Understanding and Implementation of Biophilic Design
Understanding and Implementation of Biophilic Design https://amorphousstudio.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AIA-Las-Vegas-Rendering-6-1024x576.png 1024 576 Amorphous Studio https://amorphousstudio.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AIA-Las-Vegas-Rendering-6-1024x576.pngI have always been interested in the connection between humans and their living world. I became interested in biophilic design when I realized that the houses that I built had incorporated many elements of biophilic design in various ways.
What is Biophilic design?
Biophilic design comes from Biophilia, which is the intangible connection between humanity and the surrounding environment, between communities and other forms of life, between man and nature. Survival of human beings is inherently connected with nature. Nature threatens us but also insulates us from the growing human interference to our planet. We have realized that it is not us vs nature but it is us with nature. We need to be stewards to protect our living environment and take cues from the immeasurable qualities of our natural world to sustain humanity and our planet.
It is similar to green building, but is more centered around our deep seated relationship with nature. It is deeper than sustainability and it brings us closer to nature by incorporating nature's living elements into our built environment. Biophilic design when used effectively can take us away from our own innermost fears, and bring peace and harmony by connecting us with other living beings and nature.
Here are few projects where I have included these principles are:
Wells House - Front entry
Here this space is created with the intentional thought of looking outside and letting nature play its existential role. Having this pause in the form of a glazed opening and letting diffused light inside, not only gives us physical comfort by cooling our immediate surroundings but also gives us emotional comfort and prompts us to slow down and be aware of our senses, our feelings and our reactions towards others and ourselves.
College Avenue - Main Entry
We opened up this house and created an expansive space which is flooded with natural light. Besides bringing a glimpse of nature in, this also gives a creative opportunity of simulating an outdoor (natural) activity, pattern and form within the confines of the home. Being the most complex and sensitive living beings than our counterparts on earth, we need to manage our physical and mental health and these design interventions help us in achieving that.
Las Vegas Sustainable Housing Prototype
Here we incorporated biomorphic forms & patterns, which are referenced from nature.
Morrison Avenue - Courtyard view
We inserted a courtyard in this project that connects the house with the outdoors. Exposing the indoor living environments to the outdoors helps in improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) of our homes and wellbeing of our families especially our young ones.
