biophilic design consultants - barcelona, spain & london, uk
We provide biophilic interior design services for real estate developers, hotel brands and architecture studios
integrating sustainability and wellbeing through the lens of nature
Biophilic Design Services for the built environment
We’ve witnessed a surge in mainstream interest in biophilic design of late. So what does a biophilic design consultant have to add to this debate about bringing nature back into our built environment? We like to codify the concept by bringing it all back to its essence with three key pillars: nature + wellbeing + sustainability. Read on to discover the range of tools available to help us to implement biophilic design; think of them like a design toolkit.
Air-purifying plants and botanical design are fundamental biophilic design principles, whether that be planter boxes, vertical gardens, indoor gardens, green roof gardens, hydroponic vertical farm towers, or plants hanging from the ceiling.
As biophilic designers we leverage a wide range of botanical design strategies for all of their wellness benefits.
Any definition of biophilic design will likely involve some combination of natural elements that boost mood, productivity and wellbeing.
Integrating a sense of place through local artworks and materials is one example, as are using natural patterns and textures.
The glue that holds it all together in our opinion as biophilia experts however is the less tangible concept of ‘natural beauty’. Hard to pin down but easy to recognize, this is the essence of biophilia.
The value system behind biophilic interior design entails using sustainably sourced organic materials such as wood, cork, wool, leather and stone.
A biophilic design concept can also integrate circular economy materials made from coffee grinds, railroad timber, seaweed and coconut fibre, amongst many others.
We also specialise in plant-based materials, fruit byproduct materials, upcycled ocean plastic fabrics amongst others. This approach ensures an elemental, cohesive aesthetic every time.
We design biophilic outdoor spaces, multi-sensory recharge rooms or ‘restorative spaces’ with a strong connection to nature as a way to stimulate physical or mental activity, exposure to daylight and enhance overall wellbeing in building occupants. These are especially relevant for healthy coworking offices and workspaces for example.
A key component of the WELL Building Standard, FITWEL healthy building, Living Building Challenge and LEED green building systems, recharge rooms and outdoor spaces with landscaping or other natural features have been proven to reduce stress and promote feelings of vitality through biophilia.
In its quest for harmony with nature, biophilic interior design can integrate sound-absorbing solutions for acoustic comfort such as acoustic panels, moss walls, privacy booths and eco flooring panels that reduce ambient noise while adding a natural aesthetic into a space.
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ound wellness is an emerging trend that includes biophilic sound interventions. To create a truly multi-sensory experience, aromatherapy can be used in HVAC ducts to energise or regenerate.
See our case study on the Vitamin Nature space research study for The Wardian Case / EcoWorld Ballymore in London, UK
A key component of the WELL, Living Future and LEED green building standards, providing access to indoor spaces via indoor landscaping has a positive impact on mental health making a biophilic interior design ideal for workplaces and residential buildings as well as spas and gyms. Below: indoor garden designed for HERO global headquarters, Switzerland (photo Daniel Werder)
Our biophilic interior design strategies look to enhance access to natural light, views onto nature and enhanced air quality. As a commercial interior design consultancy this expertise can be delivered as a complete design service, or as an external advisor assisting the lead project architects and interior designers.
From faux flower installations to nature-inspired wall murals, botanical artworks, moss mosaics, terrariums and more, there is a myriad of such ‘indirect’ representations of nature available to us when implementing biophilic principles.
These solutions are ideally suited to spaces with low or no natural light, meaning living plants would struggle to survive. Even such representations of nature provide many of the same stress-reducing mental health properties as living plants without the operational responsibility.
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept meaning beauty in natural imperfection, a key tenet of organic interior design.
We implement this concept in our biophilic interior consulting work via the introduction of natural, organic and handmade artworks, rugs, sculptures, fabrics and materials that add patina and texture to a biophilic interior space.
This is in contrast to industrialized, machine-made materials that lack the natural patina of age - a key concept in biophilic design principles.
So while this design aesthetic may be less applicable to an office design consultancy assignment, it is especially relevant for hotels, resorts, restaurants and residential contexts.
An increasingly prominent component of biophilic principles, ‘biodesign’ typically relates to products in particular rather than interiors in general. A biodesign will likely feature bio-materials that protect valuable natural resources and cause no harm to the planet, or perhaps biofabrication that involves growing a product from a natural material such as mycelium.
Biomimicry really takes nature as a guide to create a rigorous methodology of imitation and cross-fertilization between nature and industrial design or architecture.
One of the main benefits of biophilic design is that it straddles the world of sustainable green buildings and healthy buildings, even playing a role in wellbeing interior design. Projects pursuing LEED, BREEAM, WELL (see our article on this subject here) or Living Building Challenge for example, will all receive recognition for integrating elements of biophilic design, such as landscaping, gardens, views of nature and plant walls.
Interestingly, one biophilic design concept can easily score on both certifications, meaning it delivers plenty of bang for the buck! So the “what is biophillic design?” can often be answered from two different angles!
We define biophilia as ‘the human love of or need for a close connection with nature and other forms of life' - an attempt to reunite indoor and outdoor worlds through the sensitive use of natural materials, shapes, breezes, colors, scents, and sounds in urban architecture and interiors.
As biophilic design consultants working in the healthy buildings sector, we view biophilic design as being a fundamentally Triple Bottom Line concept as it brings benefits for People, Planet and bottom line Profit.
As part of a wellness interior inspired by nature and maximized for wellbeing benefits, various options are available to integrate mood-boosting, stress reducing sounds.
These would ideally be recorded nature sounds from nearby locations with seasonal variations but high-quality, pre-recorded wellness sound playlists are also available from a number of brands such as Delos and Swell. For more info on our expert biophilic sounds partner Swell see here.
Spaces maximized for biophilic design benefits aim to make the most use of the natural daylight available, allowing it to filter through into the core of the building’s floor plate.
Smart lighting systems with LED bulbs can provide different light tones and intensities during the day to follow the body’s natural 24hr cycle.
A combination of natural daylight, task lights (e.g. desk lamps or bedside lamps), uplights (e.g. standing lamps) and ceiling lights on a smart system will all help create an interior designed for wellbeing.
consultant services
biophilic design consultant
Whether there are architects and interior designers involved in a project already, or you require creative design services, we can play an advisory role to implement biophilic design services. We look to bring the outside world in for occupant health and wellbeing benefits.
By creating a natural indoor environment, we can stimulate enhanced creativity, assist in stress reduction and ensure a productive environment. See more of our case studies here.
designing green healthy buildings like a good ancestor
How do biophilic design, sustainability, and healthy buildings fit into an evolutionary perspective on life? What does a cross-generational worldview bring to our game as biophilic design consultants? How do we join the dots between an eco gym facility and a green building? Watch Matt’s 2024 TEDx talk to find out.
Matt Morley TEDx talk 2024
trend reports
biophilic design: part 1
Real estate developers, architecture studios, mixed-use developments and offices doing big things in biophilic design
biophilic design: part 2
Residential developments, restaurants, hotels and retail stores pushing the boundaries of biophilic design
journal
contact us
Contact us.
Registered office: 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE, UK
Spanish office: Montoya, Carrer d’Avila 32, Barcelona 08005, ESPANA
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Increases productivity and creativity in workplaces
Improves patient recovery times in hospitals
Produces positive feelings of vitality
Reduces stress and anxiety
Looks mighty fine, if you know what you're doing
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For us it comes down to a magical trio of nature + sustainability + wellness. Biophilic design can be a beautiful combination of these three factors.
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We play both a lead interior designer role with a focus on implementing biophilic design principles, as well as an external consultant role advising architects and developers.
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The challenge biophilic design often comes across is the existing limitations of a specific space.
It can be complex, or near impossible to add a window for natural light access in an existing building for example, so we have to find creative alternatives.
This is where indirect forms of nature can enter the equation.
Mimicking nature in indirects ways might include murals, wallpaper, illustrations, artworks, photography, patterns, textures and colours that together create a sense of nature indoors, even if there are no direct forms of nature present (i.e. plants).
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Biophilic design concept uses human connection to nature and applies it to the world we live in, our built environment. Whether on a smaller or a larger scale, this concept has proven benefits for human health, as well as added environmental and economic benefits.
The fundamental connection we have to nature has forced us to seek ways to bring nature back into our lives, and even more so, make it a crucial part of the environment we spend our time in the most, which is why we incorporate biophilic design into architecture and interiors.
Biophilic design has shown remarkable restorative and enhancing effects on human lives, whether concerning their everyday living or working environment.