Biophilic Design Explained: Creating Spaces Where People and Nature Thrive
- emma17829
- Sep 11
- 28 min read
As designers, we know that the spaces we create aren’t just about form and function; they shape how people feel, behave, and connect with their surroundings. That’s why I’m sharing this insightful article by educator and award winning author Diana Webb on biophilic design, a concept that is reshaping architecture and interiors worldwide.
Biophilic design is more than adding greenery to a room; it’s a holistic approach that:
Reconnects people with nature as both a design philosophy and a practical framework.
Supports health and well-being through natural light, air, and restorative environments.
Works at any scale; from retrofitting existing buildings to designing resilient, biophilic cities.
Integrates seamlessly with sustainability standards, making buildings not just greener but also more human-centered.
Represents the future of design, where flourishing communities and ecological responsibility go hand in hand.
This article does a brilliant job of showing how biophilic principles can be applied across homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, and even entire urban systems. It’s an inspiring reminder that when we design with nature in mind, we create spaces that are healthier, more sustainable, and ultimately more meaningful.
Biophilic Design: A Holistic Meeting of Nature and Architecture
Course Description
Biophilia acknowledges the fundamental connection between humans and nature. The psychological and physical benefits of staying connected to nature are measurable. Buildings can cut people off from nature, harming their well-being, or can incorporate elements in building designs that enable occupants to stay connected with nature. Importantly, there is a social aspect to biophilia, which says that buildings should contribute to and not erode local communities. Biophilic design incorporates elements such as natural ventilation, views of nature, and roof gardens, as well as strategic building locations that support community well-being while leveraging nature’s benefits. This course describes the development of biophilic design principles, elements, and attributes. Inclusive thereof, the course provides examples of how architects and others have applied them in buildings globally. Also discussed is the incorporation of biophilic design in the LEED rating system.
Objectives
Explain terms such as biophilia and biophilic design
Review the history of the development of biophilic design elements and attributes
Explore biophilia and its relationship to the design of buildings and landscapes
Describe the biophilic design principles and summarize the attributes
Detail the relationship of biophilic building design to human health and well-being
Provide examples of building designs incorporating biophilia features
Discuss how LEED has incorporated biophilic principles in the rating system for many years without calling them biophilia
Clarify some ways the latest LEED v5 rating system increases recognition of biophilic design in buildings
Expound upon the expanded focus on social welfare, especially among vulnerable populations, in LEED v5
Architectural designs are essential to society for more than just providing protected living or work space. The design and construction of a building significantly influence its contribution to people’s quality of life and the level of environmental protection provided. As such, architecture can be viewed as the intersection of nature and people, meaning that natural elements can be incorporated or imitated in buildings to some degree, thereby supporting the well-being of the buildings’ residents. Biophilic design is the intersection of nature’s elements and the elements
in the built environment, based on the deep biological and psychological connection of humans and nature.
Incorporating nature into architecture is not a new concept, but it has been elevated with the addition of technologies that advance sustainability and support the use of new materials and features. The following sections discuss the foundational principles and attributes of biophilic design, as well as its targeted benefits. There are examples of applied biophilic design, along with a discussion on its integration with green building principles, utilizing the LEED rating system as a guide.
History and Principles of Biophilic Design
The concept of biophilia has evolved over the past six decades. Understanding its roots is vital to appreciating its role and intent in modern building design.
Early History
The term ‘biophilia’ was introduced by German psychologist, Erich Fromm, in 1964 to explain the fundamental and positive tendencies of living organisms to preserve life. In his book, The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good, Fromm defined biophilia as, “The passionate love of life and of all that is alive; it is the wish to further growth, whether in a person, a plant, an idea, or a social group.” He discusses how the “love of life” may overcome the destructive “syndrome of decay” resulting from harmful thoughts or tendencies. As a psychologist, Fromm’s perspective was focused on understanding why people develop a biophilic personality or a life-affirming attitude.
In 1984, E.O. Wilson adapted Fromm’s philosophy and used the term biophilia to describe the evolutionary adaptation that enables people to develop a mental link with nature and the living world. He wrote, “the innate tendency [in human beings] to focus on life and lifelike process… Our existence depends on this propensity, our spirit is woven from it, hopes rise on its currents.” Therefore, Wilson shifted to the proposal that humans are drawn to nature due to their biological nature.
Wilson’s concept of biophilia, grounded in the natural sciences rather than psychology, posits that a love of nature is genetically coded. Encounters with nature trigger both emotional and cognitive responses and are crucial for developing and maintaining psychological health. Cutting people off from nature leads to emotional and cultural impoverishment. The love of nature is innate because, throughout human history, humans have biologically adapted to natural forces rather than human-created ones. He theorized that people are fascinated by nature, which effortlessly attracts their attention and creates an emotional bond. So Fromm presented biophilia as a state, and Wilson presented it as a human trait.
In 1993, Stephen R. Kellert collaborated with Wilson to publish essays in The Biophilia Hypothesis, further expanding on the biophilia theory by presenting evidence from ecologists, psychologists, and philosophers. It presents the perspective that humans depend on nature for much more than meeting physical and material needs. Humans have a “craving for aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive, and even spiritual meaning.” The read further examines the evidence that humans have an innate affinity for the natural world. For example, people usually prefer views of natural elements, such as trees and water, over structures.
Hence, at this point, there were two perspectives on biophilia. One is a psychological orientation (Fromm). The other is an evolutionary adaptation that enables the development of a mental and physical link with nature (Wilson).
The theory of biophilia has been explored, particularly from the perspective of people’s desire for nature and their need to interact with the natural environment. Various studies have found that people associate nature with emotional happiness, relaxation, the psychological need for belonging, and increased satisfaction with life. Disconnecting from nature can impact physical and mental health. The urban or built environment can lead to people losing their connection with nature. Many buildings fail to foster biophilia because their design hinders the ability to connect with nature. The World Bank predicts that approximately 70% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. The implication is that whenever people want to connect with nature, they will need to leave their urban environment to find it elsewhere, unless building designs incorporate biophilic elements.
Biophilic Design Dimensions and Elements
Wilson first popularized biophilic design, but it was Kellert and collaborators who developed the practical framework and principles of biophilia in building design. In Biophilic Design Elements & Attributes, the authors write, “Biophilia is the inherent human inclination to affiliate with natural systems and processes, especially life and life-like features of the nonhuman environment.” Through thousands of years, activities like large-scale agriculture, technology, engineering, and the modern city have created separations of humans from the natural environment, but have not “substituted for the benefits of adaptively responding to a largely natural environment.”
Kellert identifies the benefits of humans and nature remaining in contact with each other:
Healing is enhanced through exposure to nature, like natural lighting and vegetation.
People living close to open space experience fewer health and social problems, and even a few trees and a small amount of vegetation are helpful.
Office settings with natural lighting, natural ventilation, and other nature-related features lower stress, improve worker performance, and increase motivation.
Staying in contact with nature is linked to improved concentration and memory.
The human brain responds to natural environment sensory patterns and cues.
People in poor, affluent, and suburban communities with higher-quality environments are more connected to the community and have a higher quality of life.
How does this relate to building design, engineering, and construction? Kellert points to biophilic design as the “missing link” in sustainable design. By 2008, the importance of low-environmental-impact design was recognized, i.e., energy and resource use efficiency, safe waste disposal, use of sustainable products and materials, pollution abatement, indoor environmental quality, and biodiversity protection. Kellert strives to add the missing link by incorporating biophilia principles and elements into low-environmental-impact design.
There are two dimensions of biophilic design:
Organic or naturalistic dimension – This dimension refers to the built environment’s shapes and forms that “directly, indirectly, or symbolically reflect human affinity for nature.” It consists of direct experiences delivered through unstructured contact with the natural environment, such as daylight, animals, and ecosystems; indirect experiences that require human input to survive, like potted plants and water fountains; and symbolic experiences that involve no contact with nature but are created through elements like pictures and images.
Place-based dimension – This dimension refers to the “buildings and landscapes that connect to the culture and ecology of a locality or geographic area.” Buildings and landscapes that hold meaning for people become an integral part of both individual and collective identities. The structures and landscapes, though inanimate matter, feel lifelike and life-sustaining. Without the spirit of place, place is not used carefully and can eventually be destroyed.
Based on these foundational dimensions, Stephen Kellert developed the six principles and a long list of attributes of biophilic design to connect nature and the built environment. The complete list is presented because all of these principles and attributes are found in various modern biophilic building designs, even though, as discussed later, the list was shortened by others:
Environmental Design Features – This principle refers to the use of natural world characteristics in the built environment. There are 12 attributes:
Color – natural colors are incorporated into building design, like earth tones
Water – water items consider human perceptions of quality, quantity, clarity, movement, etc., such as in a fountain
Air – natural ventilation that provides high-quality air, flows well, and stimulates other senses like smell and feel
Sunlight – use of natural light to improve comfort, morale, health, and productivity
Plants – adding plants into the built environment to enhance well-being, comfort, performance, and satisfaction
Animals – adding animals in representational form through decorations, ornaments, art, and metaphorical or stylized disguise to provoke feelings of satisfaction, emotional interest, and pleasure
Natural materials – natural materials, as opposed to artificial materials, age and weather like they do in natural systems, increasing understanding of the energies of nature
Views and vistas – views of natural features and vegetation are compatible with the human experience, i.e., not too large or too confined
Façade greening - vegetative exteriors like green roofs and ivy walls increase satisfaction and interest
Geology and landscape – building features have a compatible connection to prominent local geological features and do not dominate or overpower the landscape
Habitats and ecosystems – buildings and landscape have a close relationship to local habitats and ecosystems, such as wetlands, grasslands, watersheds, etc.
Fire – features reflect heating and cooking, signs of comfort and civilization, by providing color, movement, and warmth
Natural Shapes and Forms – This set of elements includes the simulations and representations of the natural world in building interiors and exteriors. There are also a few elements that do not necessarily reflect nature but have become integral to building designs:
Botanical motifs – shapes, forms, and patterns of plants and vegetation, with representation of items like cones, shrubs, ferns, foliage, bushes, etc.
Tree and columnar supports – columnar supports are like tree-like forms; trees are recognized as having played a critical role in human lives as sources of food, heating, paper supplies, heating, etc.
Animal motifs (mainly vertebrates) – animal life, often in stylized and fictionalized shapes and forms, is common in building interiors and facades; animal parts like claws or heads are often found
Shells and spirals – invertebrate creatures frequently found in buildings include shells and spiral forms of mollusks, bees, butterflies, spiders, etc.; some biomimicry in building design is based on natural features like patterns of webs and bioclimatic controls of termite mounds
Egg, oval, and tubular forms – shaped design elements found in building exteriors and interiors, and gardens and fountains and reflect shapes in nature
Arches, vaults, and domes – more natural forms copied in the built environment include shell forms, nest-like structures, beehives, cliffs, etc.
Shapes resisting straight lines and right angles – natural features are usually flowing and adaptive to nature’s forces, whereas the modern built environment uses mostly right angles and straight lines
Simulation of natural features - tendency to simulate rather than replicate actual forms of nature in the built environment, producing building ornamentation that is vaguely representative
Biomorphy – architectural forms that do not resemble nature’s life forms but are viewed as organic, i.e., building form suggests a bird
Geomorphology – mimicking or metaphorically embracing geology and landscape close to the structure, and making the building appear integral to proximate nature
Biomimicry- adaptation of nature to create shapes and patterns suggesting structural integrity and adaptiveness to environmental pressures, like webs, shells, and mounds
Natural Patterns and Processes – This set of elements refers to the incorporation of nature’s properties into the built environment, instead of simulations or representations:
Sensory variability – a structured and organized built environment that supports humans perceiving and responding to sensory variability, i.e., light, touch, sound, smell, etc.
Information richness- buildings and landscapes offering information richness, texture, variety, and detail reflect the cognitive richness of the natural world and mimic natural patterns
Age, change, and the patina of time - organic forms in nature age, so this familiar progression is reflected in buildings constructed with natural materials, which can reflect this fact through change and patinas created with time
Growth and efflorescence - growth and development are part of aging, and building ornamentation can reflect this by giving people a sense of time passage, which includes growing and developing
Central focal point - natural landscapes have a perceived central focal point that enhances navigability; incorporating a focal point in buildings and constructed landscapes creates organization
Patterned wholes - integrated and patterned wholes unite variability to create structure, giving people a feeling of control
Bounded spaces – delineation of spaces in the built environment creates clear and consistent boundaries, an acknowledgment of human proclivity to be territorial
Transitional spaces – built features like portals, thresholds, doors, etc., foster comfort as passageways, imitating the natural environment’s transitional spaces
Linked series and chains – linked spaces in the natural and built environment support movement and convey meaning and organization; creating linked spaces like hallways in which people can move from one to another reflects nature
Integration of parts to wholes - discrete parts comprise a whole, fostering a sense of structural integrity
Complementary contrasts – features in nature and the built environment include seeming opposites, like light and dark, high and low, and open and closed
Dynamic balance and tension – balancing of different and contrasting forms creates a sense of strength and durability, creating creative tensions
Fractals- natural elements like snowflakes and leaves are never identical, and similar forms are called fractals; the built design incorporates fractals as repeated but varying design pattern designs, like linked rows of differentiated ornamentation
Hierarchically organized ratios and scales – some natural and built forms exhibit hierarchically connected ways, facilitating the assimilation of complex patterns
Light and Space – There are seven light and five spatial relationship qualities:
Natural light - includes daylighting and the inclusion of the full color spectrum of natural light
Filtered and diffused light – increase the feelings of connecting with nature by reducing the effects of glare and diffusing sunlight
Light and shadow – contrasting light and dark spaces fosters curiosity and stimulation, enhancing human movement and the ability to discern objects over long distances
Reflected light – lighting designs enhance light through reflection off surfaces, like light colored ceilings and walls and enhance penetration of light into interior spaces
Light pools – pools of connected light assist movement, foster security and protection and draw people through spaces
Warm light – manipulation of light to create warmly lit areas enhances feelings of security and creates an inviting interior
Light as shape and form – manipulating natural light for aesthetic pleasure and to facilitate mobility, exploration, imagination, etc.
Spaciousness – spacious, open settings in alliance with smaller spaces
Spatial variability – spatial diversity to foster emotional and intellectual stimulation
Space as shape and form - add beauty to the built environment with shapes and forms to stimulate interest, exploration, curiosity, etc.
Spatial harmony – blend light, mass, and scale in the built environment’s boundaries to foster a sense of security and facilitate movement
Inside-outside spaces – interior spaces appear connected to the outside and mark the transition of nature with culture, i.e., porches, colonnades, foyers, interior gardens, atriums, etc.
Place-Based Relationships – This building design element refers to the integration of culture with the natural environment in a geographical context. It is about the connection of people to place, reflecting the inherent human need to establish control over resources, attain safety, and achieve security:
Geographic connection to place – emphasizing prominent geological features associated with building siting, orientation, and views
Historic connection to place – fostering a sense of participation and awareness of an area’s culture and collective memory, with building features that evoke a continuity with the past
Ecological connection to place – designing buildings with features that reflect ecosystems such as watersheds, rivers, and mountains, and consider biodiversity and maintaining ecological integrity
Cultural connection to place - integrating cultural elements of history, geography, and the area’s ecology into architecture
Indigenous materials – utilizing local and indigenous materials, which serve as reminders of the local culture and environment, and save manufacturing and transport energy use
Landscape orientation – emphasizing building construction features like slope, sunlight, aspect, wind direction, etc.; evoking a sense of being part of nature
Landscape features that define building form – integrating the built environment with landscape forms; buildings that are not integrated are impressive products of engineering, but are divorced from the natural context
Landscape ecology – building placement designs consider the landscape structure, pattern, and process, i.e., resource flows, biodiversity, optimal scale and size, etc.
Integration of culture and ecology – fusing culture and the environment fosters long-term sustainability and a sense of loyalty, responsibility, and stewardship for local residents
Spirit of place – built environment becomes life-like and serves as a motivational basis for long-term stewardship and responsibility
Evolved Human-Nature Relationships – This design element is intended to focus on the fundamental inherent relationship of humans and nature. It includes environmental values as attributes:
Prospect and refuge – building and landscape designs should provide a secure setting with comfortable building interiors and secreted landscapes; also, prospect emphasizes supporting discerning distant habitats and horizons to facilitate movement, locate resources, and identify danger sources
Order and complexity – imposing structure and organization while avoiding monotony and boredom; finding a balance of complexity in the detail occurrences and variability; design combining order and complexity provides variety in a controlled and understandable manner
Curiosity and enticement – combining enticement and curiosity fosters curiosity and discovery of natural processes and diversity
Change and metamorphosis – designs capture the fact that nature and human systems are in a constant state of change, with features or form that appear to flow into each other
Security and protection – ensuring protection from nature’s threatening forces without insulating or isolating people from the natural world
Mastery and control – designs should master nature with moderation and respect by using human ingenuity
Affection and attachment – elicit strong emotional affinity for nature to inspire loyalty and commitment
Attraction and beauty – designs foster an aesthetic appreciation for nature, encouraging imagination, curiosity, creativity, exploration, and problem-solving
Exploration and discovery - building designs and landscapes can inspire interest in exploration and discovery of nature, including with representational features
Information and cognition – natural shapes and forms are complex, so inspire intellectual satisfaction and prowess; creative use of building ornamentation and opportunities for indirect and direct experience with nature fosters critical thinking and problem solving
Fear and awe – fear of nature can encourage the design of peril and adventure into the built environment, i.e., precipice overhangs or building next to rushing water; designs can also awe by extolling majestic natural features
Reverence and Spirituality – structures designed with features that inspire feelings of transcendence and a connection to creation
The elements and attributes make sense because they recognize that humans developed innate connections with nature that building and landscape designs can capture to some degree. The question is how to bridge theory with practice.
Another important biophilic framework was proposed by Terrapin Bright Green, an environmental consulting company, in 2014 in 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. It presents three categories and initially 14 biophilic patterns with a 15th (awe) added in 2020. The 14 attributes embrace Kellert’s longer list of attributes by consolidating main themes.
Nature in space
Visual connection with nature
Non-visual connection with nature
Non-rhythmic sensory stimuli
Thermal and air flow variability
Presence of water
Dynamic and diffuse light
Connection with natural systems
Nature analogues
Biomorphic forms and patterns
Material connection to nature
Complexity and order
Nature of Space
Prospect
Refuge
Mystery
Risk/Peril
Awe
While Kellert offers a list of biophilic strategies across design topics and scales, Terrapin leaves the application of nature’s patterns in design to the designer.
Satisfying Human Adaptations to Nature
In 2015, Stephen Kellert and Elizabeth Calabrese further explored biophilia in building and landscape designs in The Practice of Biophilic Design. People spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, creating a critical need to provide a beneficial connection with nature. Building designs in past decades have largely disconnected people and nature by not including features that promote natural light, ventilation, views, natural materials, vegetation, and natural shapes and forms.
The purpose of the article was to emphasize the human experiences, direct and indirect, in relation to the three Terrapin categories of nature, space, and place. Kellert’s original 70 attributes can be sorted into the three Terrapin categories. Kellert and Calabrese present five characteristics of biophilic design, providing a framework for a deeper understanding of the importance and application of biophilia in building design.
Biophilic design requires repeated and sustained engagement with nature.
Biophilic design focuses on human adaptations to the natural world that over evolutionary time have advanced people’s health, fitness and well-being.
Biophilic design encourages an emotional attachment to particular settings and places.
Biophilic design promotes positive interactions between people and nature that encourage an expanded sense of relationship and responsibility for the human and natural communities.
Biophilic design encourages mutually reinforcing, interconnected, and integrated architectural solutions.
Every building and landscaping project alters natural systems. Ecological changes will always occur, but the question is whether the natural environment is more resilient and productive, as measured by factors such as biodiversity, water regulation, nutrient recycling, decomposition, and others, after building and landscaping. Biophilic design aims to ensure the environment remains ecologically robust and sustainable in the long term. Biophilic design is also intended to convey numerous physical, mental, and behavioral benefits. It must be applied in building and landscape design in a holistic manner in which “diverse applications mutually reinforce and complement one another, resulting in an overall integrated ecological whole.”
Applying the New Consciousness Across Scale
“It is important to understand that biophilic design is more than a technical tool,” write Kellert and Calabrese. It is a methodology for the built environment, but it requires “adopting a new consciousness toward nature as much as implementing a new design technique.” It requires creativity, innovation, and recognition of the psychological and physical connection between humans and nature. Their application of biophilic design is evident in a range of projects, from homes to commercial buildings and entire urban environments. The inclusion of biophilia reinforces human connection to nature while addressing environmental sustainability.
The application of biophilic design across scale demonstrates the applicability and versatility of this approach to building design. It applies to any project and is compatible with certification frameworks like LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The biophilic design, combined with sustainability design, enhances human well-being while protecting and preserving the natural environment. The following are some examples of biophilic design put into practice:
Residential
The integration of natural materials, natural light, views, green plants, and other features has led to the creation of houses around the world that connect occupants with nature in unique ways.
The Welcome to the Jungle House in Sydney, Australia, features numerous biophilic elements.
Solar panels
Roof structure that holds the drainage for an open-air pond containing edible perch
Roof top planters for beds of fruits and vegetables
Nitrogen-rich fishpond wastewater irrigates and fertilizes the garden; the fish pond is located between the outer façade and inner skin
Rainwater drains into an underground tank, is filtered, and pumped back to the pond
Front façade fits the local heritage area
One exterior wall has black solar panels
Projecting bay window has a wooden door with hinges to open to the outside, and two other openings can be opened to a view of the outdoors
Wood-lined living room window has top hinges, so it can be opened to let air in while keeping direct sunlight out
Fence, made of reinforced plastic grating in light green, is located on one side of the house, and passionfruit vines were planted
Oversized porch of galvanized steel
Floors above have a glazed interior wall set back from the façade to hold planters with greenery that grows down the façade
Spiral staircase is made of recycled timber and steel and draws cool air down
Bedrooms have storage seating with pond views
Views include the skyline
Living and dining areas open to an outdoor terrace
Various residential projects based on biophilic design typically feature elements such as living walls, natural light, views of nature, open floor plans, natural materials, indoor plants, gardens, water features, natural ventilation, rooftop gardens, and rainwater-harvesting landscapes.
Commercial Building
There are examples of commercial buildings designed to create a workplace that is in harmony with nature. A stunning example is Amazon’s The Spheres in South Lake Union, Seattle, which “preserve our innate connection to nature,” a biophilic principle. They are part of the Amazon headquarters.
Pentagonal hexecontahedron-shaped buildings with an outer frame and interior concrete floor designed to direct potentially damaging weather impacts away from the glass in the greenhouse buildings and into a specially designed underfloor
Façade contains 2,643 panes of energy-efficient ultra-clear glass that has a film interlayer to keep out unwanted heat
Serves as a remarkable greenhouse with trees and plants from around the world; includes 25,000 plants in 4,000 square feet of Living Wall that is 60 feet high; Smaller Living Walls feature unique green space themes through plant selections.
Has a vivarium, which is a living wall-aquarium hybrid that houses freshwater wildlife in semi-natural conditions.
Areas for an employee lounge, workspaces, and visitor areas for sitting and visiting among the vegetation and a clear view of the outdoors
Walkways with benches that employees and visitors can use to enjoy more than 1,000 species of plants.
Employees choose from 800 different seating options, like conference tables, lounge chairs, and small café-like tables, and those closest to the plants are the most popular
Many innovative plant-focused features, like the tree Rubi, grown for 48 years in California and transplanted to The Spheres, where it thrives
Urban Arboretum is nature-focused landscaping surrounding The Spheres and nearby blocks; outdoor botanical garden is planted with plants from around the world and selected to thrive in the local climate while attracting beneficial insects, like native pollinators, walkways take pedestrians past lush botanical gardens.
Most commercial buildings are not this elaborate, but The Spheres demonstrates that biophilic features can be simple, yet effective. Commercial applications incorporating biophilic features include prospect-refuge spatial configurations, natural light optimization, indoor gardens, the incorporation of native trees and ponds, the use of natural materials, an indoor waterfall, wind channeling for natural airflow, a recycled water network, and other similar elements.
Healthcare Facilities
Biophilic design is intended to help people tap into their innate desire to connect with nature. It is believed to promote health and well-being, so it is not surprising that hospitals and other healthcare facilities are incorporating biophilic design features.
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore is an exceptional example and has won the Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award. The previous hospital CEO recognized the health benefits of adopting biophilic healing principles, believing they would help patients alleviate pain and recover more quickly, as well as provide a better work environment for employees. Some of the features include the following.
V-shaped building with center court that lets in north breezes that pass over a stormwater pond called Yishun Pond
Building envelope balancing permeability and shade to allow patients access to cooling breezes, views, and natural light without solar glare or risk of rain exposure
Forest-like courtyards with water features supporting aquatic species and plants that attract butterflies and birds
Greenery growing from the courtyard to the upper building levels and down to a basement open to the sky
Patient balconies hold scented plants
Achieved green plot ratio of 3.92, meaning the total greenery surface area is four times the size of the land the building sits on
18% of hospital floor area is blue-green space, with 40% publicly accessible
Walking trail around the stormwater pond
Yishun Pond treated rainwater supplies water that runs through the level-1 courtyard and creates a waterfall into the open basement courtyard
Indigenous topical plants are planted
Optimal natural ventilation in wards enhances patient comfort and reduces energy consumption in common areas
Ward tower is orientated to capture prevailing North and South East winds, creating 60% savings in energy consumption
Walls have aluminum fins (Wing walls) to channel prevailing winds into the building by increasing wind pressure build-up on the façade, enhancing airflow by 20-30%
Patients and staff all have garden views
Roof gardens include a rooftop farm planted with fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs and various gardens that cater to patients' special needs
Terraced gardens at podium roof deck levels of wards offering private niches and trellised alcoves
Hospitals can incorporate a wide range of biophilic designs that focus on patients and staff. They include views of nature, garden areas that offer solitude or a place where patient visitors can meet in calming surroundings, indoor greenery, green walls, daylighting, water features, natural materials such as stone and wood, patterns that resemble living systems like branches, and natural ventilation.
Universities and Schools
Biophilic design in schools and universities considers the space that students and teachers utilize. Biophilic spaces incorporate natural elements to create a calming effect that promotes learning, mental well-being, and positive social behaviors.
Kakapo Creek Children’s Garden in Mairangi Bay, Auckland, New Zealand, is an excellent example of biophilic design in a school that seamlessly integrates nature and culture. Smith Architects designed the site with the building to foster an interconnection with nature, rather than just accommodating capacity. The Early Learning Center features the following:
Design inspired by Japanese zen gardens
Visibility between classrooms to avoid feelings of separation
Floor-to-ceiling glazed windows and doors for visibility among children
Circular configuration with a courtyard that leads to the playground in the center and acts as a sound barrier for nearby residential and creek noise
Internal courtyard with views of treetops
Green roof planted with south island grass that needs little soil, so it is not too heavy and hibernates in summer when water is scarce
Roof designed based on a Fibonacci spiral for balance and harmony with inside beams following the spiral’s curvature
Interior is symmetrical horseshoe
Staff areas include a deck overlooking the creek that offers retreat space
Playground has an open view of the sky, equipment cohesive with the architecture and recyclable, durable flooring
Natural ventilation through glazed glass shutters, windows, and doors that also allow natural lighting
One of the essential principles of this design is that children can learn about the natural environment through the green roof, creek, and open views of nature.
Biophilic design is increasingly applied to university buildings. The Arizona State University’s Biomimicry Center is an example of a building remodeled to incorporate biophilic design.
Lichen-infused concrete walls were designed and installed; movable living walls with indoor plants were created
Passive LED circadian lighting
Ceiling tiles that emulate a forest canopy and modulate light while dampening sound
Ceiling tiles with holes that allow heat to rise into the ceiling’s upper area to assist with cooling
Plywood is assembled using soy proteins that mimic blue mussel adhesive proteins
Includes a range of green building features, such as the utilization of recycled materials; biophilic features are integrated with environmental sustainability features, like using factory reclaimed, repurposed, and recycled panels for doors and tables
Controlled lighting system that reduced energy consumption by 85%
Looking through Kellert’s list of biophilic attributes, it is easy to see how biophilia can be easily incorporated into buildings and landscapes.
Urban Applications
Biophilic design is applicable at the city scale, resulting in biophilic urbanism. This approach integrates nature into public spaces, infrastructure, and environmental networks to enhance human well-being and create more environmentally sustainable cities. The goal is to incorporate as much natural environment as feasible into the human environment, which may help alleviate the challenges of climate change by making urban areas more adaptable and resilient.
The Biophilic Cities organization partners with global cities, advocates, and scholars to pursue biophilic urbanism. The project is based at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture. The following are a few examples of cities that have adopted biophilic design.
Portland is installing “green streets” to collect and treat stormwater.
San Francisco is creating parklets or small urban parking areas by converting street parking.
Oslo has invested in regional networks of urban forests and green spaces.
Wellington is striving to expand its green belt to include the large biodiverse marine edge to develop a blue belt.
Mexico City is investing in a large green wall and rooftop gardens.
Mumbai protects and restores mangroves to make areas more secure against storm surges and a rising sea level.
Biophilic urbanism supports environmental sustainability, but it also increases city resilience in the face of increasing climate volatility. About a decade ago, the conversation on city resilience was added to the discussions on disaster management. There is a significant distinction between adapting to disasters and being resilient, as resilience involves responding in a manner that ensures the city not only withstands, but also emerges stronger, all while preserving the quality of life and the environment. Researchers identified steps to increase urban resilience that could be implemented in this manner.
Biophilic urbanism - assess the biophysical qualities and green cities, regions, neighborhoods, and buildings; decide biophilic participation; identify biophilic knowledge needed
Adaptive Capacity – develop designs that support healthy behaviors, helping and sharing behaviors, social networking, commitment to place and home, and sense of distinctive place and place
Resilient outcomes - define desired outcomes that include reduced loss of life and economic disruption, quick return to normalcy, reduced ecological damage, improved health of population, happiness and meaningful lives, and successful coping with scarcity
There are many ways to develop urban resilience. One approach is to protect and enhance natural urban systems, such as wetlands, floodplains, forests, and watersheds. Developing green infrastructures for water supply resilience that conserves natural systems is another. Cities and neighborhoods can create extensive parks and green spaces and plant native trees.
Austin, Texas, strengthened its special sense of place by embracing a part-time population of a million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats that reside under a bridge. The nightly emergence of bats at the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge over Lady Bird Lake attracts locals and visitors to witness a natural spectacle in a city setting. The city built the bridge, an observation deck, and custom-built bat boxes under the bridge. This is an example of how a biophilic approach to infrastructure serves multiple purposes, including social benefits, a healthy lifestyle, and economic benefits, as people are brought together to share a common experience. Moreover, the bats provide a natural form of pest control, as they consume vast numbers of insects each night.
Portland, Oregon, developed the green streets mentioned earlier to prevent combined sewage overflows into the Willamette River and Columbia Slough, as well as streets and basements, by minimizing the amount of stormwater reaching sewer and stormwater systems. Green streets are landscaped areas between the sidewalk and the street, designed to utilize native and non-native plants and soil to slow and filter stormwater before it enters the sewer system. Up to 90% of stormwater runoff pollutants are removed before the water flows into a waterbody. The green streets, also known as bioswales and rain gardens, help replenish groundwater, absorb carbon, improve air quality, and enhance neighborhoods.
Researchers found that biophilic cities offer individuals and families benefits. They include health benefits such as an enhanced ability to cope with nature’s shocks and positive health effects from spending more time outside in greener neighborhoods. Over the last two decades, it has become widely accepted that city parks play a crucial role in promoting healthy lifestyles and enhancing the health of residents. Proper infrastructure design, like systems to manage stormwater and mitigate flooding, is more resilient. The Land and Water Conservation studies found that the health benefits of parks include environmental factors, such as parks and trees assisting with cooling communities, cleaner air and waterways, and flood prevention. Approximately $1,861 per person in healthcare costs is saved annually because people get more physical exercise and experience less stress.
Cities are a blend of buildings and outdoor areas, and a biophilic design strategy can enhance the benefits of biophilia when implemented in a coordinated manner.
Relationship of LEED and Biophilic Design
The world’s most widely used green building rating system is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It provides a comprehensive green certification framework for assessing building sustainability across various aspects, including energy use, water efficiency, materials, site selection and sustainability, indoor environmental quality, and more.
LEED has incorporated biophilic design into its rating system. In truth, LEED credits have recognized biophilic design elements for decades without using the word “biophilic.” For example, there have long been credits for using natural light and ventilation, sourcing natural materials, incorporating quality views of nature, and enhancing the quality of the interior space in terms of supporting occupant health, as well as adding outdoor spaces with native plants, among other considerations. Biophilic design principles are embedded in the following:
Sustainable Sites (SS)
LEED’s Sustainable Sites category rewards projects that minimize ecological disruption and integrate natural systems. Biophilic strategies such as creating green roofs, vegetated buffers, and native landscapes align with these credits. For example, the use of on-site greenery supports pollinators and biodiversity while also providing psychological benefits for occupants, linking ecological sustainability with biophilia.
Water Efficiency (WE)
Biophilic design often employs water features—such as fountains, ponds, and rain gardens—that can be integrated with stormwater management and rainwater harvesting systems. These strategies contribute to LEED’s Water Efficiency category by reducing potable water use and promoting responsible water cycle integration.
Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
Natural daylighting, passive solar heating, and natural ventilation—core strategies of biophilic design—are recognized under LEED’s Energy and Atmosphere credits. By designing for thermal comfort through natural systems rather than mechanical ones, buildings reduce energy demand. Daylighting strategies simultaneously support human circadian rhythms, further connecting LEED performance credits to biophilic benefits.
Materials and Resources (MR)
LEED emphasizes sustainable material choices, including recycled content, responsibly sourced timber, and low-emission products. Biophilic design expands this concept by advocating for natural, tactile materials such as wood, stone, bamboo, and wool that foster human-nature connections. A building using responsibly harvested timber may achieve LEED MR points while also delivering sensory experiences aligned with biophilic principles.
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
The Indoor Environmental Quality category represents the most direct intersection between LEED and biophilic design. Credits in this category focus on daylight access, views of nature, acoustic performance, and air quality—all of which overlap with biophilic strategies. For instance, LEED awards points for providing a majority of occupants with direct views of the outdoors, echoing Stephen Kellert’s emphasis on prospect and refuge in spatial design. Plants, operable windows, and multisensory natural elements are just a few elements that reinforce this category.
Innovation (IN)
The Innovation category allows projects to pursue credits beyond standard requirements by implementing novel strategies. Many design teams have leveraged this category to incorporate biophilic design frameworks into LEED documentation formally.
LEED v4.1 in New Construction - Innovation offers an optional point for designing a project with a minimum of five design strategies incorporating at least biophilic design elements. (nature in the space, natural analogues, nature of the space, place-based relationships, human-nature interactions).
The most current iteration of LEED is LEED v5 and was developed around three goals:
Climate action
Quality of life
Ecological conservation and restoration
The newest version of LEED v5 for Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) significantly elevates the use of biophilic design. For example, Indoor Environmental Quality has credits based on the concept of biophilia. Each version of LEED pushes progress in green building and connecting building design with biophilia.
There is a new credit category called “Connecting with Nature.” This version makes the new framework mandatory, unlike the optional innovation credit for biophilic design in v4.1. The credit is achieved by developing opportunities for people to have a direct experience with nature or an indirect experience of space and place, with the attributes defined by Kellert and Calabrese.
The Accessibility and Inclusion credit that recognizes and encourages building design that accommodates people regardless of physical abilities. The requirements exceed the minimum ADA standards for accessibility and also address accident prevention, safety, and wayfinding. It also supports neurodivergent users by achieving EQc2: Occupant Experience, Option 1, Biophilic Environments, Path 1, Integrated Biophilic Design.
Occupant Experience awards seven points for moving towards human-centered design that supports customization, enjoyment, and emotional connections between individuals and the building. Some points are assigned for demonstrating the five biophilic principles of Kellert and Calabrese or by providing quality views or an adaptable environment.
The adaptable environment option refers to thermal, sound, and lighting environments that support different sensory zones, recognizing that many employees and building visitors are neurodiverse. Includes having at least one accessible quiet space, providing places for socializing and meeting that allow occupants to sit outside the main action, providing various furniture configurations and seating arrangements, making height-adjusted tables and sinks accessible, and/or developing outdoor or transitional space for interacting with nature. There are various options for addressing noise, electric light glare control, and color choices.
The Resilient Spaces credit is focused on encouraging design features that increase the capacity of building occupants to adapt to changing climate conditions and increase protection from events that can compromise the indoor environment quality and impact health and well-being. Points are earned in several ways.
Design systems capable of managing episodic outdoor events, like wildfire smoke that can degrade indoor air quality, and/or
Design occupied spaces so they can provide clean air flow that minimizes infection risks, and/or
Through thermal modeling, demonstrate the building can passively maintain habitable conditions during a 2-day power outage in wintertime, and/or
Have operable windows in 50-75% of occupied spaces that can provide access to outdoor air during heat waves or localized power outages
There are more points embedded in biophilia in the LEED v5 rating system. For example, new LEED v5 prerequisites are in the Integrative Process for Social Equity Assessment. The impact of development on surrounding communities and stakeholders, with the intent of promoting inclusion and social well-being, including for vulnerable populations.
A notable example of a LEED-certified building with biophilic design is the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia, which has achieved LEED Platinum certification. The 60-story office skyscraper has the following features.
6 amenity floors dedicated to occupant health and wellness
32,000 square foot fitness facility
100% sit-stand desks
Natural light from an atrium
12 sky gardens
Extensive exterior plantings
Herbs grown in the cafeteria
30,000 square feet of reclaimed white oak end grain flooring
Embracing Nature in the Human Habitat
There are several key points to consider when it comes to biophilic design:
Biophilic features can be added, even if the building already exists
The design features consider psychological factors as well as environmental sustainability features
Adding biophilic features does not have to be expensive if on a limited budget, i.e., adding plants in planters
Biophilia is also vital in landscaping and should blend with the building, i.e., walkways, biodiversity preservation, flowing water, etc.
Building designers must work with existing local building codes that are not always compatible with more natural designs, like stormwater runoff management systems
The public must be educated on the wellness benefits of biophilic design and potential long-term savings due to environmental sustainability elements
The prediction is that building designs will increasingly incorporate biophilic principles and elements, as they support human health and well-being, and can play a key role in environmental sustainability, especially in the context of climate change. Rating systems like LEED ensure the environmental performance of buildings, and biophilia fosters a human connection to nature. Combining the two is a holistic approach to environmental sustainability and human wellness. In the future, green rating systems will likely certify buildings as green only when they apply frameworks that also prioritize helping humans flourish.
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