Biophilic Design Explained

What is Biophilic Design?

Biophilic design is a phrase increasingly cropping up in our world of hospitality interiors, deriving from ‘Biophilia’, meaning the love of nature and reflecting humankind’s innate attraction to the natural world, instilled deep inside us over thousands of years.

Biophilic design seeks to connect the occupants of a building more closely to nature. From a hospitality design angle, it particularly means incorporating plants into interiors. It is an approach that is increasingly considered to improve our general well-being, not least by lowering stress levels. With The World Health Organisation having identified the huge rise in stress-related illnesses, mainly mental health disorders and cardio-vascular diseases, it is perhaps unsurprising that Biophilic design is attracting growing attention.

Research has even put numbers on some of the benefits of Biophilic Design: 

• Offices: Biophilic design increases productivity by up to 8%, increases well-being and reduces absenteeism
• Hospitality: Guests are willing to pay over 20% more for rooms with views incorporating Biophilic designs
• Education: Pupils show increased rates of learning, with around 20% improvement in their test results
• Healthcare: Patients’ recovery times are shortened by 8% and less pain medication is needed if they are exposed to Biophilic design.

Underlining how Biophilic Design is becoming central to the hospitality design industry, the well-regarded Restaurant & Bar Design Awards include it as one of their prize categories.

Examples of Biophilic Interiors

Drake and Morgan -  The Listing

Manor  House Lindley - Huddersfield

https://www.thecontractchair.co.uk/projects/manor-house-lindley-huddersfield 

The Botanist - Coventry 

https://www.thecontractchair.co.uk/projects/the-botanist-coventry

Fiesta de la Santo - Shirley

https://www.thecontractchair.co.uk/projects/fiesta-del-asado-shirley