Design Inspiration From Nature: Exploring Relationships and Their Benefits — Wellness Design Consultants
Throughout the vast history of the human race, we’ve always seemed to be synchronized with nature and its processes. However, the harmony between our species and nature has been somewhat disrupted over the course of the last two centuries.
Badly drawn up designs in dense urban areas rapidly grew over the course of the last century, thus making cities all over the world look like real-live concrete jungles. This has led to a slow eradication of natural patches in the cities, making contact with nature a real luxury to their inhabitants.
Throughout this text we’ll be discussing of nature design relationships and its impact on the psychosomatic health of humans. So, bare with us in order to find out more about this topic, including the limitless possibilities of design inspired by nature and how the design process incorporates these elements.
Do modern day cities have enough room for the natural world?
People living in big cities all over the world spend the majority of their time in their offices, apartments or public transport. Whatever the case may be, the sad fact is that the modern day humans are slowly losing their ties with nature by being surrounded by concrete on a daily basis.
Detachment from nature has been linked to numerous psychological and physiological health issues such as depression, insomnia, joint pain and various lung diseases among many others. This has been a growing issue since modern-day cities have more population than ever.
Luckily numerous professionals on the subject have worked together on finding a solution to these problems, and have thus concluded that the relationship of nature and design must be in perfect accordance in order to have a more positive impact on the psychological and physiological health of humans. Nature-inspired design can address human problems related to urban living by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies through biomimicry.
What is Biomimicry design mimicking nature?
Since the beginning of time, nature has always been an infinite source of inspiration to humans all over the world. Designers, artists, architects and even scientists have used patterns in nature and its processes as ground zero for their inventions and products.
Design thinking plays a crucial role in biomimicry, involving an interdisciplinary approach to reverse-engineer nature for real-world problem-solving.
The practice of solving design challenges in a sustainable, practical and healthy manner inspired by nature is called Biomimicry. In short, Biomimicry design is the process of developing nature-inspired solutions for the problems of modern-day humans.
While it may sound like a new trend that has been developed during the recent years, the practice of Biomimicry design has been around for ages and can be traced all the way back to ancient times with buildings such as the “Hanging gardens of Babylon” often being taken as one of the best examples of Biomimicry and Biophilic design.
The term Biomimicry has been derived from greek words “Bios” which represents life and “Mimesis” which roughly translates as “imitations”.
How does nature influence our mental and physical health?
The relationship between the natural world where we spend the majority of our time and our emotions is indisputable.
State-wide survey results have shown that up to 84% of people claim that their job has contributed to deterioration of their mental health, out of which only around 40% of them feel that the companies they work for have taken adequate measures to improve their mental state.
Even though we’ve seen companies take more initiative when it comes to improving the mental health of their employees by offering free gym memberships and the occasional opportunity to work from home just aren’t enough.
It’s a well known fact that nature has a great influence on our mental health. Contact with nature can help relieve stress, improve memory and increase creativity, happiness and the feeling of kindness. However, water is a key element as well when it comes to taking care of our mental well-being. In fact, the impact of water on our mental health is so big that numerous studies have confirmed that our brains are hardwired to have a positive reaction to seeing or hearing water.
The impact of organic architecture on mental health
In all honesty, the spectrum of mental health is an extremely broad term whose causes depend on a lot of different variables in one’s direct surroundings. However, research has given evidence that the natural interior design of spaces we spend our time in can not only relieve the feeling of stress and anxiety, but can awake the sensation of serenity, peace and motivation.
Natural light also plays a crucial role in improving mental health by enhancing mood and reducing stress levels.
Now, more than ever, people are losing their connection to nature.
With the current estimate of more than 50% of the world’s population living in cities, a number which is expected to rise, the architects, designers, urban planners and biologists have tried their best to incorporate the soothing effect of nature design, be it architecture inspired by nature or natural interior design, it is of key importance that the spaces in which we work and live have plenty of greenery.
Nature inspired design concepts
The majority of products available today, whatever their use may be, have their shape or fundamental purpose inspired by the processes that occur in nature on a daily basis. From laptops closing like sea-shells to buildings that resemble a termite nest, nature has really played a crucial role when it comes to shaping the modern world. Engineers often look to natural selection and adaptations in the natural world to derive innovative solutions for modern design challenges.
Butterfly wings have inspired new types of solar cells and innovative product designs, such as color creation without pigment and eco-friendly paint technology for cars.
In summary, it’s safe to say that the future of design lies within nature, and while we may not know what surprises biomimicry may have in store for us just yet, we can guarantee that it won’t be boring. Cooling devices inspired by the African Namib Desert Beetle’s water collection mechanism are being developed for building cooling and cleaning up toxic spills.
Comprehending the way that the mind reacts to is crucial to approaching psychological issues of any human. Noise pollution from the Shinkansen bullet train was reduced by redesigning it with a long beak-shaped nose inspired by the Kingfisher bird. Similarly, shark skin’s microscopic patterns have been replicated to create a ‘riblets’ film that reduces drag and deters microorganisms from attaching to surfaces. Our team of LEED certified Bifiolico designers is composed of some of the best experts in the field of biophilic design, organic interior design and nature inspired design concepts in general. Serrated edge wind turbines, inspired by the bumpy protrusions on whale fins, offer a more efficient and quieter alternative to smooth blades.
Sustainable solutions inspired by nature’s patterns and strategies address human challenges in an environmentally responsible way. The ventilation system of the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, mimics termite mounds to regulate air and achieve self-cooling.
Waxy hydrophobic materials repel water, fat, and oil, inspired by the lotus flower’s nanostructures. Wind turbines have also been inspired by the aerodynamic abilities of whales, specifically the unique bumpy protrusions on their fins.
Feel free to contact us for any additional info or nature inspired design services you may need.