Biophylia In Architecture
The importance of re-establishing a connection with nature.
Being brought ‘back to nature’ evokes a feeling of peace, relaxation, oneness. It encourages optimism and productivity. Consider the most popular holiday activities, usually set in the countryside, on the beach or up a mountain. From nature we came, and it is there where we are most happy.
The Biophylia hypothesis is the idea that humans possess an innate tendency towards nature and forms of natural life. Where ‘phobias’ are a negative response people make to things in their environment, which can result in a form of anxiety disorder, ‘philias’ in a biological sense are the attractions and positivity that people feel towards organisms and species in their natural environment, resulting in a feeling of calmness and serenity. Ancestrally, discovering a plant or foliage evoked a feeling of joy and relief as its very being there gave hope of food, with most fruits starting their biological development as flowers.
Over-population in Britain however has resulted in the demand for premium urban development squeezing nature out of our towns and cities. Additionally, technological advancements have resulted in more time than ever being spent inside cars and buildings- on average 8% of our time each week is spent outside. This has resulted in very low amounts of biophilic activity impacting the average day. Much research has been undertaken into the concept of Biophylic cities, whereby nature is introduced once again to urban settings, encouraging a connection with nature into the daily lives of inhabitants. These strong concerns highlight the importance of our connection to nature.
This disconnect between humans and nature is growing and alongside our general apathy towards climate change it is quickly leading to further ecosystem degradation and species loss. Re-establishing a connection with nature has become very important in the field of conservation, and more pertinently, for our health and wellbeing.
Tags: biophylia, green architecture, biophylic activity, biophylic city
