“Take a moment and think about the most productive, creative space you can imagine; a space where you feel calm and relaxed. Now, there’s a very good chance that you aren’t thinking about your office right now,” comments biophilic design expert, Oliver Heath. This is the question he commonly quizzes architects and designers with. “They always laugh,” humours Oliver. This clearly demonstrates that there remains an opportunity for today’s designers to be designing offices for exactly this purpose.

In simple terms, biophilia is a genetic inheritance from hundreds of thousands of years that we spent living, surviving and thriving in savannah regions. “The savannah theory suggests that as human beings we quickly recognise landscapes that can help us to survive and thrive. When we look at a vast, open, rich, healthy, green savannah, we know we have everything we need to flourish. By contrast, think of a fairytale setting; a dark, dense woodland with lots of trees; an enclosed, threatening environment. We can quickly recognise these threatening environments,” explains Oliver. Quite simply, biophilia comes from our genetic ability to recognise areas that constitute safe spaces and allow us to survive and thrive, eliminating the stresses of having to seek out basic resources; many traits that are still within us.

Biophilic design

This theory has trickled down to the minds of today’s designers, such as Interface’s World Woven Designer, David Oakey. “My simple term for biophilia is: bio is natural and phila is feel; does it feel and look natural? Even bringing chairs utilising natural wood into a design scheme classes as an element of biophilic design to me,” comments David.

The benefits of biophilic design are recognised in dense urban environments. “It may be a struggle for people to incorporate plants and greenery within a workplace environment which are often associated with cost and maintenance, and some establishments don’t always benefit from natural light,” explains Oliver. “What’s important is to recognise the ways that designers can add human benefit to places. If direct connections to nature are unobtainable, indirect connections are the best ways to incorporate biophilic elements into a design. So, it’s about natural materials, colours, patterns and textures and finding ways to allow people to experience those qualities.”

As an example, Interface’s World Woven collection, designed by David Oakey, has been designed with biophilic design at the forefront of the concept. “There are intentional defects in World Woven’s carpet tiles, linking to the randomness of nature,” explains David. Flooring installations, such as Interface’s World Woven collection, are a great technique for incorporating biophilic design into a workplace that lacks the ability to benefit from direct connections to nature. “Humans feel better connected with nature,” explains David. “It’s good for us, so why not bring this in to our artificial interiors?”

“Biophilic design is creating a set of design patterns that find ways to strengthen our connection to nature, either from direct connections of natural light, greenery or airflow, but also through indirect connections such as colours, textures and patterns,” establishes Oliver. David has incorporated biophilic elements into Interface’s World Woven collection in exactly this manner. Taking inspiration from nature’s organic landscapes brings colour to the World Woven collection.

Diversity and change

Looking into the future, David predicts: “In 20 years or so, flooring designs will actually be projected on the floor and will have the ability to change from day-to-day and season-to-season.” David explains further: “One main movement we all witness when studying nature is its diversity and change; it changes from morning-to-night, day-to-day and season-to-season, and those are elements that we should introduce into our interiors.

“Even if we buy something new, it makes us feel better; all we have done is make a simple change. So, if you come into your office one morning and there has been a change within the floor in either colour, pattern or texture, this will have an effect on you.”

Stress-reduction

The use of colours, patterns and textures within a carpet installation can also have a profound effect on our mood. “Mixing carpet tiles too much isn’t healthy for people,” comments David. The use of a bright colour or a busy pattern can excite us, but we have to take into account the psychological effects of these colours and patterns. “It’s like when you see flowers bloom,” comments David. “It’s beautiful, but when it’s there for a long period of time it can be draining.”

The use of biophilic elements within a concept has proven stress-reductive effects on people within the workplace. This is of vital importance within today’s work places where we are all unceasingly ‘switched on’. Technology has further exacerbated our connection with nature. Oliver explains: “We live in an ‘always on’ culture; always looking at a big screen, going to bed answering emails and scrolling though social media. The blue light that emanates from our phones and tablets is very similar to the energising light that meets us in the morning, resulting in our sleep being effected by the quality of light.” The bedroom, once a sanctuary associated with calmness and restoration, is now a place that inhabits televisions, mobile phones and e-readers all emanating a blue light that conflicts with the effortless form of communication that we get from looking at nature.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) predicting that by the year 2020 the two main contributing factors to illnesses are stress-related conditions of cardiovascular disease and mental health issues, it is fundamental for designers to incorporate health and wellbeing elements into buildings. “We know buildings have a big impact on our mood, behaviour and energy levels. There’s a big opportunity to introduce health and wellbeing, in particular restorative benefits of nature and natural elements, within buildings,” supports Oliver.

When we are encountered with areas of greenery, nature and plants and look out onto open spaces it makes us feel calm and relaxed, eliminating associated stress-related illnesses. Natural, open spaces incorporated into elements of a design scheme can also contribute to a stress-free environment, as Oliver explains as ‘indirect connections’.

David Oakey thrives on biophilic design, taking direct inspiration from natural colours, patterns, textures and generally weathered surfaces we find in the natural surroundings we find around us. David has the ability to seek out global trends and incorporate these trends into patterns, textures and colours within carpet tiles. His biophilic approach is reinforced by Interface’s manufacturing technique’s ability to present small elements of colour and texture, along with different pile heights, into its carpet tiles which stages a sense of natural randomness that mimics what we find in nature. “It’s quite literally an opportunity to introduce biophilic design from the ground up,” elaborates Oliver.

Biophilic-inspired floor installations offer a prospect for designers in search of a flooring solution for a workplace, hospital space, school or home to add a sense of physical warmth, texture and colour to a scheme. Interface’s biophilic design hub, Human Spaces, offers a deeper understanding of biophilic design and its benefits. The Human Spaces report, ‘The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace’, is backed up by 30-40 years of data and research that demonstrates the increase in productivity, wellbeing and creativity when we introduce natural elements into a workplace. “Productivity can go up by 6%, wellbeing can go up by 15%, creativity by 15% and absenteeism can be reduced,” explains Oliver. “All these tangible, financial benefits that occur when stress is reduced. Today’s employers seek employees that want to be at work doing their best and that’s what biophilic design has the opportunity to deliver.”

A similar result has been taken from education environments; children’s learning can increase by 20-25%, absenteeism can be reduced by 3-5 days, test results can be improved between 5-14% and research has also suggested that biophilic design has a beneficial effect on reducing ADHD.

A deeper level of understanding of biophilic design is foreseen for the future. There are many designers that are interested in the principles of biophilic design and there are elements that experienced designers have known about for some time. “What’s different is the understanding of the term ‘biophilic design’ and the evidence-based research that supports it,” concludes Oliver.