Biophilic Design

DOES VISUAL CONTACT WITH NATURE HAS AN EFFECT ON

HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY

NITIN MHAPSEKAR,1745
Abstract

The term Biophilia which means an innate and genetically determined affliction of
human beings towards nature was coined by Edward O. Wilson in his hypothesis.
This idea is relevant in daily life – humans travel and spend money to sightsee in
national parks and nature preserves, relax on beaches, hike mountains, and
explore jungles . Due to urge to visit nature and natural habitats Biophilic design
came into existence which tries to incorporate nature in the built environment
through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, space and place conditions.
Used at both the building and city-scale, it is argued that this idea has health,
environmental, and economic benefits for building occupants and urban
environments, with little drawbacks. This research will focus on how biophilic
design or access to views of nature help increase productivity and the
psychological and physical affects that it has on humans as well as the negative
impacts of not having green spaces around us. At the end of this research a
survey will be conducted among employees of different offices to know effects of
biophilic and non-biophilic environments in workplaces. On the basis of it a
conclusion will be derived whether biophilic hypothesis is applicable in designing
workspaces.

Keywords: Biophilia, Nature, Productivity, Physical and Psychological effects,

Drawbacks, Workplace, Benefits, Biophilic designs.

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INTRODUCTION
Biophilic design is a concept used within the building industry to increase
occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of
direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions. Used at both the
building and city-scale, it is argued that this idea has health, environmental, and
economic benefits for building occupants and urban environments, with little
drawbacks. Although its name was coined in recent history, indicators of biophilic
design have been seen in architecture from as far back as the Hanging Gardens
of Babylon .Adding elements of Nature to living spaces can presumably induce
positively valued changes in cognition and emotion, which again may impact on
stress level, health and well-being. In order to allocate resources for the purpose
of creating more natural environments, it is important to assess what sort of
return can be expected. Looking at the current scenario most of the urban areas
are losing on green cover, even if office have window there view is blocked by
other buildings in vicinity. Today it’s the need of time to increase green cover but
does it affect us in our workplace is the main question.

Aim
To find what sort of influence having nature in workplace have on human mind

OBJECTIVES
To understand the relationship between human and nature.

To understand workers perspective for a biophilic design of workplace.

BACKGROUND RESEARCH
Biophilic design in workplace
Biophilic office design refers to an increasing trend of bringing the outdoors
indoors, or more accurately into the workplace. A common misconception is that
biophilic design translates to adding lots of plant life and shrubbery, it is far more
complex than that.

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Many suggest that it is just a label that ties together some of the progressive
office design trends and is in fact, about getting the standard things right and
creating a workplace that truly works – somewhere that staff enjoy working.

These extreme examples include an abundance of green areas where staff can
work, collaborate or relax, and while the majority of us won’t be able to avail of
our own private workplace park, there are some simple principles that we can be
aware of, and that can be relatively easy to incorporate into any workplace, such
as:

Direct experience of nature

 Light: Allows orientation of time of day and season, and is attributed

to wayfinding and comfort; light can also cause natural patterns and form,
movements and shadows. In design, this can be applied through clerestories,
reflective materials, skylights, glass, and atriums. This provides well-being and
interest from occupants.
 Air: Ventilation, temperature, and humidity are felt through air. Such
conditions can be applied through the use of windows and other passive
strategies, but most importantly the variation in these elements can promote
occupant comfort and productivity
 Water: Water is multisensory and can be used in buildings to provide
movement, sounds, touch, and sight. In design it can be incorporated
through water bodies, fountains, wetlands, and aquariums; people have a
strong connection to water and when used, it can decrease stress and
increase health, performance, and overall satisfaction.
 Plants: Bringing vegetation to the exterior and interior spaces of the building
provides a direct relationship to nature. This should be abundant (i.e. make
use of green walls or many potted plants) and some vegetation should flower;
plants have been proven to increase physical health, performance, and
productivity and reduce stress.
 Animals: While hard to achieve, it can be done through aquariums, gardens,
animal feeders, and green roofs. This interaction with animals promotes
interest, mental stimulation, and pleasure.
 Natural Landscapes: This is done through creating self-
sustaining ecosystems into the built environment. Contact with these types of
environments can be done through vistas and or direct interactions such
as gardens. Such landscapes are known to increase occupant satisfaction.

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Indirect experience of nature
Indirect experience refers to contact with images and or representations of
nature:

 Images of Nature: This has been proven to be emotionally and intellectually

satisfying to occupants; images of nature can be implemented through
paintings, photos, sculptures, murals, videos, etcetera.
 Natural Materials: People prefer natural materials as they can be mentally
stimulating. Natural materials are susceptible to the patina of time; this
change invokes responses from people. These materials can be incorporated
into buildings through the use of wood and stone. Interior design can use
natural fabrics, furnishings, and leather.
 Natural Colors: Natural colors or “earth-tones”, are those that are commonly
found in nature and are often subdued tones of brown, green, and blue.
When using colors in buildings, they should represent these natural tones.
 Simulations of Natural Light and Air: In areas where natural forms of
ventilation and light cannot be achieved, creative use of interior lighting and
mechanical ventilation can be used to mimic these natural features. Designers
can do this through variations in lighting through different lighting types,
reflective mediums, and natural geometries that the fixture can shine through;
natural airflow can be imitated through mild changes in temperature,
humidity, and air velocity.
 Naturalistic Shapes: Natural shapes and forms can be achieved in architectural
design through columns and nature-based patterns on facades - including
these different elements into spaces can change a static space into an
intriguing and appealing complex area.
 Evoking Nature: This uses characteristics found in nature to influence the
structural design of the project. These may be things that may not occur in
nature, rather elements that represent natural landscapes such as mimicking
different plant heights found in ecosystems, and or mimicking particular
animal, water, or plant features.
 Information Richness: This can be achieved by providing complex, yet not
noisy environments that invoke occupant curiosity and thought.[7] Many
ecosystems are complex and filled with different abiotic and biotic elements
– in such the goal of this attribute is to include these elements into the
environment of the building.

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 Natural Geometries: The design of facades or structural components can
include the use of repetitive, varied patterns that are seen in nature (fractals).
These geometries can also have hierarchically organized scales and winding
flow rather than be straight with harsh angles.[7] For instance, commonly used
natural geometries are the honeycomb pattern and ripples found in water.
 Biomimicry: This is a design strategy that imitates uses found in nature as
solutions for human and technical problems. Using these natural functions in
construction can entice human creativity and thought of nature.

Experience of space and place

The experience of space and place uses spatial relationships to enhance well-
being:

 Prospect and Refuge: Refuge refers to the buildings ability to provide

comfortable and nurturing interiors (alcoves, dimmer lighting), while prospect
emphasizes horizons, movement, and sources of danger. Examples of design
elements include balconies, alcoves, lighting changes, and areas spaciousness
(savannah environment).
 Organized Complexity: This principle is meant to simulate the need for
controlled variability; this is done in design through repetition, change, and
detail of the building's architecture.
 Integration of Parts: When different parts comprise a whole, it provides
satisfaction for occupants: design elements include interior spaces using clear
boundaries and or the integration of a central focal point.[7]
 Transitional Spaces: This element aims to connect interior spaces with the
outside or create comfort by providing access from one space to another
environment through the use of porches, decks, atriums, doors, bridges,
fenestrations, and foyers.
 Mobility: The ability for people to comfortably move between spaces, even
when complex; it provides the feeling of security for occupants and can be
done through making clear points of entry and egress.
 Cultural and Ecological Attachment to Place: Creating a cultural sense of place
in the built environment creates human connection and identity. This is done
by incorporating the area's geography and history into the design. Ecological
identity is done through the creation of ecosystems that promote the use of
native flora and fauna.

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Each of these experiences are meant to be considered individually when using
biophilia in projects, as there is no one right answer for one building type. Each
building's architects and project owners must collaborate to include the biophilic
principles they believe fit within their scope and most effectively reach their
occupants

METHODOLOGY
For the purpose of this research a survey was conducted among office workers
of different companies to know and understand how visual contact with biophillic
environment affect them on daily basis. A online questionnaire and some long
answers questions were created to know their response. The research was
conducted among 45 workers of different companies having biophillic and non
biophilic design

Questionnaire:

1. Do you nature/natural elements in your workplace?

2.Do you think introducing indoor plants will compensate the lack of window view?

3. Does dynamic and diffused lighting, presence of water in recreational spaces in office affects
your mood? IF yes, then why?

4.If you had indoor plants/views to outside nature you would be less stressed

5. Office should have at least one green space where workers can connect with (it can be small
landscape are, indoor planting, waterbody). If yes, then why do you think it's necessary?

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6.Choose between

a. Workplace with no natural elements or views to outside environment

b. Workplace integrated with nature(having landscape, indoor plants abundant natural light
etc)

7. Can you please state your current office workspace design, are you happy with it? If no then
why?

OBSERVATIONS
The survey had responses. From 12 different companies with L&T technologies,
Vadodara( Biophilic design) having 9 and Ixia Solutions LLP ,Navi Mumbai(Non-
Biophilic design) having 15 of the 45 participants. Of the 45 participants in the
survey 90% of them gave positive answers to all questions. Rest of them were
either not sure if nature affects them or gave negative output.

The Data presented below shows the response to all questions in terms of pie
chart analysis:

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If yes, then why ?

-It makes me feel connected with nature. Also when you see a water fountain or
small pools of water near near office it makes you feel calm and takes the work
stress out of you.

-Helps to manage work pressure. Relaxes mind and body.

-It makes the working environment less stressful. It brings in lots of positive
energy and encourage me to think creatively.

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If yes,then why ?

-It is extremely necessary because it gives a sudden lift of mood when you see
anything related to nature. It makes you feel refreshed. When at work one is
loaded with stress and constantly working. So having a good green patch might
give a sudden relief.- Nikhil Kavthankar, Reliance JIO Infocom ltd

-Nature and greenery is healing to eye. As in nature you see different picture
everyday depending on light and wind, it gives a sense of fitting and finding
yourself in the surroundings just the way plants adopt to its surroundings-Tanvi
Mungekar, CSIR-NIO, Goa

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7. Can you please state your current office workspace design, are you happy with
it? If no then why?

Reply from Workers of L&T Technologies (biophilic design)

I am happy with my current office. It is pretty small, and there are many floor to
ceiling windows, hence ample sunlight and a wonderful view of the sky, the city,
as well as hills. – Prachi Pavaskar

I'm happy with my studio space though it does not have plants or natural view.
But we do have spaces kept reserved for small plants - Bhagyashree

Replies from workers at IXIA Solutions LLP (non- biophilic design)

It is very monotonous in design. No green space or windows with view. There are
no recreational spaces, and it can get very monotonous. -Surabhi

No, current design looks like we are hired to work like a machine. It feels like we
are living in an age were concrete jungles are more important than natural forest.

- Ankita Devalekar

The dull wall can make you dull as well. When we are in a surrounding wih
nature ,we get vibes that make us more efficient.-Tina

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CONCLUSION
From the survey it was understood that office workers prefer to have biophilic
environment around them as was proved by the researchers around the world .
survey highlights the fact that workplaces who have introduced elements of
nature have witnessed a decrease in the levels of mental fatigue among staff
members and an increase in levels of workplace wellbeing. Indeed, the restorative
qualities of nature can be replicated in the workplace in numerous ways –
introducing plant life, providing access to natural light where possible, including
natural wood and stone finishes, embracing color and crucially, providing staff
with a choice of work settings and a comfortable work environment.

Bibliography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophilic_design

https://k2space.co.uk/knowledge/biophilic-office-design/

http://www.biophilicdesign.net/

Nature by design – Stephen Kellert

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