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Quickscrews Cabinet Install Screws
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What Is Biophilic Design?
Under normal circumstances, most of us are accustomed to commuting to and from our places of work. These workplaces often surround us with cement, drywall, computer screens, and phones. So, many of us have developed the routine of stopping at a park or other natural area during our commute back home. Once home, we again find ourselves surrounded by the comforts and commodities that separate us from the natural world. Those brief retreats into the natural world, short moments where we can hear the birds sing to the setting sun and the chorus of frogs and other amphibians welcoming the advancing night, are strangely soothing and reinvigorate us.
Unfortunately, the primary considerations that architects and builders consider when designing and fashioning a structure are related to issues that revolve around human comfort and the "livability" of spaces. Sustainable architecture incorporates elements of energetic efficiency and carbon footprint reduction in homes. Unfortunately, many supposedly sustainable homes resemble the anthropocentric bias of edifices that disconnect us from the natural world around us.
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By Tobias Roberts, Rise Writer
Mar 28, 2025 · 8 min read
What Are the Health Benefits of Biophilic Design?
Research has revealed that biophilic design leads to numerous positive health benefits. Catie Ryan, Director of Projects at Terrapin and biophilic design leader, observed a 37% improvement in mental health from audible stimuli such as sounds of nature versus common urban noise after stressor exposure. Another study found that adding plants in interior spaces reduced stress and increased pain tolerance. The sites and sound of water were restorative, and incorporating nature views is also mentally restorative for occupants.
Is Biophilic Design Sustainable?
Biophilic design has been found to manage stormwater runoff as there are fewer imperviable surfaces and better infiltration. Biophilic design increases biodiversity while decreases the heat island effect and carbon emissions. This can be accomplished by adding plants, trees, vegetable walls, green roofs, and rain gardens to the built environment, buildings, and cities. Greywater can be utilized to reduce the freshwater reliance that these natural elements require.
Three Tips for Biophilic Design
Biophilic design aims to be much more thorough and comprehensive than simply bringing in a few potted plants to adorn hallways. There are several different techniques to allow the natural world to permeate our living spaces. Below, we offer three ideas for biophilic designs that homeowners, designers, and architects can incorporate into any human-built space.
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Article by
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
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