What is Biophilia and why should you care?

Biophilia comes from the Greek (I can't get the dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding out of my head as I type this), ‘philia’ meaning ‘love of’ and “bio” meaning nature. It's our Love of Nature. Until the Industrial Revolution around 1760, we were much more connected to nature and our natural environment.

"Our genes are adapted to nature, and they have not changed over the two or three centuries since the industrial revolution. Because we have bodies that are adapted to nature, living in modern society places us in a condition of stress." Miyazaki Yoshifumi

In 1984, E.O. Wilson published his book Biophilia, where he outlined the tendency of humans to be attracted to nature and emulate its processes and structures in everyday life. Because we spend 90% of our time indoors, introducing Biophilic Design improves our mental and physical well-being. This can be improved with natural sunlight, plants, flowers and water features, touching on all of the senses. Research has proven that access to nature can improve our immunity, reduce stress, remove pollutants and increase productivity. On a larger scale, Biophilic Design has been showing up in green roofs, which help capture rain water and helps with shading and insulation as well as coworking spaces, hotels, hospitals and beyond.

Retractable doors, skylights and windows all allow views to the outdoors. Incorporating plants and flowers, in every room, is as beautiful as it is beneficial. I do live plants where feasible but even artificial plants have been shown to have many of the same benefits, other than filtering the air.

If you're wondering how to bring Biophilia into your space, I would love to set up a personalized interior design consultation to discuss your needs. Please contact me at info@the-silver-lining.com or view my services online.

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