can create a sense of nature in a space by using natural materials, one of which may be solid wood surfaces or natural materials that mimic that sense of nature. What the research tells us is that when we improve that sense of nature, directly or indirectly, then it can create a more calming, restful, restorative and energising space.
On the topic of synthetic vs natural materials:
I think, through greater education and understanding of the beauty of materials, people are moving away from those artificial plastics towards natural materials that enhance the quality of space.
Through a greater understanding of design, through television programmes and through the media, we are becoming more attuned to the fact that the quality of the space that you surround yourself indirectly affects your mental and physical wellbeing – a recognition which in turn has led to a greater appreciation of natural materials.
Added to that people are increasingly connecting artificial materials with our throw-away consumer culture; being cheap to buy, cheap to use and cheap to replace is becoming an increasingly negative approach for many. We are striving towards longer term sustainable thinking which aspires towards quality materials with greater provenance, longevity and eventual reuse. It’s clear to me as a designer that this use of better quality material infuses spaces with a greater sense of calm, care and wellbeing.
This movement towards considering the whole life cycle of materials will increasingly influence our design choices in the years to come; applying the circular economy principles and so by ensuring that materials stay in a loop of usefulness rather than a hole in the ground is essential for a considered sustainable approach to the built environment.
There’s that immediate level, there’s the global environmental level, and I think growing awareness towards what’s called the circular economy – understanding that materials like plastics are maybe used once and then are likely to be thrown into a hole in the ground. There isn’t a large enough understanding at the moment of the circular economy and the need to keep materials in a suitable loop. I think that’s important, and a subject that will grow over the next five to ten years.