Environmental psychology in healthy buildings interiors — biofilico wellness interiors
As healthy building consultants, we combine concern for both physical and mental wellbeing of building occupants with a parallel effort to minimize environmental impact. Healthy building strategies are comparatively small-scale and hyper local, i.e. they are more immediately connected to the activities going on within a specific building or space.
We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us - Sir Winston Churchill, 1943
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We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us - Sir Winston Churchill, 1943 〰️
Introduction to Environmental Psychology
Environmental psychology is a multidisciplinary field that explores the intricate relationship between human beings and their physical environment. It examines how both natural and built environments shape our experiences, behaviors, and overall well-being. Environmental psychologists delve into the impact of physical settings on human behavior, investigating how elements like natural environments, urban planning, and architectural design influence our daily lives. By understanding these complex interactions, environmental psychologists can inform the design of sustainable and healthy buildings, promote conservation psychology, and mitigate environmental risks. This field is crucial for creating spaces that not only meet our physical needs but also enhance our mental and emotional well-being.
Healthy Buildings, Sustainability, and Environmental Psychology
Healthy buildings are meticulously designed to promote the physical and mental well-being of their occupants. Environmental psychologists play a pivotal role in this process, ensuring that these buildings are not only sustainable but also conducive to human health and productivity. By incorporating natural environments, such as green spaces and natural light, into building design, they create physical settings that support human well-being. Sustainable development is a cornerstone of environmental psychology, aiming to balance human needs with environmental conservation. In the face of climate change, environmental psychologists address pressing issues through research and design interventions that encourage sustainable behaviors and reduce environmental risks. Their work ensures that buildings contribute positively to both human health and the planet’s well-being.
healthy buildings, sustainability and environmental psychology
As healthy building consultants, we combine concern for both physical and mental wellbeing of building occupants with a parallel effort to minimize environmental impact.
These two concepts of sustainable, green buildings and healthy buildings designed with occupant wellbeing in mind, are therefore in one sense at least operating at two different scales.
In the case of the former, the building is part of an increasingly delicate natural ecosystem that has no start or end point as such, meaning a real estate developer, landlord or tenant is assuming responsibility for their contribution to something urgent yet ultimately global in scope - the health of our planet and the environmental impact legacy we will pass on to future generations.
healthy building strategies in architectural psychology
Healthy building strategies are comparatively small-scale and hyper local, i.e. they are more immediately connected to the activities going on within a specific building or space. As such, there is a tangible connection between an individual occupant and their experience of the building they are in.
Partly this is about physical elements such as Indoor air Quality, for example, or Active Design features that encourage movement, yet a large slice of it is connected to environmental psychology. Various research methods, including interviews, data analysis, field studies, and lab experiments, are used in environmental psychology to understand the impact of built and natural environments on human behavior and well-being.
Theories of Environmental Psychology
Environmental psychology is underpinned by several theories that elucidate the complex relationships between humans and their environment. Ecological psychology, for instance, emphasizes the interconnectedness of human and natural systems, highlighting how our surroundings influence our behavior and well-being. Conservation psychology focuses on the importance of preserving natural environments for the benefit of human health. These theories provide a framework for understanding how physical environments affect human behavior and well-being. By applying these theoretical insights, environmental psychologists can design interventions that promote sustainable behaviors, reduce environmental risks, and enhance overall human well-being. These theories are essential for developing strategies that create harmonious and sustainable living environments.
The Role of Environmental Psychologists
Environmental psychologists are integral to promoting sustainable development and mitigating environmental risks. They collaborate with architects, urban planners, and policymakers to design physical environments that support human well-being while minimizing environmental impact. Through rigorous research on human behavior and environmental interactions, they provide valuable insights that inform design and policy decisions. Environmental psychologists also engage with communities to foster sustainable behaviors and develop conservation psychology initiatives. By leveraging their expertise, they create healthy and sustainable environments that not only enhance human well-being but also contribute to environmental conservation. Their work is vital in shaping spaces that are both livable and sustainable.
What is environmental psychology and how does it impact a healthy building?
Environmental psychology is formally defined as “the interaction between humans and the surrounding environment… how environment influences us but we also influence the environment” (ref)).
Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology that explores the relationship between humans and the world around us. It is concerned with the influence of natural and built environment on how we feel, think, and behave (ref). The Journal of Environmental Psychology is a key source of authoritative information on the topics and scope of environmental psychology, encompassing various interdisciplinary studies relating to the interactions between people and their physical environments.
An important part of environmental psychology is recognizing the positive and negative effects any given space can have: for example, the impact of environmental stressors like noise and crowding or conversely the restorative effect of incorporating nature.
cognitive vs environmental
This topic can further be broken down into two subcategories:
cognitive/physiological/behavioral aspects
more environmentally conscious, conservation aspects
The cognitive/ behavioral/ physiological part makes use of methods such as restoration (mood-improvement), wayfinding (how people find their way in new places, place attachment (what are physical things that make people get attached to certain place), etc. The physical environment affects our behavior, emotions, and cognition, playing a crucial role in environmental psychology by shaping human experiences and promoting wellbeing.
The conservation side focuses more on the relationships between people and the natural world as well as putting emphasis on how society treats our surrounding environment and preserves nature-based connections.
Before getting into what environmental differences can affect the mind and mental wellbeing for occupants in a building, it is important to have a general understanding of how surroundings can positively or negatively impact health.
For more on what constitutes a healthy building see our dedicated article here.
How can a building's physical environment affect our health?
When doing research on how exactly the body reacts to different nature-made vs. man-made environments, most ideas circle back to the influence of the natural environment on human experiences and well-being, particularly through the concept of circadian rhythm and its impact.
Circadian rhythm is an internal clock that helps signal different processes within the body according to time of day. This one biological process can have drastic effects on many other processes such as hormone production and release; motivational drives on cognition, etc.
Therefore, when utilizing biophilic design as a healthy building strategy for example, it is important to keep circadian rhythm in mind.
Incorporating Natural Environments
Incorporating natural environments into building design and urban planning is a fundamental aspect of environmental psychology. Natural environments, such as parks and green spaces, have been shown to significantly promote human well-being and reduce environmental risks. Environmental psychologists work closely with architects and urban planners to design physical environments that integrate natural elements, including natural light, ventilation, and materials. By embedding these natural components into design, they create sustainable and healthy buildings that support human well-being and environmental conservation. This approach not only enhances the aesthetic and functional quality of spaces but also fosters a deeper connection between people and the natural world, promoting overall well-being and sustainability.
Biofilico Wellness Interiors
Exploring the Concept and Its Importance in Modern Architecture
Biofilico wellness interiors represent a design philosophy that integrates elements of nature into built environments to enhance human well-being and health. Rooted in the concept of biophilia, which suggests that humans have an inherent desire to connect with nature, this approach leverages natural elements such as plants, natural light, and water features to create spaces that foster physical and mental well-being.
Environmental psychologists have long emphasized the significance of the physical environment in shaping human behavior and well-being. Research has consistently demonstrated that exposure to natural environments can lower stress levels, elevate mood, and even mitigate symptoms of anxiety and depression. By incorporating biofilico wellness interiors into modern architecture, designers can create spaces that not only support physical health but also enhance mental well-being and productivity. This holistic approach to design ensures that the built environment contributes positively to the overall quality of life for its occupants.
Designing Healthy Buildings Interiors
Practical Strategies and Design Principles
Designing healthy building interiors necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationships between humans and their physical environments. Environmental psychologists and architects collaborate to create spaces that promote both physical and mental well-being by adhering to design principles that prioritize natural light, ventilation, and connections to nature.
One effective strategy for designing healthy building interiors is the incorporation of natural light. Natural light has been shown to offer numerous benefits, including improved mood, reduced stress levels, and enhanced cognitive function. Architects can achieve this by integrating large windows, skylights, and solar tubes into the design, thereby allowing natural light to permeate the space and foster a sense of well-being.
Another crucial design principle is the emphasis on ventilation and air quality. Poor air quality can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health, such as an increased risk of respiratory issues and diminished cognitive performance. By implementing ventilation systems that prioritize the influx of fresh air and minimize pollutants, designers can create environments that support both physical and mental health. These strategies, grounded in the insights of environmental psychologists, ensure that building interiors contribute positively to the well-being of their occupants.
WELL Healthy Building standard - restorative spaces in healthy buildings
International WELL Building Institute has a set of recommended standards for integrating natural components into workspace environments and other real estate projects as a way to protect the mental wellbeing of occupants. The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) plays a crucial role in promoting interdisciplinary communication within the field of environmental psychology, facilitating the exchange of ideas and research between practitioners and researchers to address complex human-environment interactions.
A set-piece interior space focusing on mental wellbeing in particular is often called a restorative space, or a recharge room. These concepts typically make use of a combination of:
wellness lighting (dimmable light levels, Circadian lighting intensities in tune with our 24 hour internal clock)
sound wellness (water features, nature sounds, sound masking strategies)
thermal comfort (sun-exposed outdoor spaces or carefully shaded areas, comfortable indoor temperatures)
comfortable seating arrangements (movable light weight chairs, cushions, mats)
nature and biophilic design (calming natural colors, textures and plants)
visual privacy, in order to complete internal practices such as prayers, meditation or a power nap :)
The role of environmental psychologists in environmental psychology
This also applies to studying interpersonal relationships with environment taken into consideration. Looking into things like privacy, personal space, and having a sense of ownership for a space while also keeping in mind questions like: “how can people learn to better navigate the environment they are in,” and “why are certain environments preferred over others?”
Eastern Buddhist traditions of mental wellbeing
An Interesting Comparison Study from the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies Explored Connections from Buddhist Teachings to Western Psychology. (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-12925-003)
The Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies conducted a fascinating comparison study that explored the connections between Buddhist teachings and Western psychology. This study revealed that both traditions emphasize the importance of mental balance and well-being, albeit through different approaches. While Western psychology often focuses on external factors, such as the built environment, Buddhist teachings stress the significance of internal mental training and balance.
This comparison is particularly relevant to environmental psychology and healthy building design. By integrating principles from both traditions, designers can create spaces that not only address external environmental factors but also support internal mental well-being. For instance, incorporating elements that promote mindfulness and relaxation, such as quiet meditation areas or spaces with natural elements, can enhance the overall well-being of building occupants. This holistic approach ensures that the built environment supports both the physical and mental health of its users, aligning with the core principles of environmental psychology.
An interesting comparison study from the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies explored connections from Buddhist teachings to Western Psychology. (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-12925-003 )
Although it is useful to keep in mind the surrounding environment's effect on mental health, both western and Buddhist teachings believe that happiness derived from internal, mental training lasts longer than that from external sources, such as the built environments we spend our days in, such as an office, home, school or gym.
Buddhists believe that a lack of overall mental wellbeing is a sign of internal imbalances, requiring focused attention through meditation practices and so on in order to integrate these ‘issues' whatever they may be into our psyche.
Equally, for Buddhist practitioners, happiness itself can be a fundamentally ephemeral or at the very least fluctuating experience for most of us, unless we are ‘enlightened' and have found our own internal happiness, rather than chasing after external sources of happiness.
For example, Buddhist teachings stress the importance of mental balance with a fourfold theory of combining conative balance, attentional balance, cognitive balance and affective balance. Things like anxiety, depression, etc are thought to result from an unbalanced mind while a healthy, uninjured mind is thought to be better prepared to deal with stresses.
Buddhist principles for mental wellbeing in natural environments
Conative Balance refers to the ability that allows to set intention; having set goals increases motivation and commitment than desire alone while stressing the importance of realistic expectations and having clear goals as a way to predict happiness.
Attentional Balance is the development of sustained attention for optimal performance. This can be applied with mindful breathing as a sense of focus, the theory of flow – being involved in an activity for its own sake. Mindfulness practices such as meditation are also a key component in developing this skill, for example.
Cognitive Balance implies being calmly and clearly present; engaging in the world without making assumptions or misleading ideas. Being present in the moment, without judgement in other words. This can be seen through mindfulness training and stress-reduction that results in not getting caught up in expectations.
Affective Balance is having a clear and cohesive mix of the other three.
Summary on environmental psychology in the built environment
The essence of environment psychology has to do with the environment, yes but mainly relies on healthy minds as the goal and environmental factors as a stepping-stone to get there. While there are many techniques that can be included in design, there is no “one” answer.
Everything comes down to asking the question: “how will this affect my mentality?” and the answer to that, varies according to the context of each building or interior space situations.
Sustainable country estate hotels UK
biofilico hotel sustainability consultants review the most sustainable country estate hotels focusing on: energy & water efficiency / local sourcing policy /. building and interior materials / waste reduction, recycling & single-use plastics / biodiversity & biophilia / health & wellness
biofilico hotel sustainability consultants review the most sustainable country estate hotels in the uk focusing on core themes such as
energy & water efficiency
local sourcing policy
building and interior materials
waste reduction, recycling & single-use plastics
biodiversity & biophilia
health & wellness
Read on to find out what some of the best examples of sustainable UK hotels in the countryside are doing in terms of sustainability.
Thyme - a nature inspired UK hotel in a conservation area
Thyme is an independent hotel in a restored 31-bedroom manor house on a privately owned farm in the Cotswolds, with a spin-off business of botanically inspired products marketed under the brand name Bertioli.
The central concept here is nature, providing guests with a myriad of ways to connect with and be in nature during their stay (a concept known as biophilia) on this carefully restored, historic estate located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with water meadows that have been named a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Around the estate guests will find a Barn restaurant, the Baa Bar, Swan pub, a cookery school, the Meadow Spa and an event space.
An ‘English countryside with a contemporary twist’ style pervades the interiors with their nature-inspired colour palettes and botanical prints combined with a restrained use of the latest technology where required.
In terms of sustainability, a number of energy efficiency measures include enhanced ventilation and insulation measures, as well as on-site heat pumps and boreholes, taking full advantage of what the land offers them. A chlorine-free, spring water swimming pool meanwhile has a high-tech filtration system to provide a more natural swimming experience for guests.
In the food and beverage outlets, ingredients are responsibly sourced and seasonal, there is also a vegetable garden, herb bed and orchard on the estate providing the foundation of what is used in the kitchens.
Decorative flowers used around the manor’s interiors are sourced from around the UK, rather than being imported from the giant producer countries such as Holland, Colombia and Kenya.
Additionally a supplier code of conduct, or Rules of Engagement document, reportedly ensures a minimum of “sustainable standards, transparency, inclusivity & fairness, and product excellence” from businesses in their supply chain.
In hotel operations, commitment has been made to removing single-use plastics as well as composting and recycling, with the aim to achieve zero waste kitchen operations eventually.
As a hotel, Thyme doesn’t shout about its sustainability yet thanks to its nature-inspired brand positioning, a respect for the environment is clearly a vital part of the business’s future success.
Thyme is a member of 1% For The Planet, supports the conservation efforts of Tusk in Africa and is advised on sustainable meadow management by Plantlife to ensure the estate becomes a haven for wildlife.
The Wild Rabbit - a sustainable hotel UK
Billed as a modern British inn, this independent hotel is part of the Daylesford Farm estate, one of the leading sustainable and organic farms in the UK, owned by Lord and Lady Bamford.
Refurbishment works in 2013 used traditional building techniques, local craftsmen and local materials to deliver a high-end concept that is at once rustic and contemporary thanks to Lady Bamford’s architects of choice for all ofher Daylesford projects around the world and biophilic design experts - Spencer Fung Architects.
In both the dining room and bedrooms, we find plenty of exposed stone and aged oak ceiling beams, one-off furniture pieces and fine detailing. Wattle and daub panelling was restored and re-rendered while original beams and joists were exposed and given a new lease of life after the previous countryside pub context.
Roofing was insulated with pure sheep’s wool from the Daylesford estate to improve thermal performance and reducing energy expenditure, while introducing a natural, non-toxic material into the building, just as would have been done several hundred years ago.
The Wild Rabbit runs on renewable power, there are over 1800 solar panels around the farm in total, electric vehicle charging points are provided, low energy lighting has been used throughout the property and a set of recycling bins are standard in each waste collection area.
In the kitchen, no surprises perhaps to find locally sourced, seasonal food on offer with many of the ingredients coming directly from the Daylesford farm, making this an ideal ‘0km’ solution.
Bathrooms feature the distinctive green bottles of the Bamford Bath & Body collection, made with naturally sourced and in many cases organically certified ingredients. These products can also be found at the eco-luxury 1 Hotel spas around the USA.
No sustainability report available online.
Fritton Lake Hotel & Members Club - a green hotel experience
Fritton Lake Hotel & Members Club is part of the Somerleyton Estate, owned by Lord and Lady Somerleyton, who are on a mission to rewild this corner of East Anglia in collaboration with other landowners under the collective moniker of WildEast.
Farmland here is gradually being restored to self-management, ensuring it is home to free-roaming deer, cattle, water buffalo, sheep, ponies and a plethora of birds.
A 16th century clubhouse with restaurant and rooms is joined by a series of cabins and holiday cottages tucked away around the serene lake. On-site ‘wildstock’ is made up of both wild and farmed grazing animals. playing a vital role in re-engineering the land, as nature intended.
By way of a waste reduction plan, Fritton works with suppliers to reduce unnecessary packaging while a local food waste recycler turns waste into energy. Food miles are kept to a minimum as the bulk of ingredients used in the kitchen are from the Somerleyton Estate grounds, with harder to source delicacies coming from local artisans.
After an energy audit back in 2018, tenergy sourcing was switched to renewable energy providers, LED lights were introduced and ongoing energy monitoring has provided valuable real time data to assist with managing efficiencies.
In terms of guest health and fitness, there are plenty of on-site activities such as wild swimming in the lake, trail running, cycling and even one of our own Biofit designed eco-friendly gyms with a group fitness studio.
Heckfield Place - a sustainable countryside hotel
A decade in the planning, Heckfield Place is a 400-acre estate in Hampshire with a main building that dates back to the 1760s. Today it offers a high-end, sustainable hotel experience inspired by traditional values rather than sustainability being its defining characteristic.
Biomass boilers burn wood pellets from sustainable sources to heat the building and water for showers; additional energy from the grid comes from renewable sources; motion-sensors and LED bulbs reduce the energy requirements of lighting. Water meanwhile is taken from an on-site borehole and rainwater is collected for use around the estate, rather than drawing from the mains.
Various natural materials are said to have been sourced locally such as rush mats and headboards - no mention is made of the myriad other building and interior fit-out materials in that particular slice of the procurement strategy however.
Natural ingredients dominate in the spa and this connection. with nature is perhaps where Heckfield Place hits its highest notes in fact.
In addition to. single-use plastic-free bedrooms, extensive waste-reduction strategies in the kitchens include making preserves and cordials from excess fruit, as would have been done in the past, with anything that can’t be used going to compost for the ‘living soil’ that forms a central part of the hotel’s biodynamic farm concept.
Regenerative farming techniques are a commitment, requiring detailed knowledge of the local soil conditions, solar calendars and faith in traditional methods that shy away from fertilizers completely. in favour. of compost, manure and. ‘herbal remedies’ The result is an organic farm with its own dairy, seven greenhouses, a rotating mix of crops, British saddleback pigs, hens, bees and fruit orchards.
Future projects include the addition of solar tiles on the roof for energy production, a windmill and an off-grid community of ‘tiny houses’ as well as ongoing tree propagation and. planting initiatives.
The Victoria, Holkham - a green country estate hotel uk
The Victoria hotel within the Holkham Estate, owned by the Earl of Leicester, located on the Norfolk coast, is made up of two buildings with ten rooms in each.
The setting is the “most pioneering and sustainable rural estate” that has received a Gold Award from Green Tourism every year since 2016 and is regularly references as one of the finest examples of estate conservation in the UK, so the omens were always good for their on-site hotel.
sustainable hotel energy
Heating is courtesy of a biomass boiler fuelled by their own woodchip, from their sustainably managed woodland. A 100-acre solar farm was built back in 2014 in a first step towards becoming what they intend to be a carbon neutral estate by 2040.
There are also ground source heat pump energy units and air source heat pumps on the grounds. In 2021 Holkham undertook two carbon audits covering both the leisure and agriculture components of the estate’s activities.
Working at this level as part of a hotel sustainability strategy, is a far greater commitment than merely buying recycled toilet paper or going digital at reception, it requires long-term planning and expert consultancy services.
green hotel kitchen ingredients
Ingredients are sourced either on-site (such as venison, beef and lamb) or from within a 50 mile radius of the estate, this type of local procurement policy is nothing new of course but it has become increasingly less common in a world where avocados can be flown in from Peru all year round. Making this type of commitment means following the seasons, and reducing the impact of food miles further along the supply chain.
Green Hotel waste management
One of the central tenets of the Holkham sustainability strategy is waste reduction. They are set on closing the loop on compostables with the help of a local recycling supplier who turn it into compost suitable for agriculture.
A target of a 10% reduction in non-recycled waste each year for the next decade shows yet again their long-term vision for reducing environmental impact both on the estate as a whole and at their sustainable hotel The Victoria. No surprises therefore to see a prominent recycling bin strategy in place for visitors to do their bit whilst on the estate.
Sustainable Boutique Hotel Brands UK
Biofilico wellness real estate consultants review the best sustainable boutique hotel brands in the UK today, from The Pig, to Good Hotel, Treehouse Hotels, Room2 and The Zetter Group, each one takes a slightly different approach to their sustainability policy, some focus more on wellness, others on carbon emissions, others on the food or guest experience. Read on to find out more!
our hotel sustainability consultant perspective on the eco friendly hotel chains and boutique hotels leading the way in their sustainability efforts - from social responsibility, to environmental awareness and a focus on guest wellness
good hotels - a socially responsible hotel in london
The Good Hotels are a people-oriented brand of boutique hotels on what looks to be a genuine, founder-led mission to do good and make the world a better place through the medium of real estate, hospitality and social uplift.
The mini group currently just about fits into the ‘hotel chains UK’ category although they have three hotel locations, of which two are in Guatemala (Guatemala City and Antigua), the third is a floating platform hotel located in London that was previously a pop-up in Amsterdam before being shipped across to the Royal Victoria dock in East London.
As a social business, 100% of profits are pumped into community projects, from kids education to training locals who might otherwise not find a way into the hospitality industry. Their Good Training program involves working with local authorities to identify individuals who have been in long-term unemployment and providing them with several months of hospitality training leading to potential job opportunities at a network of partner hotels.
By repurposing derelict buildings they minimize their environmental impact, as new build construction has far higher embodied carbon that a refurb, provided the refurb. takes into consideration long-term energy saving measures such as Passive design to ensure a tight building envelope.
In Guatemala, the properties feature locally crafted textiles, joinery an organic amenities while in London there is a clear Dutch design influence - clean, crisp, unfussy but with plenty of personality too.
The focus is on natural, durable, and repurposed materials, meaning all kitchen ingredients are locally sourced for example. Clearly in Guatemala the two properties are surrounded by worthy causes, artisanal crafts and traditional makers. The transition to a premium London hotel concept from that starting point was always going to be interesting to watch.
Bedrooms in London do not offer a mini-bar or TV instead focusing on communal social areas, this reduced both their initial Capex costs on the IT and ongoing operational energy consumption. By way of ‘compensation’, each night spent in the property helps fun a week of education for a child in Guatemala via their Good Global Foundation (GGF), which supports social causes all around the world such as Niños de Guatemala, a foundation co-founded in 2007 by Marten Dresen, the founder of the Good Hotel.
This raises an interesting question around guest expectations in terms of the in-room facilities, their hotel pricing strategy and the role of pre-arrival, check-in and in-room communications to ensure guests are aware of the ‘give & take’ scenario on offer here. We imagine these three elements have to be closely coordinated right from the start, even from the marketing strategy that needs to tap into a certain target audience of travellers with a social conscience.
room2 hometels - a truly sustainable hotel in london
Room2 is a relative newcomer to the UK boutique hotel scene with locations in Chiswick, Hammersmith, and Southampton on the south coast with a stated expansion strategy of 5,000 keys under lease or management by 2030. The first of these new properties will include Belfast (2022), Liverpool (2023) and Fulham (2024) making them one of the sustainable hotel chains to watch in the UK over the next few years.
The brand is part of the Lamington Group, a family owned business with over 50 years of history as a real estate investor, developer and operator with over 14,000m2 of real estate across its portfolio.
This background information is crucial to understanding what comes next in terms of their extensive hotel sustainability strategy efforts - Room2 is part of a wider organization that includes residential development, residential letting, a serviced apartment operations business and a Coworking concept.
Having committed to achieving Net Zero by 2030 for Scope 1 & 2 emissions, the Lamington Group began their sustainability strategy by establishing a baseline of their Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG), switching to renewable energy sources, integrating sustainability into operational decisions, implementing energy efficiency programs in existing properties and committing to Net Zero whole life carbon - net zero in terms of operations and embodied carbon.
A lot of resources and expertise has clearly gone into this to align with London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) and the UK Green Building Council Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework, making the effort all the more admirable. A dedicated 2-woman sustainability team is supported by a Green Team including the Managing Director and Finance Director (the brothers Godwin at the helm of the company), with external consultants including Elements on Net Zero Building standards, Climate Partner on carbon offsets and Verco on assessment and reduction of embodied carbon in their development projects.
At property level, we see a rarity in the boutique hotel chains - a brand that has a sustainability strategy covering an impressive range of key concepts from energy, to water, food waste, biophilia / biodiversity, support for local communities and a local procurement policy.
Energy demand for example is met by renewables such as solar, wind and hydro, while ‘lab rooms’ in each property monitor energy use, air quality and water usage in detail to provide data on possible untapped efficiencies. Carbon offsets come from a bamboo project in Nicaragua while low carbon and circular materials are given priority in the build and fit-out of each property.
Locally sourced, plant-based food options are always on offer and Biophilic design brings the outside world in to connect guests to nature while improving the indoor air quality at the same time. This is boosted by a green roof, herb garden and an apiary at Room2 Chiswick for example.
Perhaps the only component missing from the Room2 hotel sustainability strategy at present is a piece addressing health and wellbeing of guests and staff but kudos to their team for this level of commitment nonetheless, they are leading from the front.
Zetter group - sustainable design hotels london
The Zetter Group are London based boutique hotel mini-group with three properties in the portfolio made up of a five-floor hotel in London’s Clerkenwell district, an additional townhouse in the same area and a third property in the more sedate Marylebone.
Interiors are unashamedly eclectic, verging on the maximalist at times, with wallpaper, artworks, carpets and textiles combining to create visually dramatic spaces. Underneath all of this though, lies a group that has made real headway on its sustainability policies.
An internal ‘green team’ meets regularly to drive the hotel sustainability agenda forward. Past wins include the roll-out of a energy loop system that reduces overall energy usage; natural light and passive ventilation via one hotels’ central atrium with a skylight'; occupancy detection in-room to reduce waste energy expenditure while not in use; paper and glass recycling; eco-friendly bathroom amenities;a reduction in packaging in their supply chain (food deliveries); a local procurement policy (food, amenities, textiles).
In terms of certifications, the Zetter Group is a member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association and Green Tourism.
At least according to their website, they are also making conscious efforts to foster staff wellbeing as part of their hotel sustainability strategy and continue to explore new opportunities to improve, reducing their environmental impact along the way.
No sustainability report available online.
Inhabit - health and wellness hotels london
Inhabit Hotels is a self-proclaimed ‘wellness oriented’ and environmentally conscious hotel group in London with properties in Paddington and Bayswater. The brand is working towards B Corp certification and clearly identified a gap in the market for boutique size hotels for the mindfulness generation of plant-based, yoga-practicing, spa-loving self-caring guest profile… and anyone who even vaguely identifies with that lifestyle presumably!
The Paddington site occupies six townhouses with 88 guest rooms while the larger Bayswater property has 158 rooms and suites. Their stated aim is to optimize the mental and physical wellness of their guests via a combination of sustainable interior design one the one hand and health-oriented guest experiences on the other.
Interiors have furniture made by locally based social enterprise Goldfinger and a soft, calming colour palette with British textiles and a loosely Scandi aesthetic using plenty of natural wood. This is essentially a mid-market product in the £150-£250 average price per night range.
Features such as a ‘peaceful library’ are a combination of clever communications and a concept-led approach looking for any and every opportunity to enhance the guest experience, even if most guests will likely not have the time or inclination to. browse through the bookshelves for reading material during their stay.
Other features of note include a pet-friendly policy, the option to choose the type of aromatherapy scent in-room and on-site fitness / yoga rooms combined with a comprehensive activity schedule covering various forms of yoga and meditation.
Plant-based, meat-free and seasonal cuisine comes courtesy of a partnership with Yeotown, a health and wellness retreat in Devon, ensuring an F&B concept fully in line with the hotel’s stance on sustainability and wellbeing.
No sustainability strategy or annual sustainability report available online.
The Pig group - sustainable hotels and restaurants uk
The Pig Hotel and Restaurant Group currently has eight countryside ‘restaurants with rooms’ in locations across England in Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Kent, Cornwall, West Sussex and two locations in Hampshire, each united by their concept of ‘gardener, forager and chef’.
Just like the roadside inns of old, the foundation stone of hospitality at each Pig site is essentially the “simple and honest” philosophy behind their F&B offer, with an organic kitchen garden providing as much of the reared or grown ingredients as possible, with everything else sourced from within a 25-mile radius to create their ‘25 Mile Menu’ concept.
In total, these gardens produce around 17 tons of food each year that would otherwise have arrived by road, increasing their transport related environmental footprint considerably. Fish is from sources approved by the Marine Conservation Society and foragers help bring in other local, harder to find wild ingredients. Several of the restaurants are members of the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
All garden waste is composted, while glass, paper, plastic, and cooking oil are dutifully recycled. Glass bottled water is supplied by BELU, a social enterprise, and all single-use plastics have been removed from their bars. Bedroom soaps are wrapped in paper and used aluminium coffee capsules are recycled.
These small details cumulatively reflect a conscious approach to sustainability that may not follow any strict set of guidelines or certification system but is meaningful and important work nonetheless.
Interior hotel furnishings are mostly antique and upcycled,while lightbulbs have been updated to LED to reduce energy consumption.
No sustainability strategy or annual sustainability report available online.
https://www.thepighotel.com/about-us/
Treehouse - biophilic design hotels uk
Treehouse hotels are (for now at least) a UK-centric sustainable hotel brand within Barry Sternlicht’s SH Hotels & Resorts Group, after his massive success with the 1 Hotels eco-luxury hotel concept this looks to be a smaller scale concept that shares many of the same sustainability values, albeit with more of a nostalgic twist towards traditional values, coziness and craftsmanship. The launch location was a 95-room property in London’s Marylebone with Manchester and Miami opening in 2023.
Sustainability is subtly interwoven into the fabric of the guest experience, from biophilic design in the restaurants to collaborations with meditation teachers and vegetarian chefs, eco-friendly homeware companies and advice on eco picnics in the park.
Treehouse Hotels have adopted a ‘soft’ sustainability stance in other words, one that takes it as a given that ‘this is how things should simply be done’ and assuming their guests will have an affinity with this lifestyle, rather than it being a defining part of the brand’s identity that needs to be driven home with communications.
That said, there is on-site composting, a recycling program, triple filtered water taps in the corridors and a reduction in single use plastics in evidence as well as an abundance of air-purifying plants, natural materials such as wood and organic cotton sheets in the bedrooms.
This does leave some questions unanswered from a sustainability strategy perspective of course (energy efficiency? carbon emissions? wellness initiatives?) but all of that can come with time as the group expands and matures.
No sustainability strategy or annual sustainability report available online.
Further Reading
Examples of biophilic design interiors cannabis retail stores
Biofilico biophilic design consultants review the best retail interior design concepts for medical cannabis stores in north americaBiofilico biophilic design consultants review the best retail interior design concepts for medical cannabis stores in north america
Alchemy Downtown Toronto, Canada - example biophilic interior design
Alchemy is a Toronto-based cannabis dispensary brand that not only delivers a nature-based product but a customer experience inspired by biophilic design.
Designed by the Studio Paolo Ferrari, the Alchemy Downtown Toronto cannabis retail store shows influences of art, nature, and technology fused into an elevated space. The result is a sublime yet upbeat atmosphere, rather like the effects brought on by many of the products on sale here.
High technical ingenuity and healthy building materials combine to create a contemporary retail space with a touch of class in an otherwise neglected corner of the retail design industry. Things are now changing for the better with these nature-inspired dispensaries however.
Walking through the cannabis store space feels like a luxury, high fashion experience. Within the foyer, a large skylight shines down upon a circular garden central to the room. At its center, a tree sapling grows tall reaching toward the light cascading down from above. Along its sides, large-leafed plants spiral out into the white room surrounding the indoor garden. At its base, a layer of undergrowth fills the small ‘forest floor’.
Further elements of earthy, biophilic design are brought into the room through whitewashed ash wood. An organically shaped pillar of this material accompanies a curvilinear wood table that bends around the ash pole.
The strong, sunshine yellow accents present within the space are an essential element in the overall aesthetic while natural light is brought into the store via yellow-tinted glass.
Finally, circles are a recurring design theme here: a circular pattern marked by a change in material was created on the floor. In the ceiling a circle of acoustic sound-absorbing material creates a dark circle while on the walls, circular mirrors reflect back the displays of merchandise, even one of the retail store’s rooms is circular.
City Cannabis Vancouver - nature inspired interior design
This dispensary is what we would classify as a classic example of biophilic interior design. A welcome desk with a curvilinear form of a quarter circle incorporates wood paneling while on the wall behind the reception this wood paneling extends to full height, introducing a large chunk of timber into the visual experience. Each section of paneling is three dimensional in nature protruding a couple inches from the wall.
Moving into the interior of the cannabis dispensary, the wooden panelling covers the two long parallel walls. The beaming goes up each side of the wall and bends like an arch before it meets the corner. The beaming bends toward each-other and connects in the middle surrounding the room in small wooden arches.
A retail display table is a continuous piece of whitewashed wood. It extends to around 20 feet as one solid piece of organically shaped timber.
Lighting creates abstract patterns into the space, as if replicating light filtering in through a forest canopy overhead, inevitably unordered and fractal. Also placed within these nooks, an assortment of artificial plants decorates the ceiling and walls of the space, no doubt a response to low light / maintenance priorities. Placed with intent, they appear to grow outwards and are concentrated within corners of the space.
This greenery cascading down the walls and across the ceiling when combined with living plants and potted birch trees gives the dispensary a tangible connection to nature and biophilic design, the perfect backdrop for their plant-based products.
Etain Health NYC - biophilic design in medical cannabis dispensary
Female-owned Etain Health located in New York integrates biophilic design into their health and wellness focused medical cannabis dispensary store by Clodagh.
As shown above, a dominant feature of the space is a 20 ft living plant wall. beneath a skylight.with supplementary high-lux LED lights that give the plants what they need to survive in the long-term, all year round.
Thanks to adequate light levels and an in-built irrigation system, there are close on 2500 plants in the wall providing not just air=purifying benefits (neutralizing volatile organic compounds while absorbing mildew and spores) for the space but also a sense of calm and natural vitality from bringing the outside world in.
A Feng Shui water feature provides natural background noise through the movement of running water. From wall to floor, natural elements of oak wood and stone are used to create a reassuring, zen interior.
Dockside Cannabis Seattle
https://www.dezeen.com/2019/11/19/graham-baba-architects-seattle-cannabis-dispensary/
Located in Seattle, Washington, Dockside Cannabis was converted into a local dispensary clinic from a pre-existing structure. It was designed to redefine the typical, often uninspiring retail experience of marijuana through the creation of a tranquil and inviting environment inspired by biophilic design interiors.
Making not only the interior of the building look open and welcoming but also the exterior facade was intended to reduce any lingering stigma around entering a marijuana store. Large windows fill the wall allowing light fill the interior space. They are complemented by a large skylight above and organic, wabi-sabi wood displays below.
Sunshine filters downward through the scissor trusses forming unique shadows within the space. From the trusses, hanging plants flourish under the natural lighting. Vines grow down into the space from these hanging plants alongside a variety of other living plants to create an abundant nature-inspired interior experience inspired by nature.
Dutch Love Ottawa
Dutch love is a cannabis dispensary located in Ottawa, Ontario that has taken a unique twist on biophilic design in its retail interiors, primarily via a clever feature in their display table joinery that uses opaque sheets of backlit plastic board with a plethora of potted plants inside, kept alive with grow lights built into the cabinetry.
By leveraging a feature of cannabis production in the interiors, while also connecting with biophilia and nature in this way, the store immediately stands out from the crowd. The rest of the space is neutral, with whitewashed walls and minimalist wood shelving structures for product displays, pot plants and lamps.
Filing the space between each storage shelf are slabs of material placed within the cubby made from an array of materials, from organically broken pieces of rock sitting next to each other, to large slabs of wood, and polished slabs of stone.
UK floral stylists - biophilic design concept
Biofilico biophilic designers review the top floral artists and floral stylists in the UK at the moment, with a focus on retail installations and large-format displays in particular.
UK botanical artist
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UK floral stylist
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As healthy building advisors and biophilic design consultants, we maintain a close eye on the ever more vibrant field of floral art, styling and design. These works use living flowers, dried flowers, preserved flowers and a generous dose of design creativity to bring the outside world in - the fundamental principle behind biophilic interior design.
What’s more, we’re seeing a number of these artists integrating sustainability and ethical business practices into their value system as well, making them even more worthy of our attention as sustainable interior design consultants.
Design by Nature
floral artist, london, uk
Design by Nature is a floral stylist studio based out of East London that uses experimental design in dried botanicals and cut florals, a perfect compliment to biophilic design interiors.
Their projects range from sculptures to arrangements, bouquets, and installations. Taking cues from the natural world, their botanical compositions integrate nature’s raw beauty for private clients, brands, as well as weddings and corporate events. Notable client names include Nike, ASOS, Facebook, Vogue, and Swarovski.
In placing an emphasis on sustainable sourcing, Design by Nature works solely with British flowers and dried botanicals. They also provide a flower delivery service.
Rebecca Louise Law
floral artist, london, uk
https://www.rebeccalouiselaw.com/installations
Rebecca Louis Law Installations is a London based floral installation company that specializes in large exhibitions of preserved flowers. With this as her signature, her works are widely recognizable in the botanical art sector already.
Along with this recurrent theme, she experiments with the contrasting states between living plants and dried, between with fresh, preserved, and decaying flowers.
She specialises in vast works that often find their natural home within museum and gallery installations. Some notable customers include Skovgaard museum in Denmark and the Chandran Gallery in the United States.
carly rogers flowers
floral stylist, london, uk
https://www.carlyrogersflowers.co.uk/
Carly Rodgers, a Camberwell based floral artist, creates dazzling artistic installations with the floral medium. She makes stunning cut floral arrangements alongside elaborate garden installations.
By bringing the natural flora up walls and wires and into interior environments, she breaks the mould of a traditional florist and pushes into the contemporary art space.
Rodgers has been commissioned for large-scale events, weddings, and one off installations. Some notable client names include Cartier, Benefit, Michael Kors, Dior, and London hospitality destination Sketch.
Her botanical sculpture has found its place in high-profile business, renowned designers, and private clients around the globe.
Simon lycett
floral artist, london, uk
https://www.simonlycett.co.uk/
Simon J Lycett is a luxury floral artist based out of South London, a brilliant example of biophilic interior design using flowers. He takes floral design to a breathtaking level creating magical designs for his clients. Some of his most notable and prestigious customers include the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Queen herself.
Lycett’s floral portfolio includes weddings, special events, and commissions for historic buildings. His style is elaborate, evocative and deliberately colourful, seamlessly integrating into any building or interior with his signature touch of class and elegance.
jam jar flowers - floral installations, london uk
http://www.jamjarflowers.co.uk/events
Melissa Richardson is the founder of Jam Jar flowers, a floral installation company based out of South London with an obvious devotion to the field of biophilic design via flowers, whether living or dried. They create intricate floral designs for events, weddings and creative projects.
Working for notable names such as London Gate and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the elaborate designs have grown into a notable name in the industry. With installations of flowers cascading down from the ceiling, growing up walls, and springing from the floor, her designs are perfect for anything from a product launch to an extravagant party.
The Flower Laboratory - floral artists, east sussex, uk
https://www.theflowerlaboratory.com/home/
Based out of East Sussex, The Flower Laboratory is a big name within the UK floral industry for those that know and a dramatic example of how to integrate a biophilic design concept into commercial contexts, be they photo shoots or fashion shows.
The team’s stated goal is to provoke an emotional response from their audience by harnessing the power of plants and flowers to communicate feelings. With a large portfolio of projects and installations, they are known for their elaborate set builds for magazine photoshoots. Clients include Gucci, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue.
They also make arrangements, sculptures, installations and set builds for films, events, runway shows, and retail. This is all delivered by their in-house team or botanical designers, florists, plant specialists, set builders, set dressers, and floral artists.
Frog Flowers - floral stylist, manchester, uk
https://frogflowers.co.uk/services/installations-events/
The Frog Flower company was started by David Jayet-Laraffe in Manchester creating floral installations for grand openings, product launches, anniversaries and other events.
Their client list includes Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and the National Theatre. They also have florist studios where people can experience the practice of floral design for themselves hands on by making their own bouquets and flower crowns.
Wild About - floral stylists, London, UK
https://wildabout.co.uk/pages/floral-installation
Wild About is a floral installation outfit with a client list including Alexander McQueen, Michael Kors, J Sheekey restaurant, Hackett stores and Fifty Cheyne.
Floral displays for weddings and events hold a large place within their portfolio, alongside retail store flower installations and weekly flower delivery services curated to fit each different customer’s preferred style.
Endlessly creative in their retail brand store installations, they have an indulgent, elaborate style that is just right for the instagram generation where big, bold visuals are needed to capture our attention.
Pyrus Botanicals - floral artists, scotland
https://pyrusbotanicals.com/creative
Fiona Inglis and Natalya Ayers started Pyrus Botanicals in East Lothian, Scotland. The studio creates botanical installations for events, sets, brands, film and TV, and editorials.
Some top names of their clientele include The Telegraph, The White Company, and Strathberry amongst other fashion and lifestyle publications. They also specialize in weddings from large scale and luxury to more intimate events.
Sustainability and ethics are of high priority to Pyrus Botanicals. They source flowers from small specialist farms across Britain to reduce their environmental impact and support local businesses rather than importing from floral industry the giants such as Kenya, Colombia and the Netherlands.
the aficionados on sustainability at independent hotels
Matt Morley, hotel sustainability consultant, Biofilico, talks to Iain Ainsworth of The Aficionados about wellness and sustainability in the hotel industry, from eco-friendly hotel amenities, sustainability certifications for hotels, the landscape hotel concept and various examples of sustainability initiatives from his member hotels in the Alps.
how are independent boutique hotels in europe integrating sustainability?
matt morley talks to the founder of the aficionados, iain ainsworth, to find out…
In this episode I’m in London talking to boutique hotel expert Iain Ainsworth - Founder of The Aficionados a reference for travel culture and lifestyle that promotes neat edits of hotels, creators and craftsmen as well as its sister company White Line Hotels a marketing network for hoteliers.
He was Executive VP of Design Hotels from 2004-2008 and Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Concorde Hotels from 2000-2004 so he’s a hospitality insider through and through.
I took the opportunity to take the temperature on sustainability in his corner of the industry today, so we cover everything from eco-friendly hotel amenities, sustainability certifications for hotels, the landscape hotel concept and various examples of sustainability initiatives from his member hotels in the Alps.
FULL TRANSCRIPT COUTESY OF OTTER.AI - EXCUSE ANY TYPOS
interview with the aficionados
Matt Morley
Iain, thanks for joining us today. I'd like to start at a fairly high level overview. You've been in this game for a while you're an insider. How do you see sustainability taking shape or evolving amongst the hotels you're working with? Is it more of an informal organic process or are you seeing more structure coming into play?
natural sustainability in hotels
Iain Ainsworth
Hi, Matt, I think for me, the most overwhelming point is that for all of our hotels, it's a very natural process, it's part of their DNA. When we talked to them initially, 12 years ago about sustainability, they were like, well, what's new? It's always been part of what we do. And we only work with privately owned hotels - 99% of them are indigenous, from that village, from the valley, mountain or town.
So for them, it's pretty natural that they sourced locally, beside the fact that they knew Bert down the road, who was the timber maker, it's very natural thing.
greenwashing in hotels
Green labeling is not something that they they need. Sure, it's not just a marketing process, it does need some structure coming into it. And that's where we try and guide them and filter out what what they do, because for them, it's part of running a daily hotel, and they don't necessarily realize that what they're doing is remarkable.
You know, even for the older hotels, where you might think, to be up to the new standards is quite difficult. You can see the next generation are applying the newest technologies, but they're also going back to how their grandparents originally built the hotels.
renewable energy for hotels
In the Alps, for example, using renewable energy is pretty normal now, if you look at South Tyrol, most hotels have zero carbon emissions, because they are using a grid fostered by the local government. So a lot of them are very, very green, I hate the word green. But this just put them into into that philosophy, if you like, I just think it's a welcome blast of energy and enthusiasm that they have for being sustainable - without necessarily calling it ‘sustainability’.
hotel sustainability certifications
It is difficult within the hotel industry, as you know, and also between countries, to get certification is there's not one mandated policy that you can follow when you're building a new hotel. Equally, if you're renovating, it's very hard to tick all of the boxes. And there is no one's one central template for this.
sustainable hotel architecture
But on the other hand, I think that's quite good. Because then you get personally into innovation and new ideas. The other striking point with our hotels is the lead on architecture and design, again, maximizing the use of light, maximizing the conservation of heat during the winter. And also keeping cool in the summer.
Architects, particularly in the alpine regions are very up to date on sustainable approaches - again, it's part of the DNA of that of that region.
sustainability as part of the hotel culture
Matt Morley
It's an interesting point, isn't it? Because it's almost as if there are certain areas of Europe and in particular, in this case, geographies where you are heavily present with your member hotels, where it's almost part of the culture where it doesn't need necessarily to be introduced from outside and then sort of imposed from above, which is what we're seeing in places like London, and other huge cities where it hasn't been historically part of the local culture but now they're playing catch up, whereas someone like South Tyrol, it's really part of the fabric of society.
sustainable supply chains for hotels
Iain Ainsworth
Yeah, I mean, there's certain aspects they still need to look at like, like, like how do you minimalize the impact of what you're doing because at the end of the day, it's still tourism but I think when your family owned the farm down the road, your other family member is the hotel architect. Your other family are producing hotel linen which is a very natural and sustainable product, even the timber they use in the bedrooms, they will save sleep better because it's holistic and antibacterial.
natural health and wellness in hotels
So you have this natural health and wellness element as part of the building. For me, you know, it's very easy to talk about, you know, sustainability in Lisbon. But it's a very different approach there, you need to dig deeper because, unfortunately, some countries or larger urbanized hubs, when they go for the local furniture, it's not necessarily locals, they just take the design and then source it from further afield.
But we've got an old palace in Lisbon, it was the hardest thing finding an architect that would understand conservation, and reinvigorating the hotel history rather than wiping over it.
certification systems for sustainable hotels
Matt Morley
So you mentioned the idea of sustainability certifications. And we do see a number of them out there at the moment, as you say, it feels like perhaps there isn't quite one dominant leader that works across territories. Each has a slightly different twist, I noticed, but a lot of them are covering, broadly the same bases.
So for example, Son Brull in Mallorca - one of your member hotels - they've gone for Travelife certification, from your perspective, hotel marketing, do you think there's value in going for something like that?
sustainable hotel restaurant ingredients
Iain Ainsworth
Yeah, Son Brull, when they created the hotel some 15 years ago, it was a very sustainable approach to it, it's been a farm for nearly 300 years. So it was a monastery as well, and it came with 40 hectares of land. So as a hotel, you can either sell the land, leave it over to other farmers, or you can take it as part of your concept.
So in this case ‘farm to table’ dining for them is pretty natural as well, because they've got the farm on their doorstep. So they've always been a pioneer of doing things proper, I guess, they're Islanders, and they saw a lot of destruction of the island.
Also, you know, the movement of locals from farming into hospitality, which sort of saddened that one of the owners and a particular and he said, No, this is not right, we need to employ the farming community around us.
So they did it from their own hearts, as it were, but I mean, having certification from Travelife, for example, the gold certification, it's a good tickbox because again, you start to ask yourself, Okay, what am I missing? What else can I do and like all of the certifications, of course, you know, they're covering a very broad spectrum of hotel typologie and sizes.
The smaller ones, invariably are not going to be able to tick every box. But equally, they know, the larger ones are not going to be able to offer fresh lemons from their own orchard in the morning.
Compared to a hotel just saying that they’re green and eco, and sustainable., having a certification means for me that they are following strict sustainability guidelines. And they're fulfilling as many items on the checklist as possible.
It’s also an ongoing process, which I like, because it's not just okay, we've done an initiative, tick the box, close it. You know, it's an ongoing thing. And I think that, for me, is what certification is about. It's ongoing. It's always changing. It's always evolving. Technology, of course, is helping this in terms of collecting data from hotel operations.
sustainable hotel amenities
Matt Morley
One idea that we see a lot of hotels adopting is sustainable amenities, removing single use plastic bottles. You've written about various brands offering that type of product, from plant-based botanicals and organics and naturals - what’s going on there from your view?
Iain Ainsworth
Yeah, it was the straws and now we're going for plastic free amenities. And, you know, the elimination of single use plastics throughout the hotel, whether it's the amenity bottle, or mineral water bottles. The advantage small hotels have is that they can go to a local supplier again, and source materials from them.
I mean, the best elements for me are those pioneers like Susanna Kaufman, who have always used natural products. You know, she's very cautious about minimalist, use of plastic refill bottles.
We see new products emerging all in sort of a block form As soaps, shampoos, conditioners, so they have no plastic and no glass involved at all. And I think that's the way forward but it can also be a question of cost so we didn't want to mandate a certain type of hotel amenity and say they all have to be plastic free, because there are many unique opportunities out there with local suppliers. And also to keep that relationship with the small pharmaceutical companies that are making products for the hotels.
single use plastics in hotels
You can also look at stores like Muji, if you want bamboo slippers, sometimes you can draw inspiration from a High Street store that's gone sustainable, because it's still very hard as a small hotel to get a supply of slippers, that are environmentally friendly - people seem to feel they need these things for the one or two nights in a hotel!
The same goes for the hotel toothbrush, you know, you can find a bamboo option now. The problem is sometimes certain countries demand an array of amenities for their star categorization. Which is crazy for me because you know, I don't need a toothbrush in every room.
eco cleaning hotel operations
Also in into the next stage of this equation, which are the chemicals used in cleaning the rooms. Because after COVID, you know, during COVID There was this huge euphoria for chemicals instead of looking at natural ways of cleaning a room because this is equally as important for me as what's in the bathroom.
local procurement policy in hotels
Matt Morley
A hotelier does have an easy option and it is going to one of these giant hotel supply companies that offer bulk branded bottles that have not much to do with the real brand, it's all just licensed and an easy solution for hotel slippers, bathrobes, amenities etc.
So in a sense, the hotels that are seeking out the individual brands, there's a lot of work behind that there's a lot of extra legwork. Right, it's an it's more of an appeal process than the sort of the easy path. Right. So it's sometimes maybe not evident the guests that what's gone into that.
Iain Ainsworth
Yeah, and I still think some some guests judge your hotel on a brand that they know. Whereas I'm, you know, myself and I would say most of our subscribers that travel into our hotels are more intrigued by finding the local brands and then go and buy it, because you want to take it with you. So I think I think there's opportunity for hotel amenity distribution to continue changing.
Of course, you can buy big brands like Ren - a fantastic sustainable product, and you can buy them from a wholesaler. So there are alternatives there. But if I find somebody that's making a product 20 kilometers down the road, I'm gonna have my first conversation with them as a hotelier!
Health and wellness in Alpine hotels
Matt Morley
You mentioned the idea of the Alps as being quite strongly associated for many of us with with a healthy lifestyle. Someone like the Hotel Arlberg, Lech- they bill themselves as a wellness retreat, exactly what does that mean?
Iain Ainsworth
Well, for them they're a third generation of family, so grandmother's still involved daily, in the business. So their parents run the hotel today, they're keen to refurbish and upgrade. And it's always been changing, he started as cafe and then had a couple of rooms and, and today's become what it is, a fabulous Alpine retreat.
They always had a spa, but when they started to rethink about the spa, they looked really at how do you bring in the Alps inside? So that's where they created the blueprint of Alpine healthy living, and they started to look at the sound, fresh air, nature, it's about the products.
And one thing they noticed in the older rooms, there was always a scent of pine. And this was coming from the wardrobes actually. So they said, Okay, where can we get this old pine from that, you know, is well sourced, and they found a guy in the next village that salvages pine from the older Alpine houses.
Then they looked at the pigments of the local colors. So they started with colors and said, Okay, what are the colors that we want to be in there? But then they looked at, okay, how do you create this moss green color? Well, surely there's a herbal pigment growing up in the mountains that we could use. So then they created natural paints, which they bought into their spa as well. So I mean, spa for them was the starting point. But it's actually extended now throughout the whole hotel.
So there's a wellness concept throughout the whole hotel. They use chemical free paints that are made locally. They also use natural stone, which comes from about 20 kilometers away from the hotel. And they've also then started to look at the treatments that they have and which oils you can use. So they're looking at the old monasteries in the area and what therapeutic oils that they use derive from nature, of course.
And just working with architects very carefully and producers like we were talking about Susanna Kaufman of you how you can give me that total one off wellness experience, which is what I want As the consumer, but also with the added bonus of it being healthy and sustainable, and an ethos behind there that gives you that sort of joy for the Alps and healthy living.
the landscape hotel concept
Matt Morley
What about the Juvet property in Norway, what do you consider goes into a ‘landscape hotel’ concept today?
Iain Ainsworth
I mean, the Juvet landscape hotel was probably the one of the first ones that I encountered back in 2009. And for me, it's this total immersion into nature, but with no disruption to nature itself. So the word you know, the landscape hotel was the pioneer of the owner that had this dream of how can I create a living pods if you like or hotel without disrupting even the moss that grows on the rocks.
So their first thought was, Okay, what if we put these pods on stilts, and the stilts actually mimic the birch tree stem, so you sort of get this beautiful visual integration between the trees, trunks, and the rods that go into the into the rocks. And by doing that, then you can create a platform, which is what a lot of indigenous tribes did in wilderness areas, you know, is it's quite logical, actually to get the elevated from the ground, but it enables the flora and fauna that you fall in love with to continue to thrive and in fact, thrive even more, because you're giving a new habitat to grow along and thing.
I think the landscape hotels, for me, the biggest thing about them is the view. And so they tend to have huge panoramic windows. There's a lot of gimmicks coming in, you know, we're a landscape hotel, you know, and they put things up in trees and things like that. So I think you have to be very careful, you don't become a gimmick.
Matt Morley
And obviously also written about the green philosophy at Hotel Buhelwirt in South Tyrol. Clearly one of your favorite regions, and as I'm discovering, quite a hotbed for case studies in hotel sustainability and wellbeing. So in that instance, how did the architects pull through a concept of sustainability touching on things like construction and energy use?
energy use and building biology in a hotel
Iain Ainsworth
The architects, two brothers, and their real philosophy is environmental building biology. And so they're quite famous in South Tyrol for their work integrating a building into its natural habitat. In this case, it was an old guesthouse, which the owners had inherited from their parents, and they wanted to add to this but by doing so, in a way that, you know, is sensitive to their environment. And so they found the perfect architecture to do that.
You’ve got this very vernacular structure that sticks out of the rock side. And it has a purpose to it as well. I mean, they have always had energy efficiency on their minds, not only because of the cost of it, but to have as least impact as possible. Again, being in South Tyrol is great, because you know, the energy is hydroelectric - power plants provide a lot of the local renewable energy, and without any co2 emissions, so they've got that backup there.
But they've also invested a lot into technology into meter reading, they can see from their app, how much energy they are using each day, how many guests they have, how much energy is being consumed in the rooms? What do we do about pool heating? What do we do about heating in general areas? Again, technology is helping them reduce their carbon footprint.
plastic-free kitchens in hotel operations
But I have to say they are natural enthusiasts for their environment that they live in. And again, they have the farm down the road, they're completely organic, they went a step further in the kitchen, banning all plastic in the kitchen. And when we start to think about our own practices at home, you know, with plastic containers food wrap, we use it to preserve food.
So again, they've gone back to pickling, how do you conserve, how did our grandparents conserve food without using refrigeration, or plastics, so they've taken it to a whole new level. And I would say cutting out plastic in the kitchen is even a bigger challenge than say, in the bathroom amenities, because there is a replacement already there.
Matt Morley
Really fascinating examples. I feel like we could go on for an hour or two more, but I'm going to be respectful of your time - what's your preferred medium for communications?
Iain Ainsworth
Obviously, we're on LinkedIn as a company, and we're also on Instagram. But I'm quite old fashioned. I'd like to hear from people. So anybody wants to pop as me an email, maybe you can put a link in for that love to hear from people, contributors, experiences.
And they say, you know, we as a company as well, we're still learning how to harness all the sustainability aspects that we have 93 hotels now and about 110 makers.
So we're always looking for feedback, suggestions, ideas, of how we can better inform people of what what's going on.
CONTACT @ THEAFICIONADOS . COM
Using Germicidal UV light in a healthy building plan
Our overview of the Germicidal UV light topic within the context of a healthy building plan. We review the Parsons Healthy Material Lab publication on this subject, establishing the key tenets that make UV light a worthy addition to a healthy building strategy for facilities management to use.
What is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has become an increasing focus in building design over the past decade but especially with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic that threw the topic into the global limelight. Developing an enhanced IAQ plan for an entire building or indeed an interior space such as a spa, office, apartment or gym is likely going to combine a number of key components, including:
high-grade in-duct filtration
adequate ventilation rates
air purifying plants
green cleaning policies
air quality monitors
what is UV-C light and UV Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) in healthy buildings?
UV-C light and UV Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) can be used to disinfect air, water, and surfaces, thereby lowering the spread of viral infections and bacteria in building interiors.
UV light is a relatively new but well established technology that can be leveraged as part of a healthy building and interiors plan to improve indoor environmental quality, especially in the post-Covid era.
UV-C lighting can be used on scales as small as individual cabinets to sterilize cellphones or in personal water bottles, all the way up to its incorporation into a building’s HVAC system for a more building level, systematic approach.
Surfaces, air, and water can all benefit from UV-C light technology, although installation and safety should be considered, especially when put in place at the building scale.
Ultraviolet (UV) light in healthy building cleaning protocols - HML publication
The Parsons Healthy Material Lab (HML) and MFA Lighting Design programs published a doc showing their research and testing of the impacts of Ultraviolet (UV) light on viral spread.
In the wake of the global pandemic, there has been a mindset shift recognizing the importance of a healthy building interior. However, traditional disinfectants commonly contain antimicrobials and other toxins that cause a variety of negative health impacts. ‘Antimicrobial’ does not in fact mean ‘healthy’.
Since the start of the pandemic, aerosol disinfectant spray sales have gone up by 385%, which has the potential to increase health issues of building occupants in other ways.
Parsons concentrated their study on applying UVGI light safely and affordably, focusing most closely on air quality in shared spaces for this very reason.
What is Indoor Viral Transmission in buildings?
Viral spread indoors is a hot topic in the COVID-19 age but is not a new concept per se. Viruses can spread both through the air in the form of small, suspended droplets, or fall to the ground and rest on interior surfaces, as many of us have come to understand in the past few years.
In the air, these droplets are known as aerosols and the virus can be transmitted through inhalation. When the droplets make their way to surfaces, the virus spreads through tactile means.
How does UV light disinfect building interiors?
An important distinction to make early on is the difference between disinfection and cleansing. Disinfection can be done by UVGI, meaning it kills germs in the air and on surfaces, but doesn’t remove the bacteria and dirt itself.
When combined with cleansing, aka the physical removal of impurities, UVGI implementation is a healthier, safer alternative to traditional aerosol-based disinfectant strategies.
UVGI specifically refers to a light with the wavelength of 254 nm, which is the application of UV-C radiation for germicidal purposes.
The UVGI system essentially inactivates viruses and bacteria after they are exposed to doses of the light source. The light does this by changing the structure of the DNA and RNA within the microorganism, making it unable to grow and replicate in an infectious manner.
In interiors, air is carried up from the occupied area to the UVGI element through fans and ventilation. When the air reaches the fixtures, it is then sterilized and can be returned to the occupied area in a healthier, safer condition.
Safety & Installation Considerations of UV-C light
Direct exposure to UV-C light is unsafe for humans, as the radiation can cause a burning sensation similar to a sunburn in the eyes. In addition, material health can be compromised and impact human health if not considered in the design phase.
Due to human sensitivity to the UVGI wavelength, the lights must be installed in a diffuse manner, avoiding any down-facing, direct light sources. Strategies such as installing UV lights within the HVAC system and upward facing fixtures far above human head height are safe options.
Although the inclusion of UVGI light is a safer alternative to traditionally used disinfectants, care must be taken in fixture type and placement.
UV-C light can also degrade materials if the relationships are not considered beforehand. Generally, the UVGI wavelength will only superficially penetrate a material, which is nothing to be concerned about.
However, materials such as plastics and polymers are more easily damaged and can off-gas toxic chemicals and carcinogens when in contact with UV light.
Source:
https://healthymaterialslab.org/projects/improving-occupant-health-with-germicidal-uv-light
Best Examples of Biophilic Design in Healthcare: Dental Clinic and Wellness Center — Biofilico Wellness Interiors
Biophilic design integrates both wellness design interiors and sustainable interior concepts, making this design strategy an ideal fit for healthcare clinics, wellness centres and dental clinics. Here we look at three best examples. Biofilico consultants.
Biophilic design integrates both wellness design interiors and sustainable interior concepts, making use of biophilic design elements such as natural building and furniture materials, shared green spaces, and natural patterns to create an ideal fit for healthcare clinics, wellness centres, and dental clinics. These elements enhance the functional and physical value of healthcare environments by promoting stress reduction and improved cognitive function. Collaboration with healthcare professionals is crucial for the successful implementation and future development of biophilic design.
Key concepts on evidence in the examples below include air purifying plants, natural colour palettes, circular materials that can be recycled at their end of life, abundant natural light aswell as patterns, textures and finishes that evoke the natural world in healthcare settings. The advancement of scientific and medical knowledge plays a significant role in supporting the benefits of biophilic design in healthcare.
Dentista Amsterdam - dental clinic biophilic design interiors with natural elements
Interiors by i29 interior architects
Dentista is a design-conscious dental clinic located in Amsterdam designed by i29 Architects that offers a dental experience designed for mental wellbeing and calm relaxation, despite the potential stressor of dental surgery. Biophilic design within the hospital environment can significantly enhance the health and well-being of patients by creating a more comfortable and welcoming space.
Abundant natural lighting ensures that plant life can be meaningfully sustained in the long-term, promoting natural circadian rhythms and enhancing mood. The use of natural patterns, such as the presence of natural light, water, and vegetation, helps reduce stress levels and improve patients' physical and psychological well-being.
Walking into the clinic, patients are met with a plant filled window atop a green strip of flooring. Down the line of sight they are met with the white of a medical building accompanied by a complement of wood furnishings. A green reception desk is color blocked by a green floor ceiling and wall.
The rest of the clinic’s interior hallways are pure white, ensuring the attention is drawn to an inner courtyard garden full of plants, providing an unexpected centre piece to the clinic experience. Trees, shrubbery and grasses make up the garden atop a pebble floor of white stone.
Within each ‘box’ (treatment room), a soothing green accent wall and ceiling skylight continue the biophilic design interior theme.
This is an example of how an image of medical professionalism and health can be enhanced with the integration of biophilic design principles
The Well, NYC - biophilic design wellness centre with natural materials
https://www.the-well.com/new-york
Interiors by Rose Ink Workshop and Spector Group
Located within the heart of New York City, The Well is an integrated health experience that combines medical doctors and personal trainers, meditation spaces, saunas, and ancient healing techniques in one single practice, making it an ideal venue for biophilic design interiors that promote a connection with nature and create healing healthcare environments. The design also incorporates outdoor spaces such as patios and rooftop gardens to encourage outdoor activities and social interactions.
East-meets-West mental and physical wellbeing services include acupuncture, personalized wellness consultations, mindful movement, functional fitness, massages, facials, blood work, hormone panels, microbiome testing and genetic testing, to name but a few. The design considers not only their physical needs but also their social and psychological needs, enhancing the overall wellness experience.
Some key amenities of interest within the building include a meditation dome, the rest and recovery room, and the relaxation lounge.
A circular meditation dome is a design focus thanks to its textured floor rug, cushions and earthy colours - creating a balanced, calming space for psychological healing, meditative peace and a rest from the distractions of the outside world. There are surely traces of tribal rituals in this concept.
A ‘rest and recovery room’ gives clients an additional space in which to find their own inner peace for a moment during their visit. Positioned on lounge chairs between a wall of shelved potted plants and a wall of windows, occupants can benefits from the full mental health benefits of biophilic design.
Plants have been proven to reduce stress and boost one’s mood, thereby acting as an essential element of wellbeing interior design.
A ‘relaxation lounge’ incorporates an organic color scheme along with textured walls, lounge seating surrounding the room, and a mangrove tree table centerpiece. Large selenite crystals surround the room to ensure a healing and calming environment.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Cancer Center, Kentucky, USA - biophilic design healthcare facilities
The St. Elizabeth Cancer Center in Kentucky pulls together a range of cancer services into a single building while deploying elements of biophilic design in the HGA Architects designed interiors, setting a new standard for healthcare spaces. Collaboration with healthcare professionals is crucial in the design process to ensure that the unique needs of each facility are met.
The center is not only focused on caring for the physical impacts of cancer but on the mental wellness aspects as well, meaning access to the healing power of nature exposure is a key concept.
Located on the first floor for example are centers for yoga, meditation, art and music therapy. This comprehensive wellness program is part of the emotional complement to the physical cancer journey.
A neutral palette of natural colors, abundant natural light, grass-like carpet tiles and plenty of textured finishes make up the interiors.
To reduce the possible stresses of navigating such a large building were color coordinated with uplifting color tones so patients and their family’s intuitively find their way around between departments.
The St. Elizabeth Cancer center creates a comprehensive healing experience for cancer patients, incorporating biophilic design and concern for physical and mental wellbeing during the cancer care journey.
Circular Interior Design: Sustainable Restaurant Object Space Place — Biofilico Wellness Interiors
A conversation on the Restorative Design Framework of Object Space Place, the role of circular economy principles in sustainable restaurant design, designing out waste and lowering embodied carbon, while still delivering memorable customer experiences, as well as the pros and cons of sustainability assessments. David Chenery talks to Matt Morley of Biofilico healthy buildings.
Sustainable restaurant design with David Chenery
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circular economy
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restorative restaurants
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Sustainable restaurant design with David Chenery 〰️ circular economy 〰️ restorative restaurants 〰️
Welcome to episode 55 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we discuss the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate and hospitality.
I’m your host, Matt Morley, founder of Biofilico healthy buildings, and in this episode I’m in the UK talking to David Chenery of Object Space Place, a sustainable interiors company specialising in hospitality environments. The construction industry plays a crucial role in implementing circular design principles to minimize waste and improve sustainability.
Our conversation covers the Restorative Design Framework that David has developed with his business partner over the past five years, the role of circular economy principles in restaurant design, designing out waste and lowering embodied carbon while still delivering memorable customer experiences, as well as the pros and cons of sustainability assessments for restaurant spaces.
David is an interior architect by trade, a considered thinker and someone with a rapidly growing client list that may suggest an inflection point in the UK restaurant industry’s relationship with sustainability.
Matt Morley
David, welcome to the show. It could be really useful for anyone considering a similar shift in their own career to understand how you integrated sustainability into your restaurant interior design work? What was that process of going from being ‘just’ an interior architect / designer into someone with a real focus on sustainable restaurant interiors?
A transition to sustainable restaurant interior design
David Chenery
It’s certainly not that there was one particular lightbulb moment, it definitely was more of a gradual process, slowly feeling more and more uneasy and more and more uncertain. We’ve been going for 11 years now and we started out designing a lot of hospitality.
Then over the years, even though we always tried to do things with integrity, we cared how we treated people we were working with and about designing things with proper materials, avoiding materials on a red list and so on but we never really got to grips with what ‘good’ restaurant interior design would actually look like. This gradual process involved adopting a circular approach to emphasize flexibility, sustainability, and efficiency.
We started working with the Sustainable Restaurant Association about five or six years ago, and we just really started interrogating those questions and started thinking, What does a good restaurant mean?
what is restorative restaurant design?
Andrew Stephen, the CEO of the SRA at the time, threw out a question to us - he’d always wondered what a restorative restaurant would look like, how would that actually be designed? And whilst he gave it to us as a throwaway question, for us, it really stuck, to the point whereby we developed a whole design framework, what we called “the restorative design framework” around trying to solve that. The concept of a circular building, like The Circular Building by Arup in London, influenced our thinking on sustainable construction practices and the ease of disassembly for recycling and reuse.
In the first instance, we boiled it down really simple - to design places that give more than they take. So I guess the point to emphasize there is that we were overwhelmed by the complexity and not sure what this sustainability thing was, and is a SKA rating enough? Is BREEAM enough?
Matt Morley
The idea of almost being overwhelmed with the whole theme of sustainability, and perhaps not quite knowing where to start is something I hear from clients as well, they’re sort of looking for guidance. And by the time someone picks up the phone, I sense something has nudged them in that direction. And it might not be the core tenet of their brand, But there’s enough out there, enough prompts to make them think about how they can integrate sustainability into whatever they’re doing, for example, a boutique hotel group. What about in your sector of restaurant design, would you say the same as true there? Or are there more restaurants that have sustainability at their heart of their proposition?
a shift to sustainability in the UK restaurant sector
David Chenery
Well, I mean, it's one of the reasons we now call ourselves sustainable hospitality designers to begin with, we kind of shied away from that a little bit. Because if you stick your hand up and say you are sustainable, then you know, you're putting yourself in the firing line. And ultimately, you know, once you dig into it, and start pulling all those threads around sustainability, you realize that if you do anything in this country, the UK, you immediately have a carbon footprint, six to 10 times higher than anywhere else in the world.
So can you ever say what you're doing is sustainable. But we realized that to begin with, we had to educate our clients and bring sustainability into our projects. But the commercial reality is that building stuff is hard at the best of times. And unless someone comes to you with that sustainability agenda, it is very often going to get kicked to the side as you go along.
So we had to sort of stick our hands up and say we are focused on sustainable hospitality design, which therefore means we now attract the people that want to pursue that agenda. So I guess it's hard because we have pushed ourselves to live in this bubble. But I definitely think there's been a huge shift in understanding and even more so in in the last year or so.
We're now being approached by restaurant groups who don't make big claims around sustainability. But they might have, you know, 5 to 10 restaurants already and they're aware of as they continue to grow they want to do that in a way that is going to minimize their environmental impact. And they don't quite know how, like you suggest, but they're trying to find some people to help make it happen.
Matt Morley
So I see similarities there between, say, the office sector and hotels, where it's about a soft sustainability, so it's not absolutely defining them, like, say, a hard sustainability brand that's completely committed to the cause. And yet, they know that they need to make baby steps in that direction. But then that raises the question of, where does it start and end if it is a sustainable design that you're creating for a restaurant?
And clearly there are these rating systems, whether it's BREEAM for a new build, or SKA that you mentioned in the past around your interiors on the restaurant work. Did you initially rely on those certification systems more and step away from them over time?
sustainable restaurant design certifications
David Chenery
I think what we’ve realized when we created our own design framework, so that the assessment systems are rigorous, independent, and they make a lot of sense. And we had to learn to work in BREEAM, how to work in the SKA system, definitely.
It’s only through doing that, that you might start to see some of the the flaws, or some of the shortcuts or the kind of bureaucracy associated with them. If you have a one-off independent restaurant somewhere in the country, that won’t have a huge budget for such assessments so they’re just going to run it all directly themselves.
That’s a very different approach than trying to do something for someone like a Wagamama who’s got hundreds of outlets around around the country and has processes in teams and all this stuff.
So our framework acknowledges that. And we really will tailor it to the client we’re working with. Ultimately, we want it to be as sustainable as possible. But we know that different clients will come with a different level of ambition. So we might work with a chef like Chantelle Nicholson for Apricity, where she wanted to push as hard as she could, you know, we were really trialing the circular economy ideas in terms of the materials, we were measuring the embodied carbon to get that as low as we could, the landlord Grosvenor, were really behind us pushing that as hard as they could. Reducing construction waste by incorporating circular design principles and a lifecycle approach is crucial in this context.
So there was a lot of energy in that same direction whereas we might work with Gail’s bakeries, you know, who are beautiful, and they care about sustainability. And they care about the social side and the environmental. And they’re also doing about 30 sites a year. So there is a commercial reality to the speed and the cost of doing those.
So we are working as hard as we can within that commercial framework to make the best decisions. And that’s to be honest, what we quite enjoy is that we are constantly being challenged not to just live in an ideal dream world. But actually some of it is very, very ambitious and we can set a new benchmark in sustainability and sometimes it’s more about raising the bar slightly.
measuring sustainability in restaurant interior design
So I think assessments are really interesting when it comes to the measurement, this is really what we’re talking about the measurement of sustainability. I think there’s some interesting nuances to dive into there. The first one we’ve realized is that quantitative measurement, the idea of numbers almost always comes down to carbon, because that’s the thing we can reduce down to a number, the bigger the scale of the organization we’re dealing with, the more you need numbers, because it’s just really hard for everyone to grasp the qualitative, multifaceted layer of sustainability without numbers. So it’s, it’s not really a good enough representation.
Optimizing production processes for energy efficiency and waste reduction is crucial in the circular economy model, which seeks to create sustainable practices that allow for resource reuse and minimize environmental impact.
But carbon is really, really useful as a tool. You know, I always say that carbon is to sustainability, what calories are to a healthy diet, you know, I could eat 1000 calories a day, and I would lose weight. But if it was all chocolate, and I did no exercise, that is not a healthy diet. In the same way, carbon is an oversimplification of all the other stuff around you know, VOCs Indoor Air Quality and the social side of things which we can go into as well.
But if the planet managed to get down to dealing with that carbon, we’d be in a lot better place. So I do think that that’s thing with the conservative side. And then the other is you’ve mentioned with the assessment systems A good thing about those are that they are more qualitative They have much more, you know, many more features within facets within them that measure things like the air quality or looking at glare or their staff wellbeing, all these sorts of things. So that’s the way we sort of broke those two things down, when it comes to measurement, I think it’s kind of worth understanding the differences of those.
Matt Morley
And then to some point in that process, you felt comfortable enough to set your own working model of how you go about integrating these various themes and topics into something that you put your name to.
developing principles and a process for designing sustainable restaurant interiors
David Chenery
Absolutely. What we realized was, firstly, when we started looking at the assessment systems at the beginning, we think, how do we make this a sustainable design? What does that even mean? If we get SKA gold or BREEAM Excellent? And then coming across the circular economy and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation website in particular. That’s why I can’t get happy with this idea is because it’s still within the scope of one project. And we need to understand the ripple effects and the circular flows of everything else, and how stuff goes together.
So our framework then becomes about that, because we see that as a bigger understanding of the material construction design ecosystem. Using sustainable materials to adhere to circular design principles is crucial in this context. So I think that’s just a more intelligent place to start as well for us because it then leads us to ask a lot of different questions. And what we start to look at a design approach that is slightly different, based on a set of principles.
the problem with sustainability assessment systems
The danger of an assessment system is you end up with this huge checklist and a really complex spreadsheets. And you know, you’ve got to get however many points out of however many other points, and then you start getting tactical about what decisions you’re making, right? Because you got to get to the certain levels. And if we just get a couple more, we can get up to silver, and it becomes a different weird game, that clearly is better than doing nothing. But it’s not engaging with the core idea.
You know, and I think for us, we wanted to step outside of that and think, Well, if we really want to make a difference here, how are we going to do it. And the other realization is that it’s all very good saying, let’s get the lowest embodied carbon we can. But if you sit down with a blank piece of paper and try and work out let’s just design something low carbon it’s almost impossible, you can’t design to that it’s meaningless.
So we need a design strategy. The unsustainable extraction and consumption of raw materials contribute to environmental degradation and resource scarcity. And that’s why circular economy is so good for us. We’ve managed to prove that if we design out waste and pollution, if we design to keep materials in use for as long as possible, if we get reclaimed chairs and tables, if we sand the existing floorboards, if we expose the walls, if we use the right type of paint, if we cut the staircase up and make it into a wall cladding, that guess what we managed to reduce the embodied carbon of that of typical fit out by 45%, just by doing that for a high end restaurant in central London.
So that connection for us was kind of a key moment of saying, well, we can design this way we have this strategy of designing out waste, of thinking about principles. But the point in developing the framework was, it gives us a way of working. And I think without that, that’s where so many designers feel a bit lost, because we don’t know how to interrogate those decisions and ask enough questions.
If someone can give you an EPD, that says, this has three kilograms of CO2, and another one says this one’s got four. If that’s all you know, then you’re just going to pick the three, even if it comes with all kinds of other compromises on the sustainability, or huge water usage, or all kinds of all kinds of stuff. So that’s why we had to develop a framework and we certainly don’t have all the answers, I wouldn’t sit here and say, we have it all down. The point of having the framework and the point of us applying that to these projects is that we are learning every day.
consultants for a sustainable restaurant interior project
Matt Morley
Maybe that opens discussion then around how far your role goes in terms of the design of the space? Typically when I’m looking at say an entire healthy building project, whether it’s new build construction or refurbishment, I’m often on a call as one of 10+ different consultants from a QS, to MEP, to project management, lifts and so on… but with a restaurant are you operating effectively as a One Stop solution or are there others that you might bring into the mix with you?
David Chenery
Again, it’s a question of scale - a one off independent restaurant with a focused brief, lean budget, then yes we might do most of that sustainability work.
If we didn’t have a sustainability consultant, we often with a social enterprise called Bio Regional who can do assessments for carbon, SKA or bespoke metrics that we’re developing around the circular economy.
And then on the MEP side, we are definitely not MEP consultants. So particularly operational carbon, that energy efficiency piece, we would look to partner with someone like MESH (net zero carbon building performance) then a landlord or or contractor may have their own people they will bring along, but on smaller projects, what we’ll find is you will tend to have specific conversations with, say, the HVAC contractor, or the plumber, or the electrician, to see what we can do with them to get things better. And if it goes slightly a notch above that, then we will have an MEP consultant, similar to ourselves, who will give input on that. The significant climate impact associated with the production of office furniture and the potential reduction in emissions through circular economy practices like refurbishment and repair should also be considered.
But that does really depend on the scale of a project and your average high street restaurant of 3000 square foot is probably unlikely to have that person. So you know, that’s probably where we develop our knowledge, particularly often they’re contractors or installers within the industry, that can have a similar mindset to us.
If I go into my garden here, and I pick a pear off the tree, I don’t need a carbon lifecycle assessment or a sustainability consultant to tell me that that’s a good choice. You know, there are some straightforward, common sense principles that we can apply.
The Pareto principle applies suggests 80% of the impact will come from 20% of the decision. So you know, if we’re looking at the water systems, we know even just from looking at the SKA systems that if they are the same 5-7 things you do in terms of water management, such as low flow taps, and WCs, leak detection systems, you do those right and you’ll get most of the impact anyway.
Circular design principles and end-of-life in a sustainable restaurant
Matt Morley
In the past I’ve studied green and health building certifications from LEED, to WELL, FITWEL, and so on following the checklist. And then at some point, you just start, you just start freestyling without needing to hold on to the sides of pool, let’s put it that way. Then you start to combine elements or leave certain bits out, knowing that you’re getting 20% of the value.
So what about end-of-life phase with your restaurant designs? How do your clients manage that?
David Chenery
Well, I guess since we’ve been focused on doing this, fortunately, nothing we’ve designed has had to be taken apart. So you have to say that that’s theoretical in a way and it’s just a really important acknowledgement as a designer that most restaurant fit outs will last about five years whether it’s because the concept has failed or they want to make changes or simply update the look and feel of the space. Even the average building gets fitted out 20 to 30 times in its lifetime.
So, yeah, we haven’t had to be challenged on that yet. But we are aware when we’re designing, you know, whether it’s a counter going in or material finishes on the floor? How is this going to come out again? Can we use particular materials that are in as useful a format as possible? Can we avoid cutting tiles?
Last week, I was looking into an issue for Gail’s, the difference between a timber floor and a tiled floor. Now at end of life, those both become quite difficult. You know, we spent two hours talking to a tile manufacturer about how realistic is it actually that we’re going to get these tiles up, and then once that tile adhesive goes down, are those coming up in pieces, or are they going to be able to be reused? Again, if you can get them up whole, they’re still going to have all the adhesive on the back. And it’s going to be such a labor intensive process to take that off, it’s probably unrealistic to use that for anything other than aggregate, which isn’t really good enough.
We need to as an industry find a better solution for that timber again. Likewise, if we’re looking at a herringbone floor, now that can stay in longer, you can re-sand that, you can refinish it, you can re-stain it, it’s going to have a lower carbon footprint, if you take the carbon sequestration into account and having carbon negative score effectively. But again, you’re not because that has to be glued down in a commercial setting, you have to glue that timber down no matter what you do, because it’s going to move over time. So therefore, you’re not going to be able to take that floor up, even if that’s in 30 years time, for example, without and be able to reuse those elements quite easily. So some of those questions I don’t have the answer to at all.
In many cases, if you do something of quality, you’re maximizing the chance it can stay in there for a long time. But yeah, it’s it is a challenge, I really do think it is, you know, we need to understand how materials come apart. Again, we need to design for disassembly, so that elements can be taken apart using mechanical fixings wherever we can, rather than glue - that is a general principle. But you know, in, in commercial or hygienic environments, like restaurants where we’re talking about cleaning down every day that that can be quite difficult as we come up against standard best practices. Additionally, it's crucial to regenerate natural systems while addressing the tension between resource extraction and environmental protection.
Matt Morley
I think that sort of transparency and honesty is, is really the only position any of us in this game can take because you know, we’re all always learning, but simply doing the best we possibly can at any given time. Right? And as long as it’s a sort of circular but forward motion, we’re heading in the right direction.
restaurant design trends and sustainability
What about restaurant design in general, when you look at what’s happening in the industry, particularly in London, but around the UK, Are you broadly optimistic of where it’s going?
David Chenery
I try and kind of cultivate quite a stoic mindset but we will do everything we can to make it better. I think that depends on which side of the bed I’ve got up in the morning. I think I’m nervous how everyone has rebounded straight back into growth mode After COVID. I think people are just trying to build things. And I don’t know if we’ve necessarily learned the lessons we could have done. But I’m happy that initiatives like Net Zero Now and the Zero Carbon Forum are getting more traction. I’m happy that, you know, the SRA is, is getting good traction with its members.
Right now, I honestly believe it’s probably like a five year problem. And I don’t think you can be running your business, for the benefit of your stakeholders and shareholders. with them front of mind, if you’re not tackling this issue of sustainability, because you’re just not building a resilient business,
So if you don’t dial back in and actually look at your business model and look at your supply chain, and look at how you run your buildings and your energy usage and all of that stuff, you’re just going to have a tougher and tougher time in the years to come. I don’t believe The whole industry has got that and agrees with that. I think there are a number of people who still want to think it’s business as usual but maybe a little bit more green. - we need to move faster than that! By incorporating circular design principles, the restaurant industry can promote a more sustainable future, significantly reducing environmental impact and fostering a healthier planet and society.
David Chenery's current sustainable restaurant interior design projects
Matt Morley
What have you got going on at the moment? What do you have in your pipeline?
David Chenery
We’re certainly fully booked until September at the moment, which is great. I mean, there’s Gail’s - a great client for us. And we’re doing a number of new sites for them - we just opened one in Epping recently. These projects aim to be resource efficient by minimizing environmental impact and maximizing the longevity and adaptability of materials. There’s actually a hair salon project we’re working on as well.
We’ve been approached by some other people like L’Oreal to help them apply our framework to a hair salon. So there’s a flagship I’m working on with them at the moment, which I’m not actually allowed to talk about But that will be quite high profile in central London. And then alongside that, we’ve got some some independent restaurants, we’ve got a six tenant food hall we’re working on.
But also we’re doing a number of more consultancy pieces now, as you can probably imagine. So some of the larger groups, were talking to them about how we can bring these principles and this framework to their sites, whether we end up designing them ourselves or not. So that’s quite an interesting conversation, how we can educate internal property teams on carbon literacy or this disjunction between net zero targets and daily operations.
Matt Morley
Very good. Well, it sounds really positive. So people are looking to follow along or see your news and updates. What’s your chosen format?
David Chenery
Yeah, LinkedIn is definitely best. That’s definitely the place to find me.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidchenery-sustainablehospitalitydesign/
What is Circular Design?
Definition and Importance of Circular Design
Principles of Circular Design
Benefits of Circular Design in Interior Design
Applying Circular Design Principles
Flexible Spaces for Adaptability and Reuse
best examples of biophilic design in residential interiors
As biophilic design consultants, we sometimes find inspiration in residential real estate projects that do not necessarily use the language of biophilia but rather leverage a connection with nature and organic design to create uplifting indoor spaces. Here we review a series of residential developments and refurbishments that do exactly that.
O Lofos Villa by Blok 722, Greece
organic interior design example
Built on the foothills of Thrypti mountain on the Greek island of Crete lies a hidden villa built with respect to its surroundings.
It is a 280m2 private residence on a sloping terrain. Instead of stairs to balance the natural elevation, a series of levels were created to allow ease of movement physically and visually throughout the space.
When creating this design, the architects pulled from a variety of structural backgrounds combining aspects of vistas from mountains, plains, and the Mediterranean Sea.
This allows it to fit cohesively within its natural setting. The vista has plentiful outdoor areas to promote healthy living.
With the site broken down into multiple smaller segments, movement through nature is encouraged in-between spaces, many of which are outdoors. The main division of the building is linked by a semi enclosed feature where the sounds of giggling water can be heard from a large water feature.
The materials used with the natural villa are largely wood and stone which bring the natural elements of biophilic interior design within its walls.
Painted with a palette of warm greys and beiges, neutral, earthy colors dominate the space. The villa was created with a desire for slow living. Its layout, structure, and divide was created to enhance the lifestyle of its occupants to promote healthy living.
Landmark Pinnacle, London, UK
example biophilic design indoor garden
Rising up above the London skyline as the city’s tallest residential tower, the Landmark Pinnacle was completed in 2022 by architects and interior designers Squire & Partners for developer Chalegrove Properties and Farrer Huxley Associates (FHA) Landscape Architects.
This residential complex has views westward of the River Thames and eastward of the docks of the Thames Barrier. These natural vistas are complemented with an earthy, soothing interior palette of blues, beiges, tans, whites and browns.
Biophilic elements of design such as potted plants, dried flowers and stones ornament the building tying it back to the natural environment. Taking a step further into nature, a floor is dedicated to pulling its occupants out of the cityscape.
Residing on the 27th floor of the building, a residential tropical garden brings the outside world in with a carefully curated collection of plants and indoor trees, the space is perfect for watching the sun rise or set as natural light shoots through the open elaborate floor of plants.
There are spaces for lounging and for relaxation. This encourages the residents to escape the intensity of nearby Canary Wharf in order to appreciate their own private slice of nature high up in the sky.
Pantheon Estate, Mykonos by Nikos Adrianopoulos
example organic interiors
A renovation by architect Nikos Adrianopoulos of a residence in Mykonos, Greece, transformed an existing villa into a luxury abode with subtle influences from both organic interior design and nature-inspired biophilic design.
Built upon a cliff, the villa has impressive views of the old city harbor and the Aegean Sea. Essential to its design process was the unification of internal and external space. Large outdoor areas accompany the indoors encouraging movement from each space.
The outdoor areas have natural views of the landscape from a sky porch with no railings ensuring not to block the breathtaking views of the area. Accompanying this, biophilic design in the exteriors ensures a smooth transition between the building and its surrounding landscape. Curvilinear furniture such as chairs, large couches, and tables are placed purposefully, making use of premium fabrics, a minimalist colour palette and textured patterns.
The view from an organically shaped pool provides picture perfect views of the sea on the horizon while an outdoor gym provides a complete set of workout equipment such as a squat rack,weights and cardio machines. Stone walls, wooden floors, and a transparent plant-based ceiling that lets small slices of light into the gym's training floor.
Moving indoors, the interior design is a harmonious selection of neutral colors - tans, whites, browns, beiges, and blacks. Curvilinear architecture brings nature’s mark inside through arches and curved organically falling countertops.
Examples of biophilic interior design are present in the woven light fixtures, stone sinks, and stone tile. One of the key elements of design within the space was created from the bare rock that the structure was built upon through open rock walls. Bare rock walls are exposed within the sunroom and bathroom, among other spaces.
Painted white bare rock walls create a wonderful natural space within a shower and sauna. Bringing nature further within the walls quarters, wood beams expand across many of the villa ceilings. The space is adorned with artwork of driftwood and curvilinear, undefined sculpture work. This renovation transformed the space into an interconnected body with its natural environment.
https://www.nikosadrianopoulos.com/projects/pantheon-residence-mykonos
The Eden, Singapore
example of multi-family residential biophilic architecture
The Eden is a private residential building located in Singapore designed by Heatherwick Studio.
From its exterior facade the key principle of biophilic design in building architecture is hard to miss - a cascading central spine of flora created by a series of balcony gardens.
Each apartment is one floor of the building fitted with its own ‘eco-balcony’.
Clam shaped in structure, they each hold sufficient soil for over 20 different species of plant life to thrive in the humid Singaporean climate.
Each sky garden is alternated giving double the height to the outdoor space.
The garden above provides a necessary shade from the hot Singapore sun and a view of plant life hanging down from above. Walking out into these spaces is like walking into your own personal jungle.
Each apartment taking an entire floor also creates opportunities for natural cross ventilation, a low-energy and altogether more pleasant experience than 24/7 air conditioning, at least as an option should owners want it!
The entire ground floor is a heavily planted garden with nooks for relaxation. The pool is lined with an array of flora to one side. Walking into the lobby with 18 meter high ceilings, plant ‘chandeliers’ hang from above helping to decorate the room but creating moments of visual intrigue and wonder too.
Casa Cerros Madrid
example of single family residential biophilic architecture
Located in the hills of Madrid, the Casa Cerros estate was renovated into a. sustainable villa with subtle traces of biophilic design that uses compact space to its maximum potential.
Located in what can be a cool climate, the villa was constructed to amplify heat and sunlight.
With a narrow south facing facade, the team at sustainable architecture studio SLOW in Barcelona had to effectively use the space to pull in as much natural light as possible.
This was executed by lifting the roof creating room for the addition of skylights and additional openings to the south through biophilic design architecture.
Amplifying the introduction of light and solar heat into the south side of the building also affected the placement of rooms within the home.
On the lighter south facing side, the most used spaces were constructed including the living room, dining room, and kitchen.
Within the North facing side of the building, the bathrooms, office, and machine room are housed. Double brick walls with insulation in between allow for heat conservation while also allowing for open brick accent walls with texture of thickness and grooves.
The residents particularly requested a fireplace so a thermo stove was installed to further conserve heat. When the fireplace is running it heats the hot water tank and heating system.
The whole building is unified through a cabin like aesthetic with a large incorporation of wooden walls, ceiling, and furniture. The villa acts as a compact, warm, rustic yet nature-inspired space for a family to enjoy the comfort of home without losing contact with the environment around them.
https://www.slowstudio.es/arquitectura/casa-cerros-madrid
Best New Biophilic Hotel Resorts Using Biophilic Design Interiors — Biofilico Wellness Interiors
biophilic design by Jean Nouvel
Rosewood Sao Paulo luxury hotel with natural materials
https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/sao-paulo
This 93 metre high tower in Brazil was designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel (AJN) and completed in 2022. It houses the Rosewood Sao Paulo hotel with 104 rooms and 124 branded Rosewood suites, as well as a spa, fitness centre and penthouse complex.
The Rosewood Sao Paulo hotel is an example of how biophilic design is reshaping the hospitality industry by meeting evolving guest expectations and creating a unique and immersive experience.
Bordering Matarazzo Park, this 54,100 m² project combines elements of biophilic design with its parkside location to offer a hotel experience connected to nature despite being in a giant metropolis.
Terraces are planted with the same tree species as present in the park to create a sense of visual continuity as well as providing additional privacy for residents and hotel guests inside.
Previously this was the site of the Condessa Filomena Matarazzo Maternity Hospital, thanks in part to the landscaping by Julien Benech from Paris the transformation into a sustainable luxury tower is now largely defined by its nature-centric aesthetics. Biophilic interior designs foster unique and memorable guest experiences by creating a connection to the natural world through elements like wooden materials, living walls, plants, natural lighting, and indoor water bodies.
Biophilic hotel design with natural light
TreeHouse Hotel London, UK
https://www.treehousehotels.com/london/gallery
The TreeHouse Hotel shares some of the 1 Hotels DNA as it forms part of SH Hotels & Resorts, an affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group led by Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht. So it’s no surprise to see certain similarities between the two biophilic hotel brands, albeit with a number of clear points of differentiation.
Most notably, the Treehouse brand has a smaller format, and perhaps a more ‘eco premium’ positioning, while 1 Hotels is really all about ‘eco luxury.’ This arguably makes the brand more nimble and able to adapt to a wider range of locations, such as its forthcoming Downtown Miami, Brickell site designed in collaboration with Rockwell Group and SHoP Architects in the JDS Development Group’s 1 Southside Park.
A Treehouse Hotel Manchester is also under development, scheduled for opening in 2023. In the London outpost though, it’s all about those large bay windows letting natural daylight flood in from the cityscape outside. Internal glass walls further pull sunlight into the interior of the building increasing the amount of natural light occupant exposure. Interiors are courtesy of the team at Audrey Sterk Interiors.
The rooms are designed to be cozy and welcoming like a childhood clubhouse. They use a color palette of grays, blues, brown and whites. Color palettes are a key interior design element that can evoke a sense of connectivity to nature and reflect the personality of the destination. There is a large quantity of wood used throughout the rooms within the closet, door, window, and bed frames, desks, tables, chairs, and shelves. This brings the tangible feel of nature into the interior of the building through biophilic interior design. A variety of natural materials such as wood, wool, and cotton are used to create a natural and sustainable atmosphere.
A rain shower is also included in each room within a large open spaced tile shower. Each room is playfully accented with iconic London memorabilia and accessories such as cartoon mushroom pillows, plants, and the Paddington Bear with Red Hat Blue Coat. This makes the environment of the room playful, ensuring a disarmingly informal setting for such a city-centre location.
A range of biophilic elements of design are present such as birch tree wallpaper accent walls, leaf designed pillows, whicker lights, and a bar with a bare stone facade.
Moving to the roofscape, plants line a large majority of the area with extensive garden boxes and living walls filled with a variety of flora. A small jungle is created with a beautiful panoramic view of the city.
The world's most biophilic hotel
1 Hotel West Hollywood, USA
https://www.1hotels.com/west-hollywood/gallery
Within the hills of West Hollywood, the 1 Hotel pulls nature inwards, placing it at the center stage of its biophilic interior design. Native species of plants line the outdoors alongside heavily planted gardens. Vines cascade down from the rooftop gardens giving depth of flora to the biophilic space.
The hotel’s design integrates the natural environment to prioritize sustainability and guest well-being. This helps city dwellers reconnect with natural surroundings, leading to benefits such as stress reduction and higher attention spans.
The hotel is USGBC LEED certified meaning it takes deliberate, measurable steps to ensure efficiency in carbon emissions, energy use, water use, waste management, transportation, building materials, occupant health and indoor environmental quality (EQ).
A sustainable building design meant that a series of sustainable hotel operational practices were also needed, from the elimination of single use plastics, to the provision of electric car charging stations, and onsite composting gardens.
Biophilic elements of design include living moss walls, reclaimed oak furniture and skylights. One notable element of design is a large dining / ballroom with thousand of small circular white lights. Looking up it’s like thousands of stars shining in the night sky.
The 1 Hotel in West Hollywood ensures sustainability in both its design and operations, promoting a vision of luxury 5-star hospitality that is aligned with the health of both people and planet.
A new interpretation of biophilic design for resorts and hotels
Patina Ubud, Indonesia (2023)
https://patinahotels.com/ourfootprint-ubud
Designed by Brazilian man of the moment Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27 Architects and scheduled for opening in 2023, Patina Ubud was built within the forest landscape of Indonesia with a design emphasis on integrating the location’s natural beauty, a collection of buildings were positioned along a sloping terrain leading into a river valley.
A long infinity pool runs parallel to the Wos River. Expansive, floor to ceiling windows help illuminate each room with the serenity of the Indonesian jungles, bringing the outside world into the guest experience.
A wellbeing designfocus means that the 102 villas feature neutral, calming hues of browns, whites, and beiges. They are accented with colors of orange and green to bring together small elements of the space. Nature-inspired color palettes are used to establish emotional connections with spaces and create a sense of peace and calm.
Wellbeing interior design promotes positive emotional comfort and restorative sleep via a combination of colours, patterns, textures and wabi-sabi finishes.
Natural light entering the rooms allows the circadian rhythm to balance and intuitive lighting allows guests to set the level of ambient lighting they desire during the latter hours of the night. Each room is also provided with a yoga mat, aromatherapy, and calming breathing technique tutorials.
Healthy and sustainable materials are used throughout the interiors while food is sourced from local suppliers, and single use plastic is avoided completely, three meaningful examples of a green procurement policy in a resort context. The resort also incorporates natural and recycled elements, enhancing its sustainability and connection to the natural world.
Taking biophilic design to new heights in a luxury resort
Joali Being resort, Maldives
https://www.joali.com/joalibeing/
The Joali Being resort is an immersive, natural wellbeing retreat designed for mental and physical relaxation offering everything from customized nutrition programs to mental rejuvenation activities and interactive learning experience to leave guests ‘transformed’ in some small way.
Surrounded by the idyllic setting of the Maldivian beaches, this biophilic resort design fosters a deep connection to the natural world, promoting environmental sustainability and guest well-being. It is to be found on the island of Bodufushi, a 40 minute plane ride the main airport.
Each one of the 68 villas has its own piece of beach and a personal butler while an earth-to-table menu promises locally and sustainably sourced, fresh foods that support small farms as a way to integrate sustainable operations practices. Every meal is curated by the resort nutritionist with health and wellness in mind.
Living spaces are equally designed around maximizing guest wellness, primarily through biophilic design principles. Harmony and balance were the main priority, eliminating negative vibrations and enhancing energy flow.
Other components of this wellness design strategy include private pools, meditative musical instruments, and wellbeing games for mental stimulation.
So-called ‘transformational spaces’ were designed for reflection, movement and personal growth thanks to fitness rooms and meditation rooms in particular.
Full immersion programs were formed to rebalance and increase the mental wellbeing of guests through tailored movements to align specific health concerns such as digestive and weight rebalance and restorative sleep.
This wellbeing real estate development is a shining example of how to create a hospitality experience geared for guest wellness.
An urban interpretation of biophilic architecture and design
Villa M, Paris, France
The vertical garden exterior and contemporary steel structure of the Villa M Hotel in Paris designed by Triptyque Architects (Paris and Brazil) in collaboration with Philippe Starck makes a bold visual statement in a city full of historic architecture.
Nature is lifted into the sky by flora filled balconies overflowing with plant life. Biophilic design is immediately apparent from the exterior of the building but continues through into the interiors as well for a comprehensive, nature-inspired design.
Wood and marble are dominant in the interiors, with vibrant, organic colors promoting a sense of calm and comfort. Spacious rooms were created with a focus on guests’ sleep quality in particular.
Amenities for play, work, and health inspired by biophilic design include a restaurant and bar with its own planted garden. The rooftop space is filled with an array of fruit trees - the perfect place to relax and enjoy the skyline.
Finally, a genuine focus on fitness is a clear point of differentiation at Villa M, in addition to its wellness design interiors, they have doubled down on fitness facilities via a heavyweight boxing champion coach Tony Yoka, 250m2 of floor space including a boxing ring and a range of dance, yoga, martial arts and fitness classes both for hotel guests and external members.
Living walls and biophilia in hotel architecturE
Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur (2022), Malaysia
https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pr-collection-kuala-lumpur.html
The PanPacific-owned Parkroyal Collection’s first hotel outside of Singapore debuted in summer 2022 and, in a similar vein to its predecessor, the eminently biophilicParkroyal Pickering, this too is a fine example of how to integrate biophilic interiors and prominent landscaping in a hotel development.
At 527 rooms, this is no boutique-size hotel meaning any biophilic wellness design interventions had to be replicated over a generous range of rooms and suites.
Overall it’s a self-described ‘eco-chic living’ solution in the Malaysian capital but its most noticeable feature is an exterior facade of 78 sky planters filled with luscious plants. These planters showcase more than 13,000 square feet of plants and trees from the exterior. Natural lighting mimics the circadian rhythm and promotes a healthy sleep cycle, providing a more sustainable lighting option.
Guests thereby have access to garden-like escapes in the center of a bustling cityscape. With a deliberate focus on the wellbeing of their guests, the hotel houses a holistic wellness floor that showcases the St. Gregory Spa, a modern gymnasium, fitness studio, and pool.
Alongside this, there is also an outside pool surrounded by wooden pergolas, greenery, and flowering plants. Biophilic elements of design are showcased throughout the building in the shape of potted plants, stone walls, plant pattern rugs, woven wicker chairs, and a green tiled bar.
Sustainable building design and operation is a large part of the sustainability goals of the hotel. Various steps were taken toward green building sustainable design.
Kitchen menu ingredients are sustainably sourced for all on-site bars and restaurants, while bathroom amenities are sustainably presented in biodegradable packaging. A filtered drinking water system and a food waste management system complete the picture.
Benefits of Listening to Nature Sounds: Mental Health and Biophilic Wellness Design Consultants
Here we explore the science behind natural soundscapes and biophilic sounds via their impact on mental wellbeing. As more and more apps promote the concept of listening to nature as a way to reduce stress, boost productivity and improve mood, we look at the evidence behind and ask how it works. Biofilico Healthy Building consultants, London and Barcelona.
Health Benefits of listening to Pre Recorded Nature Sounds vs. Music
All of the body’s senses can be used one way or another in order to alter a person’s physical and mental wellbeing but hearing is a primary sense often targeted first because of the bang for buck - multiple benefits from minimal intervention.
This is the foundation of the acoustic comfort concept present in healthy building standards such as WELL (acoustic comfort chapter here), partly as a way to balance any negative aspects of distracting noise present in an indoor environment that can in turn create a negative mood state.
A practice that is on the rise in the world of acoustic comfort in healthy buildings and wellness design is a sub-segment of the sound wellness trend focused specifically on natural soundscapes and biophilic sounds - acoustic environments that taken directly from or inspired by natural environments.
Such biophilic sounds and natural soundscapes are being deployed in apps / software programs such as SWELL by Open Ear Music. These apps often use pre-recorded nature sounds to enhance relaxation and well-being.
the science behind biophilic sounds and mental wellbeing benefits
Even though the science behind listening to nature sounds does not necessarily have concrete benefits, there have been many studies conducted and theories created as to why listening to these types of sounds work, and work they do!
What is meant by the notion that a sound is “working” can be seen through physiological and behavioral changes. For example, listening to sounds of nature has been proven to increase mood, improve focus, promote sleep, help relaxation, and overall ensure a boost in mental wellbeing. Additionally, exposure to natural soundscapes can lead to enhanced cognitive function, improving cognitive performance, alertness, memory, and problem-solving skills.
The theory behind why nature sounds work well has to do with the biological appeal that being exposed to nature, provides. Natural sounds can alter the brain connections that trigger fight or flight response and therefore calm our systems down when we don’t perceive a threat.
The mellow birdsongs or serene waves tell the body that things are fine and there is no immediate threat which, in turn, reduces stress and the cognitive load that is associated with a heightened alertness. Nature sounds also have an immediate calming effect, providing a respite from the distractions of modern life and contributing to mental and physical wellbeing.
This high-level of stress has also been seen through listening to artificial sounds by causing an increase in inward thinking that is associated with ruminating, and over-thinking which lead to depressive and anxiety disorders.
Even though there are different types of nature sounds that range from rustling of trees to crashing of waves, the nature (no pun intended) of the sounds does not seem to matter but rather varies from person to person based on familiarity.
For instance, rustling trees may cause more benefits for someone who grew up surrounded by trees than they would for someone who grew up by the ocean.
There appears to be a level of familiarity or nostalgia that goes into the effectiveness of certain sounds. So even though places such as Quiet Parks are popping up and showing improvements in people’s moods conversely, beaches and other settings will be just as effective for the right individual.
Going back to the idea of Quiet Parks brings up an important piece of the puzzle which is, how connected do you feel to nature?
Nature sounds and circadian rhythm
An equally important notion is how submerged in the environment you feel. Studies have shown that the more variety in nature sounds, at once, the more a person can feel immersed in the environment and trigger bodily patterns such as circadian rhythm.
Nature sounds act as a powerful sleep aid by creating a tranquil environment that masks disruptive noises and promotes restorative sleep.
This biological clock helps us to get better acclimated to our surroundings and fall into a comfortable routine. The more biodiversity in a soundscape, the more likely an individual is to really believe they are there and better be able to connect with the natural processes required to sustain a happy, comfortable state of mind.
Another useful aspect of sound wellness is the role music can have, specifically with therapeutic processes. Music therapy is a newer practice that has also shown promising health and wellness benefits. The key difference between the two practices being the applications.
Sound wellness is usually a means to treat the symptoms of a bad mood and music therapy is primarily seen in hospitals and other treatment facilitates to aid in reversing or correcting some undesirable behavior.
Music therapy is usually used alongside other affirmative actions in order to touch upon one of five beneficial categories: emotional, physical, spiritual, social, or cognitive. The emotional benefits can help reduce anxiety and encourage self-expression.
The physical benefits are most seen in pain reduction through distraction, relaxation, improved motor development, etc. Physical benefits can also include motivational factors that reflect the task at hand by providing the energy needed in order to get things done and do them well.
Spiritual and social benefits can bring people together through shared interests or a common goal. Lastly, the cognitive aspect can advocate for better coping skills, increased sense of control, and better focused attention for the task at hand.
Whether a company or individual user wants to become better a task, improve their mood, or become more equip to deal with life’s challenges, sound wellness can apply in a multitude of different ways.
Both nature sounds and music can produce a wide range of results that show positive results so when asking the question of “how can I better help myself?” It all depends on context and desired results.
Additional research notes and links:
Nature sounds alter brain connections and reduce fight or flight reflex
https://www.health.com/condition/stress/why-nature-sounds-are-relaxing –> brain scans, heart rate monitors, behavioral experiments
Artificial sounds linked to more inward focus while nature sounds focused on outward focus
Inward = worrying, over-thinking; linked to conditions such as depression/ anxiety disorders; slower reaction times (means less sustained focus)
Natural sounds improve focus
Familiarity makes a difference—dif. Nature sounds might help one but not other person
Parks are key relaxation places less human-made noise and nature sounds together
Improved health: decreased pain, lower stress, increased mood /cognitive performance
anthropogenic sounds = especially in marine life, is noise pollution (high intensity; opposite of relaxing)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479717307193 Acoustic environments matter: Synergistic benefits to humans and ecological communities
Protected areas key for biodiversity, which provides a more realistic, immersive experience
“Your Wellbeing Garden” by Alistair Griffiths, Matt Keightley, Annie Gatti, Zia Allaway- Birdsong; better to have multiple diff kinds
Thought to be parallel btwn how birdsong develops, and humans speak that can account for why birdsong is more appealing
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/61/3/203/238162?login=true
Nature sounds linked to environmental quality
“no coherent theory regarding the ecological significance of all sounds emanating from a landscape exists”
Soundscape ecology landscape and composition of sound
Geographical context, recognizing anthropogenic/ biological processes, temporal/ spectral patterns and how a break in pattern can alter configuration of landscapes (lack of biodiversity creates less connection with nature) provide info about surroundings
“The rhythms of nature;” ex. Singing of birds strongly correlates to sunrise and sunset
Music Therapy
helpful distraction from painful procedures
helps decrease sedative needed
music modulates mood, if paired with action, release hormones that reduce perception of strain; good distraction
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/8817-music-therapy
Listening, singing, playing or composing
Enhanced communication/ social skills to manage thoughts
Increased motivation
Pain managing
Behavior disorders
Emotional benefits—self expression, anxiety reduction
Physical benefits – changing heart rate/ lowering bp, improved motor development, pain management/ distraction, relaxation
Spiritual benefits
Cognitive—coping skills, increased sense of control
Social—bring people together
Sound therapy focuses on controlling symptoms and music therapy relatively new and primarily used in hospital type facilities
https://www.verywellmind.com/benefits-of-music-therapy-89829
May not work on its own; more medically based than sound therapy
Goal-oriented
Accesses shared brain systems: cognitive, motor, speech centers
https://www.biausa.org/public-affairs/media/neurologic-music-therapy-in-neurorehabilitation
How music is processed/ perceived in the brain
Being actively or passively engaged simulates multiple parts of the brain
Neurologic Music Therapy
Improving Sleep Quality with Nature Sounds
Listening to nature sounds before bed can significantly improve sleep quality by creating a calming atmosphere. Research has shown that exposure to natural sounds, such as ocean waves or rain, can reduce stress and anxiety, making it easier to fall asleep. These soothing sounds can also help mask disruptive noises that can disturb sleep, such as traffic or snoring.
Studies have found that listening to nature sounds before bed can lead to improved sleep quality, increased sleep duration, and better overall well-being. The calming effect of nature sounds can also help reduce symptoms of insomnia and other sleep disorders. Incorporating nature sounds into your bedtime routine can be as simple as playing a recording of ocean waves or rain on a phone app or sound machine.
By improving sleep quality, nature sounds can also have a positive impact on physical and mental health, including reduced blood pressure and improved cognitive function. The simple act of listening to nature sounds can transform your sleep experience, leading to a more restful and rejuvenating night.
Reducing Stress and Anxiety through Biophilic Sounds
Biophilic sounds, such as bird songs and water sounds, can have a profound impact on reducing stress and anxiety. Research has shown that exposure to natural sounds can lower cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, all indicators of stress. Nature sounds can also have a positive impact on mental health, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The calming effect of biophilic sounds can be attributed to the way they interact with the brain’s default mode network, which is responsible for relaxation and stress reduction. Incorporating biophilic sounds into your daily routine can be as simple as taking a walk in a park or forest, or listening to a recording of nature sounds on a phone app.
By reducing stress and anxiety, biophilic sounds can also have a positive impact on physical health, including reduced blood pressure and improved immune function. The positive effects of biophilic sounds can also be seen in the workplace, where they can improve productivity and overall well-being. Embracing the natural world through sound can be a simple yet powerful way to enhance your mental and physical health.
Boosting Cognitive Function with Natural Acoustics
Natural acoustics, such as the sounds of ocean waves or wind, can have a profound impact on cognitive function. Research has shown that exposure to natural sounds can improve attention, memory, and creativity. The calming effect of natural acoustics can also reduce distractions and improve focus, leading to enhanced cognitive performance.
Nature sounds can also have a positive impact on mood, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Incorporating natural acoustics into your daily routine can be as simple as taking a walk in a park or forest, or listening to a recording of nature sounds on a phone app.
By improving cognitive function, natural acoustics can also have a positive impact on overall well-being, including improved sleep quality and reduced stress. The positive effects of natural acoustics can also be seen in the workplace, where they can improve productivity and overall well-being. Embracing the soothing sounds of the natural world can be a simple yet effective way to boost your cognitive performance and enhance your quality of life.
Best Examples of Biophilic Design Restaurant Interiors — Wellness Design Consultants
We review a selection of the best examples organic biophilic design interiors of restaurants and cafes around the world, from a zero waste sustainable interior restaurant in London to a nature-inspired restaurant in Bangkok. Biofilico healthy building consultants and biophilic designers.
biophilic design that brings the outside world in has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood and reduce the environmental impact of buildings and interiors. here we review some of the best examples of incorporating natural elements from the world of restaurant and cafe interior design.
Zolaism Cafe - biophilic design without the plants (!) in Aranya, Qinhuangdao, PRC
Who says biophilic design has to involve plants every time? B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio show that there are other ways to bring nature indoors with this unique interpretation of the theme in Aranya, a seaside resort community in the PRC. Instead of a forest, park or garden vibe, they turned instead to the concept of a rocky mountain with its stone and vertical faces, incorporating biophilic design elements such as natural materials, patterns, and textures inspired by nature.
The 240m2 (170 m2 interior / 47 m2 exterior) space has a glass facade on three sides interspersed with dramatic rocklike glass-fibre sculptures that resemble huge boulders holding up the cafe’s flat roof. Concealed inside are the structural beams doing the real work but the visual effect is dramatic nonetheless.
Their scale also serves to create a degree of added privacy, effectively blocking out the view to the world outside in some areas to create a cocoon-like effect.
https://www.b-l-u-e.net/index.php/index/project/index/cid/1/id/70.html?lang=en
Organic biophilic design restaurant example - Mother BBK, Bangkok, Thailand
The petite, split-level restaurant Mother BBK in Bangkok, Thailand takes inspiration from Mother Nature’s four elements to craft a distinct interpretation of biophilic designrestaurant interiors, creating an immersive dining space courtesy of local design agency Taste Space. They incorporate biophilic design by using natural materials and a neutral palette to create a comfortable and relaxing environment.
A strong focus on natural materials such as wood, leather and stone combined with a neutral palette of browns, taupes, greens and white make this an inherently elemental space.
Interventions in the glass and clay tile roof result in a dappled shadow effect on diners below, while a petrified tree root is suspended above the entrance area providing more tangible connections with biophilic design architecture.
Behind the bar sits an art piece representing the four elements each shining with the contrast of different earthy tones. This acts as the story behind the venue as it represents the origin of the Earth, as told through the lens of biophilic interior design.
organic interior design restaurant example - Noema, Mykonos, Greece
With the idyllic landscape of Mykonos as its background, Noema represents a contemporary Greek aesthetic that is heavily influenced by organic modernism, a.k.a biophilic design.
This restaurant uses its space to create a welcoming, wabi-sabi indoor environment inspired by Greek culture’s preference for natural materials with a patina of age and craft, seamlessly integrating the natural environment to enhance the dining experience.
A colour palette of warm browns, greys, greens and whites fill the space alongside natural fabrics, patterns and textures used in its build.
Diners are presented with stone plates on rustic wooden tables to reinforce a connection back to nature that is at the heart of this decidedly upmarket venue in one of Europe’s summer hotspots.
Cool summer breezes are encouraged to flow through the open-air layout bringing with them a hint of local flora and the sea. Just a few minutes in this natural environment can reduce stress and boost mood.
Lush plants fill the corners of the room ensuring a vibrant balance of darker hues and green tones.
Finally the culinary senses are brought back to basics as well with a menu cooked and prepared in traditional, unfussy style.
Raw materials collected from nature are pickled, fermented, cured and sun dried. Fish is cured and brined with salt from the Aegean Sea. Meats are cooked by open fire or within a clay pot - Noema is all about adding layer upon layer of detail to the key concept.
Just like the restaurant’s biophilic interiors, the kitchen’s ingredients are all natural and unaltered, cleverly aligning the senses behind one consistent message.
Biophilic design restaurant example - Living Bakkali, Valencia, Spain
Located in Valencia, Spain, Living Bakkali falls into a distinct niche of the biophilic design scene as it avoids the possible cliche of green plants in favor of a Middle-Eastern palette of desert-inspired oranges, pinks whites and tans.
For those who know what to look for, biophilic elements of design fill the space from top to bottom. Curvilinear furniture finished to terracotta colour fabrics give the room a sumptuous, earthy hue while wall cut-outs (inspired by Middle-Eastern architecture) encourage the flow of air around the restaurant and enhance site-lines between the tables.
Interspersed among the tables and seating lie displays of dried grasses and flowers that cast natural shadows upon the tables and floors. These silhouettes on the draping curtains create yet another subtle detail of biophilic design. In turn, these visually connect with the seagrass, textured fabric and fur lined seating cushions.
Adobe, a building material made from clay and organic materials, was dominant in the interior architecture concept. It was created completely by hand, reflecting the manual human labor that goes into building traditional Arabic homes in the desert.
Adobe also fits neatly into the concept of healthy building materials and sustainable buildings interiors. As ever, inspiration from traditional cultures always helps to shine light on contemporary habits, one of which is deploying unhealthy, toxic materials in our interior spaces during the past 100 years in particular.
Biophilic design cafe example - Tanatap Ring Garden Coffee shop, Jakarta, Indonesia
Architects in Indonesia are continuing to push the boundaries between natural design and interior spaces.
This is perfectly displayed by the Tanatap Ring Garden Coffee shop located in Jakarta, Indonesia.
A coffee shop built in 2021, its ring shape holds what can only be described as a mini jungle in its interior.
The ring is a prototype of a dynamic platform that slowly spins, rises, and falls, with the different levels of the structure creating a walkable roofscape filled with plants.
Clients of the cafe can wander around the changing space, as it rotates the multi-level garden provides sharp contrasts between scale, color, density of nature, and sunlight.
Wherever you look, you are surrounded by the natural world. The sustainable interior design of Jakarta’s Ring Garden Coffee have set out a bold vision of sustainably designed outdoor tropical spaces for others to follow.
Biophilic design restaurant example - Cuartel del Mar , Spain
Located in Chiclana De La Frontera, Spain, El Cuartel del Mar blends falls seamlessly into the landscape from a bird’s eye view.
With a roof of native gravel and plants, the natural ecosystem of this restaurant’s environment is cleverly integrated into the aesthetics of the space, representing yet another subtle variation on the organic biophilic design aesthetic.
A palette of light, tonal colors reflects the seaside location while the exterior pergolas provide protection from the intense Spanish sun.
Moving to its organic interior design, the natural visuals of the surrounding environment are carefully hinted at through a color pallet of whites, tans, and browns with a touch of green.
Throughout the interior design, natural materials and Spanish craft products are favored, boosting its sustainability credentials while helping local communities.
The interior and exterior of the building is covered in a light coloured lime mortar. Lime, a healthy building material, is highly breathable and allows water particles to pass through it preventing the build-up of moisture. This gives the venue’s clients a comfortable thermal environment indoors.
Finally, a large rooftop courtyard is available for enjoying the sunshine and soak in the warming rays of Vitamin D, maximizing natural light exposure.
silo, london, uk - zero waste restaurant with sustainable interiors
SILO in London’s Hackney neighborhood advocates for what they describe as a more ‘primitive pre-industrial’ food system. A completely Zero Waste restaurant was inevitably going to present an interesting brief for a sustainable interior designer to respond to, showcasing the relevance of biophilic design in both residential and commercial design.
We can find upcycled (rather than recycled) furniture and fittings as well as a plethora of natural, healthy and sustainable materials.
From the mycelium lampshades to crockery made of crushed wine bottles, this is a sustainable restaurant that has gone the extra mile to deliver on its promise, arguably setting a new benchmark in terms of sustainable interiors along the way.
Cork flooring tiles provide a warm, visually textured solution while a recycled plastic bar and table tops, sustainably sourced ash wood and white-washed brick walls complete the sustainable interiors.
Biophilic Architects: Architecture Studios for Biophilic Design — Biofilico Wellness Interiors
our overview of the leading architecture studios for biophilic architecture that bring the outside world in, combining sustainability and wellbeing in real estate.CookFox, USA
GG Loop, Netherlands
Heatherwick Studio, UK
K Studio, Greece
Kengo Kuma & Associates, Japan
M Moser, China
our overview of the leading architecture studios for biophilic architecture that bring the outside world in, combining sustainability and wellbeing in real estate.
Batlleiroig, Spain
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Denmark
CookFox, USA
GG Loop, NL
Heatherwick Studio, UK
K Studio, Greece
Kengo Kuma & Associates, Japan
M Moser, China
Nomadic Resorts, SA & NL
Stefano Boeri Architetti, Italy
United Network Studio, Netherlands
Oficinas Lumen, Barcelona
Founded in 1981 by Enric Batlle and Joan Roig, the Barcelona-based architecture studio Batlleiroig is all about tackling the climate emergency through a synergistic fusion of city and nature in the built environment.
The practice combines urban planning, landscaping and architecture, with recent projects showing a clear tendency towards biophilic design, sustainable real estate and occupantwellbeing in particular, often through the lens of greater contact with nature.
With over 140 staff members, this is one of the most influential architecture studios in Barcelona, and indeed Spain. They caught our attention for their ambitious plans for the LaMercedes urban regeneration development by Conren Tramway as well as the Net Zero Emissions Entegra office building, both in our home city of Barcelona.
Going beyond merely ‘sustainable’, Batlleiroig design buildings and indeed precincts that incorporate natural elements and have a deep respect for the advantages of using nature in real estate, be that through materials, plants, aesthetics or environmental protection measures. They emphasize the use of natural materials like wood, bamboo, and stone, all of which adds up to a lightness of touch and an undeniable ‘joie de vivre’ in many of their projects.
Bjarke Ingels Group, Denmark - starchitects and biophilic designers
BIG hardly need any introduction nowadays thanks to their attention-grabbing, headline-worthy approach to architecture. Their recent completion in Singapore, the 280m tall biophilic CapitaSpring tower (see image above) that proposes a new type of vertical urbanism, is just one of countless such examples.
The studio completed its first hotel project in September 2022, the Hôtel des Horlogers for Audemars Piguet in the Swiss Vallée de Joux, the design here blurs the boundaries between the surrounding landscape and the contours of the building, creating spaces that seamlessly integrate the indoors and outdoors, a nod to biophilic architecture if ever there was one.
Their 49,000m2 Sluishuis project outskirts of Amsterdam, has been billed as a ‘floating’ neighborhood with public roofscapes and riverwalks that offers a residential vision of life over water, a form of ‘blue nature’ (as opposed to ‘green nature’ in forests and parks)
CookFox StJohn’s Terminal, Google building
CookFox, USA - nature inspired architecture
CookFox are a giant in the world of “integrated, environmentally responsive architecture” as they call it. They are also world-class biophilic architects, leading the way in integrating biophilia into residences and workplaces.
From their base in New York they leverage two decades of experience and a 130+ strong workforce to deliver projects that aim to “elevate the human condition and urban environment through beautiful, innovative, and sustainable design”.
Calling cards include the 2.2 million sq ft One Bryant Park tower, the first skyscraper in the world to achieve platinum LEED certification, and the forthcoming 1.3 million sq ft Google office tower in Manhattan called the St. John’s Tower.
As a studio, they have also made a name for themselves designing offices for healthy building powerhouses such as the International WELL Building Institute headquarters and Skanska headquarters, both in New York.
GG Loop, Netherlands - creative biophilic designers
The architectural and design firm, GG-loop, is a biophilic design inspired creative team in the Netherlands. The team of about 20 has been together since the beginning of the practice in 2014 and rally around the cause of architecture deepening the connection between people and nature through biophilic design.
Recent large-scale projects include Echinoidea, a pavilion in Milan, and Freebooter, a residential development in Amsterdam.
The studio's vision is to raise awareness on the importance of biophilic architecture to both professionals and the general public to fight the current climate condition.
Heatherwick Studio, UK - biophilic design experts in London
Thomas Heatherwick’s eponymous studio is an architectural design practice and workshop in London, UK.
Their key concepts are improving lives through the built environment, especially through slow living and a connection with nature in urban environments thanks to biophilic design.
The team of over 200 have a strong stance on sustainability, the integration of nature, and a sprinkle of magic dust aimed at sparking a reaction of delight.
Recent large scale projects include 1000 Trees in Shanghai, China and the Eden in Singapore as well as collaborations with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) on the Google Campus in London.
K Studio, Greece - designers working with biophilia
Based in Central Athens, the K Studio is a practice of 60+ designers that has evolved a unique, nature-infused aesthetic that fits neatly into the category of biophilic design, without being defined or limited by it in any way.
From the bohemian chic of Scorpios on Mykonos island (see pic above) to more minimalist villas, and the Casa Cook resort properties around Greece, their range is impressive for a modestly sized studio.
Greek culture and a sense of place remain a constant in their architectural and design output, meaning they dial up materiality, keeping things pure and elemental whenever possible, yet always with a touch of nature.
Recent large-scale projects include the Marina Kaplankaya and the refurbishment of the Mykonos airport, suggesting they are on their way to becoming one of the country’s leading design studios with a bright future ahead.
Kengo Kuma architects, Japan - one of the world’s leading biophilic architects
Kengo Kuma & Architects (KKAA) have offices in Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Paris. With over 170 staff and over 360 projects completed, today they are one of the most significant modern architects not just in Japan but on the global design stage.
The team explores the relationship between buildings, nature, humans and technology, and incorporates natural elements into their designs. This approach, combined with a strong emotional component and undeniable influences from Japan, aims to provoke a serene, harmonious state of mind in occupants and visitors.
Projects are currently underway in a plethora of different countries covering use categories as diverse as museums, restaurants, offices, education, exhibitions, residential, factories and hospitals. A few highlights include the biophilic mixed-use development Welcome Milano in Milan, Italy (shown above).
M Moser & Associates, China - biophilic office design experts
M Moser & Associates is a global firm with over 1000 employees, they are workplace design specialists and maintain a number of ‘Living Labs’ where they experiment with new design solutions before introducing them into their projects for clients.
The team have a strong stance on sustainability, meaning they combine biophilic design in their architecture and interiors as a way to promote occupant wellbeing whilst also keeping one eye on reducing their impact in every way possible.
Recent projects of reference include Shui On WorkX, a biophilic office space in Shanghai, the Dyson Global HQ in Singapore, Nestle offices in Jakarta and the Diageo offices in Shanghai.
Nomadic Resorts, eco architects in South Africa, mauritius and Netherlands
Nomadic Resorts defy most conventions and definitions. They span across a range of disciplines, from masterplanning of entire nature-inspired resorts, to architectural design with biophilic influences, botanical landscape design and interiors.
Via offices in the Netherlands, South Africa and Mauritius they deliver projects with a sustainable edge, each inspired by their location, landscape and natural context.
Their expertise covers bamboo construction as well as treetop living, tented camps and avant-garde resort concepts that push the boundaries of how far sustainable resorts can push the concept of environmentally friendly hospitality. They are committed to sustainable development and fulfilling the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
By incorporating concepts such as low carbon engineering, regenerative landscaping and permaculture, they bridge the worlds of eco tourism, green building sustainable design. Their client list includes giants such as Six Senses Resorts and Spas; Soneva Group; Banyan Tree and &Beyond.
Stefano Boeri Architetti - designers of the bosco verticale vertical forest
Defining this architecture studio as the designers behind the Bosco Vertical vertical forest building in Milan, Italy is to put this multi-faceted team in a box that they outgrew many moons ago. In fact they are an international operation with offices in Milan, Shanghai and Tirana (Albania) from where they deliver research and practice in urbaism and architecture.
With over 20 years of experience, the infamous tower did at least help solidify their reputation as leading thinkers on urban sustainability and biodiversity, as well as social housing, urban development and regeneration projects.
Their multi-disciplinary approach engages with landscape architects, engineers, social scientists and agronomists showing that biophilic design can and should engage a wide variety of experts in order to succeed at scale in urban regeneration for example.
Present in the PRC since 2014 their office in Shanghai has delivered projects such as the renovation of the former Shanghai Stock Exchange and with the Nanjing Vertical Forest - the first Vertical Forest in China - current in construction.
Their Tirana office meanwhile is responsible for developing the General Local Plan and the strategic vision of the city, known as “Tirana 2030”.
Other assignments include the masterplan of Doha’s New Port and the development of the “triangle of Maspero”, a complex of towers and public facilities along the Nile waterfront, in downtown Cairo.
https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/
UNStudio - architects and urbanists big on sustainability
With offices in Amsterdam, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Dubai and Melbourne totaling over 300 employees, UNStudio is now a full-service architecture and design powerhouse.
Founded in 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, they now deliver architecture, interior architecture, product design, urban development and infrastructural projects around the world.
UNStudio see themselves as having to anticipate the future, in particular in terms of sustainability and their environmental impact. They consider social and ecological sustainability upfront while aiming for what they call ‘attainable design’ - projects that are both financially and socially feasible. Their commitment to sustainable architecture is evident in their projects, which incorporate innovative design features and sustainable practices.
Major projects of note include the Erasmus Bridge, Arnhem Central Station, the Mercedes-Benz Museum, the Doha Metro Network, Raffles City Hangzhou and the Hanwha HQ Remodelling.
Sustainable Rooftop: A Key Element in Green Healthy Building Design — Biofilico Wellness Interiors
Biofilico healthy building consultants explain how the implementation of green roofs within a sustainable building strategy can provide benefits such as: a reduction of Urban Heat Islands; increased energy efficiency; improved rainwater management; improved biodiversity; the provision of amenity spaces
Why Green & Healthy building Rooftops?
Roofs can take up to 15-35% of the total land area of a city, making them a vital surface in urban settings (“Urban”). This often underutilized area of a building envelope can provide smart, healthy, and environmentally friendly design options that are increasingly being executed across cities.
The implementation of green roofs within a sustainable building strategy, for example, can provide benefits such as:
a reduction of Urban Heat Islands
increased energy efficiency
improved rainwater management
improved biodiversity
the provision of amenity spaces
Compared to conventional roofs, green roofs have lower burning heat load and lower temperatures. They also include materials not found on conventional roofs, which contribute to their environmental benefits. Additionally, the installation of green roofs requires experienced roofing contractors to ensure proper setup and maintenance.
Green roofs are the most holistic and multifaceted design strategy for these surfaces, but other considerations such as cool roofs, the incorporation of rooftop gyms or exercise areas, and solar panels are a few examples of smart rooftop design that contribute to a healthy building or sustainable building strategy.
Sustainable building rooftops Reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect
One of the most important influences that rooftops can have is a reduction of Urban Heat Islands (UHI). This phenomenon describes the prevalence of higher temperatures that arise in dense, urban regions, due to the presence of man-made surfaces with higher heat retaining properties than those in natural environments.
Out of the entire building envelope, roofs are subject to the highest amount of solar irradiance, making their albedo properties the most important to curb the effects of UHI (Costanzo).
With the rise of temperatures across the globe comes the rise of heat related deaths. Increased respiratory disease, heat stress, reduced productivity, discomfort, and mental health challenges can all also occur due to increased warming (Swain).
With UHI compounded with the rising temperatures, the physical health and wellness of those residing in cities becomes more dire—making it an essential problem to address.
The most common strategies to reduce UHI on roofs is to implement cool or green roof strategies. Cool roofs use highly reflective coating such as white paint to reduce heat absorption, while green roofs implement plants and other vegetation, which acts as insulation and a cooling mechanism for the building and surrounding microclimate.
Additionally, green roofs and cool roofs can reduce the energy demand for air conditioning by keeping the interior temperature cooler and lowering energy bills.
Increase Energy Efficiency via green roofs
The implementation of smart roof design has the potential to greatly increase building energy efficiency. For one, green roofs can reduce building cooling loads and therefore increase HVAC efficiency. Also, Solar panels can be implemented on roofs to grow renewable energy use.
When used in tandem, green roofs and solar panels can be implemented on the same roof and provide dual benefits. Reducing energy consumption through green roofs can also help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Generally, roofs are dark, heat absorbing surfaces that have the potential to raise building temperatures and increase cooling demands. Plants and greenery naturally reduce the temperature of roofs and add an insulation layer, diminishing the amount of hot and cold air affecting the building’s temperature, further regulating it.
In addition, the cooler microclimate created by rooftop greenery can increase the efficiency of rooftop HVAC systems (“Green Roof Benefits”).
In addition, solar panels can be placed on rooftops to act as a renewable energy source for a building. Although usually thought of separately, if a green roof and solar panels are used together, known as a biosolar roof, the benefits increase.
Like rooftop HVAC systems, solar panels work more efficiently in cooler climates, making the combination of vegetative cooling and solar panel energy creation a beneficial, symbiotic relationship (“Green Roofs-Solar”).
Improve Rainwater Management on green rooftops
Rainwater management and collection is a commonly mentioned concept in many building certification and rating systems, and can be improved through the implementation of green roofs. Impervious surfaces and hardscapes cause excess water runoff, which can disrupt natural hydrology and ecosystems, as well as contaminating water bodies with pollutants.
Green roofs reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and delay the time at which runoff occurs, resulting in decreased stress on sewer systems at peak flow periods. Pervious surfaces that allow for water absorption, capture, and reuse can be implemented through green roofs and through the incorporation of surfaces such as porous pavement or grid pavers.
Green roofs can capture the water as it falls, and filter out its pollutants naturally, reducing the burden on sewer systems and avoiding flooding, as well as preventing toxins from entering water bodies. It has been found that green roofs can hold 70-90% of the rain that falls on them in the summer, and 25-40% in the winter (“About”).
Once captured, this water can be redistributed throughout the building such as in irrigation, toilets, and other non-potable uses.
The use of green roofs and pervious landscaping can greatly impact rainwater management and reduce water demand within buildings.
One study done by researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that green roofs retain around 80% of fallen water, while traditional roofs captured closer to 24% of rainfall (“Green Roof Benefits”). However, when designing roofs for rainwater capture and reuse, it is essential that loads are calculated, and proper sealing of the building envelope is executed to avoid any leaks.
Improve Biodiversity with a green rooftop
Cities are barren compared to the natural world, and therefore provide fewer habitats for flora and fauna. Implementing green roofs within urban regions is a way to use often underutilized spaces to increase the presence and diversity of species within the built environment. Green roofs contribute to creating green space in urban areas, supporting biodiversity and improving the urban environment.
Increasing biodiversity in cities can not only improve the health of those ecosystems themselves, but also the systems that function around them–such as the hydrological or nutrient cycles. In addition, from a mental health standpoint, the visual presence and interaction with a diversity of species can be positive for human well-being (“About”).
Plants, especially native species promote the livelihood of birds, insects, and butterflies and restore the ecological cycles that are often disrupted in cities. In addition to providing an immediate habitat for animals, green pockets can provide places of respite for animals and provide more closely connected habitats for migrating birds and other species that would otherwise be fragmented by cities (“About”).
In addition to greenery, when solar panels are implemented as well on biosolar roofs, they can provide additional landscape diversity. The panels provide shade and protection, as well as a place for water runoff, creating a wetter side and a drier side. The implementation of PV can therefore cause a “habitat mosaic”, attracting a wider variety of flora and fauna and further increasing biodiversity (“Green Roofs-Solar”).
nike rooftop activation barcelona
Provide Amenity Spaces with a healthy building rooftop
In addition to the ecological benefits of green rooftops, they can also provide social and mental health benefits for building users. Strategies such as rooftop gyms and community gathering spaces can provide further benefits. Green walls can also contribute to urban greening by providing additional green infrastructure and improving air quality.
Outdoor exercise has been proven to have additional benefits when compared with traditional exercise, such as greater mood improvements, decreases in anxiety and increases in the desire to be active. Due to the mental and physical health benefits from both nature exposure and exercise, the combination of the two provides even greater gains (Loureiro).
Implementing exercise spaces and gyms on rooftops is an impactful way to improve the health and wellness of building users, while avoiding building footprint increases. Rooftop gardens can provide amenity spaces and enhance the sustainability of urban areas.
In addition, publicly accessible rooftops can provide places of respite and locations to gather as a community. Community gardens can be placed to encourage building users to spend time outside in nature, provide educational opportunities, improve nutrition and food awareness, and reduce the local community’s food footprint (“About”).
Finally, aesthetic roofs with various amenities can encourage occupants to utilize the space for events and social gatherings, further promoting community, connection to the outdoors, and overall wellness.
Sources
“About Green Roofs.” Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, https://greenroofs.org/about-green-roofs
Costanzo, V., et al. “Energy Savings in Buildings or UHI Mitigation? Comparison between Green Roofs and Cool Roofs.” Energy and Buildings, Elsevier, 12 May 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778815003527.
“Green Roof Benefits.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, https://www.nps.gov/tps/sustainability/new-technology/green-roofs/benefits.htm.
“Green Roofs and Solar Power – Biosolar Roofs Are Smart Green Infrastructure.” Livingroofs, 29 Oct. 2019, https://livingroofs.org/green-roofs-solar-power/.
Loureiro, Ana, and Susana Veloso. “Green Exercise, Health and Well-Being.” ResearchGate, Springer, Aug. 2017, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308099577_Green_Exercise_Health_and_Well-Being
Swain, Sunanda SwainSunanda. “Urban Heat Island Effect: Causes, Impacts and Mitigation.” Blogging Hub, 4 June 2019, www.cleantechloops.com/urban-heat- island-effect/.
“Urban Roofscapes: Using ‘Wasted’ Rooftop Real Estate to an Ecological Advantage.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 25 July 2008, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/urban-roofscapes-ecofriendly-rooftops/.
Top 5 Sound Therapy App for Mental Wellbeing — Biofilico Wellness Interiors
What is sound wellness?
Sound wellness is leveraging the physiological process behind the act of listening, which produces specific chemical signals sent to the brain that in turn promote certain mental states such as enhanced mood and reduced anxiety.
Merely focusing in a mindful way on the sensation and experience of hearing can be an important way to tap into various biological processes that control human mental and physical wellbeing. Sound therapy apps can be particularly beneficial for individuals with hearing loss and can be used in conjunction with hearing aids to provide tinnitus relief. These apps are available on the App Store for iOS devices, ensuring compatibility and ease of access for users.
For instance, certain brainwaves can influence our circadian rhythm, promoting even a greater mental alertness or indeed relaxation. Similarly, they can also influence blood pressure and reduce anxiety, based on certain the inputs.
What are brainwaves and how do they relate to mental wellbeing?
There are 5 different types of brainwaves that all vary in intensity. From descending order of frequency: Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta.
The most important ones to think about when controlling mood are Alpha and Theta that both involve relaxation and reflection.
The self regulation of brainwaves (neurofeedback) has become increasingly popular among wellness professionals because of its observable benefits. Sound therapy apps often include options like pink noise and brown noise, which can help in relaxation and managing tinnitus symptoms.
These benefits have been seen to tap into the frequencies of certain brainwaves and propagate signals to connect our external body to our internal body by focusing on manipulating brain patterns to affect everything from stress reduction, to sleep promotion, to muscle relaxation and everything in between.
Sound wellness and biophilia (natural sounds)
In the example of sound wellness, biophilic soundscapes are now being utilized in offices and personal spaces with the goal of providing mental clarity, enhancing relaxation, boosting attention span and reducing anxiety levels.
As humans continue to evolve, arguably enlarging the distance between us and nature in the process, the amount of unnatural noise we produce grows with it and yet, our natural body processes don’t seem to be keeping up.
Sound therapy, specifically the new concept (but actually nothing new at all!) of biophilic sounds of nature, have been trying to hack our indoor environments to promote all of these biological processes described above. Natural sounds, such as water running or crickets chirping, are often used in sound therapy apps to provide relief for tinnitus patients. Nature sounds play a crucial role in relaxation and coping, particularly for tinnitus relief and better sleep, with many apps offering high-quality and customizable nature soundscapes.
A range of new apps and software are available providing individuals and brands access to this new frontier in sound therapy, below we outline the top five to watch.
Moodsonic - biophilic soundscapes
Moodsonic uses sonic engineering and the science of psychoacoustics in order to construct biophilic soundscapes to promote healthier work places, school settings, and overall productivity environments.
This algorithm uses sound technology to create soundscapes that react and adapt to targeted users to promote better productivity and overall mental wellbeing.
These soundscapes are designed around the body’s circadian rhythms in order to help people feel more awake during the daytime, and better fall asleep during night. Additionally, soothing sounds can help users relax and improve their mental wellbeing by providing relief from tinnitus and aiding in sleep.
The brand announced its launch in early 2020 and is owned by The Sound Company.
OpenEar's SWELL - sound therapy for tinnitus relief
Open Ear is a company run by international DJ Brian D’Souza and a team of music professionals. Their main business is to curate personalized playlists for businesses such as hotels, restaurants, retail stores and spas.
Swell is a sub-division of OpenEar that focuses specifically on spas, gyms and other wellness venues, with the aim of promoting overall levels of health and wellbeing by positively impacting mood.
Swell combines bespoke playlists and compositions with sounds of nature and other calming music as a form of sound therapy. The SWELL app includes options like white noise, which can be beneficial for providing tinnitus relief. The app also offers various tinnitus sounds such as pink noise, natural water sounds, crickets chirping, and specific tinnitus relief sounds, which can be adjusted and personalized for effective tinnitus sound therapy.
Based in London, the Swell app was made in order to be more accessible and affordable for people on either an individual basis or as a playlist solution for coffee shops, gyms, even co-working spaces.
https://openearmusic.com/soundwellness/
Mindbreaks - mindfulness sounds
Mindbreaks is a mindfulness app aimed at improving mental wellbeing and mood to increase energy, focus, and reduce user stress.
Delos, the company responsible for this app, focuses on the innate need for humans to be exposed to nature to better feel connected to the natural world. They are also the connected to / behind the WELL Healthy Building Standard and the International Well Building Institute (IWBI), making them a major player in the healthy building and wellness real estate space.
Mindbreaks, like other tinnitus apps, offers features such as sound masking and guided meditation to help manage tinnitus symptoms. Additionally, Mindbreaks offers a web app with unique features and comprehensive sound therapy options. Delos creates a “wellness sanctuary” with Mindbreaks, evidence based products, immersive experiences and other audio content to promote mental wellbeing– for a variety of environments from personal to commercial and everything in between.
https://delos.com/products/mindbreaks/
Endel - wellness soundscapes
Founded by a collection of artists and creatives in 2018, Endel uses AI to create personalized soundscapes to use the body’s circadian rhythm to reduce stress, increase productivity, and improve sleep quality.
Endel uses pentatonic scale and sound masking to make soundscapes that get in touch with various aspects of user’s motion tracking, heart rate, light exposure, blood pressure, and other nervous system responses. Endel also employs techniques like threshold sound conditioning to strengthen hearing and improve overall auditory health.
The main goal of this app is to take internal and external cues from the participants and use AI to create optimal environments without any conscious effort from the user.
Myndstream - wellness music
Myndstream is a wellness music company that partners with other music companies to circumvent licensing issues, reducing cost of audio privileges in the process.
A main issue that this company tries to avoid is that organizations, such as spas, pay big prices for a whole catalog of music while they only really use a small percentage of the music.
Thus, Myndstream provides spas specifically with a catalog of wellness music that takes away the need to pay for unnecessary playlists not geared towards mindfulness and mental wellbeing in particular. Myndstream also offers specific tinnitus treatment options, including various tinnitus sounds to help manage and alleviate symptoms.
Benefits of Biophilic Design on Cognitive Performance in the workplace
Biofilico healthy building consultants explore the multi-sensory benefits of biophilic design for cognitive performance in the workplace through the lens of sound, plants, light, water and other interior design features inspired by nature.
HERO natural foods, Swiss headquarters - biophilic design by Biofilico
Firstly, what is biophilic design anyway?
Biophilic design is a way to integrate nature into the built environment, at building and interiors level. By combining elements of both sustainability and wellbeing, biophilic design is aligned with People and Planet, with green building standards as well as healthy building standards.
By bringing the outside world in, we can create spaces that are aligned with our evolutionary past, while respecting and protecting the environment and promoting human health and happiness.
Biophilic design in offices
Utilizing biophilic design in office and working environments can have tangible benefits on the mental wellbeing of all personnel by increasing productivity, creativity and overall morale. The basic idea of biophilic design centers around the physical, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing benefits of multi-sensory connections with nature.
The main idea behind bringing biophilic design into an indoor environment, (whether it be work or residential) is applying architectural and interior concepts that recall or reflect the natural world. This design strategy brings us in touch with human biology and our deep connection to nature that is often neglected in dense urban contexts today.
leveraging The elements in biophilic design - light
One possible interpretation of this concept when designing a biophilic design space comes from harnessing the four elements: fire, earth, air and water. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6491965/#B69 )
The idea of using fire can be seen through UV light and heat therapy. The right amount of lighting can help align the body’s circadian rhythm by mediating shifts in light exposure that modify duration of nocturnal melatonin production (the hormone that promotes sleep).
This is important because by pushing melatonin production to sleeping hours, people are more awake and energized throughout the day. Light exposure also has important implications for serotonin production: the happy hormone.
Activation of serotonergic neurons helps regulate brain development and function. Irregularities in these neurons are associated with many psychiatric disorders (such as depression and anxiety) that are often seen developing amongst individuals working typical 9-5 jobs. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6405415/ )
A general increase in alertness can be attributed to a light source that mimics the sun because of the hormonal production it promotes in the brain so for environments where performance and efficiency are required, it would be of use to have lighting that most resembles nature and can support these biological processes.
leveraging The elements in biophilic design - plants & earth
The next element, earth, really relies on innate biological processes and connecting us to nature. Getting people away from urbanized workspaces by including plants, natural lighting and other natural elements has been proven to increase positive feelings, manage heart rate and control stress.
Forest bathing is a practice of “taking in the forest” to inspire a reconnection to the earth (see our article on this subject here). Practices like forest bathing that involve multi-sensory immersion in deep nature have been shown to significantly increase scores of positive feelings while significantly decreasing scores of negative feelings after stimuli compared with the urban stimuli. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350610003203 ).
Also, heart rate analysis indicated that the forest environment significantly increased parasympathetic (restores body’s sense of calm) nervous activity and significantly suppressed sympathetic (activates fight or flight) activity of participants compared with the urban environment.
Alongside this decrease of nervous energy throughout the body there is an important decrease in cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that plays an important role in; helping respond to stress, fighting infection, regulating blood sugar, maintaining blood pressure, regulating metabolism.
Elevated cortisol levels are associated with less perceived control which means, more difficulty paying attention to the task at hand. Hypothesized disturbance in circadian rhythm (relating to cortisol production) needs further investigation but is linked to a change. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8882096/ ).
Air goes along with the idea of using plants in a working environment because of the clean air benefits they provide. The importance of this element relies on a lack of pollution in the surrounding environment (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13181-011-0203-1 ).
Emerging preclinical evidence suggests that air pollution may induce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, microglial activation, and cerebrovascular dysfunction, while potentially altering the blood–brain barrier.
Oxidative stress (https://www.healthline.com/health/oxidative-stress#:~:text=Oxidative%20stress%20is%20an%20imbalance,easily%20react%20with%20other%20molecules. ) is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants that can have a chain reaction in the body. This can cause large chemical reactions in your body that can either be beneficial of harmful.
Neuroinflammation refers to the process of the brain’s immune system response. This is important to keep in check because too much inflammation, like among most things, means brain disease.
Microglia are the macrophages of the central nervous system that play a keep role in brain development so microglial activation are important in coordinating “a plan of attack” when disease is sensed in the brain. But if this are activated when not needed, they can potentially cause more harm than good.
Cerebrovascular dysfunction just refers to insufficiencies of blood supply to the brain that result in a multitude of issues. The importance of having fresh, clean air helps to prevent from many diseases and can be utilized in a working environment with the inclusion of plants or air filters or things alike.
leveraging The elements in biophilic design - water
The last element, water, is one that can prove a little more difficult to incorporate into an everyday workspace. The main therapies involving water are things like hydrotherapy and balneotherapy. Hydrotherapy is just using water in any form as a form of noninvasive treatment while balneotherapy is the practice of bathing in minerals and other additives and is used more particularly in spas and pools for arthritis support.
Hydrotherapy reduces pain/stress through easing muscle tension with water support and also promoting the release of endorphins. (https://connecthealth.org.au/enews/why-water-works-4-hydrotherapy-health-benefits/#:~:text=Warm%20water%20hydrotherapy%20has%20been,to%20further%20reduce%20muscle%20soreness ) Endorphins are the hormones released when your body feels pain or stress.
They act as messengers from the brain to the rest of the body to let it know something isn’t right and to reduce pain, relieve stress therefore, improving mood. Hydrotherapy also helps boost immunity by increasing circulation of white blood cells that allows lymph (immune system fluid that helps get rid of waste) to better work and move around body.
While not all office spaces are equipped to have saunas or pools clearly(!), having water accessible in an office yields similar results. (https://solaramentalhealth.com/can-drinking-enough-water-help-my-depression-and-anxiety/#:~:text=Water%20has%20been%20shown%20to,can%20create%20feelings%20of%20relaxation. )
Not only is it important to provide employees with a drinkable water source for hydration, it may also be of use to implement water features within the interior design of a workplace too. (https://www.workdesign.com/2012/12/pros-and-cons-of-workplace-water-features/ )
The steady movement of a water feature provides for a natural and calming sound source as well as a soothing visual that keeps people in tune with nature. The flow of water can also help to mask the noise of a busy office environment while providing visual respite from screens.
Something such as a water fountain or a water cooler often becomes a place of interaction among workers and can increase personal relationships through the act of gathering. Something important to keep in mind, however, is that water features could be distracting for some because of the same beneficial reasons laid out above: too noisy, easy to stare at for hours or prompting people to gather and chat rather than work.
The benefits of water in an office space go far passed the obvious necessities and can spark an important conversation about how to incorporate this element to improve employee performance.
One of the most important concepts when creating an optimal working environment is connecting back to nature. An easy way to do this can be through using techniques outlined by the four elements: fire, earth, air and water.
Further reading:
Benefits of Green Exercise with Dr. Mike Rogerson
Here we're looking at green care and the benefits of nature exposure for seniors in care homes, different types of natural settings and how they ca impact our mental wellbeing, social exercise vs solo exercise and of course more on the green exercise theme. Biofilico healthy building consultants. Matt Morley. Dr Mike Rogerson.
Welcome to episode 054 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we discuss the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate and interiors.
I’m your host, Matt Morley, Founder of Biofilico -a healthy buildings consultancy based in Barcelona and London.
In this episode I’m in Essex to the east of London talking to Dr. Mike Rogerson of the University of Essex.
Mike has a PhD in Sports and Exercise Science, his research interests include the links between exercise, the environment and wellbeing as well as what is known as ‘green exercise’ that involves an element of nature combined with physical activity.
We collaborated together back in 2017 on a research study into the benefits of biophilic design in a gym environment, exploring the additional mental health benefits of training in that type of nature-inspired indoor environment. The link to that study is in the show notes.
In this discussion though, we’re looking at green care and the benefits of nature exposure for seniors in care homes, different types of natural settings and how they ca impact our mental wellbeing, social exercise vs solo exercise and of course more on the green exercise theme.
Mike has a conspicuously well trained mind, he is able to handle multiple threads in an argument simultaneously, seamlessly nudging various arguments forward, piece by piece, making it I believe a remarkably easy conversation to follow despite the academic depth and obvious rigor that lies behind his thoughts.
FULL TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS COURTESY OF OTTER.AI - EXCUSE TYPOS!
Matt Morley
Mike, thank you for joining us on the podcast. I'd really like to establish the scene with a little bit of background on your connection to nature. How did that become part of your career within the sports and exercise science space?
Dr Mike Rogerson
Yeah, good, good place to start, I guess. So first of all, I've always been not extremely so but like an outdoors appreciator, an outdoors kind of person, I spend a lot of outdoor time as a child just with friends at the local park to be honest, so I say nothing too extreme.
But then in terms of my professional nature connection, my my undergraduate dissertation, during my my first degree in Sport and Exercise Sciences, focused on what was at the time very new strand of research called Green exercise.
So I did projects that sounded interesting to me. And then through the process of doing it, I had my own kind of methodological and research related thoughts about it.
So so that sparked my interest. And then when I decided after a few years after university, when I'd been living in London, a few other places doing various things, came back around to it and then decided wants to do a master's in psychology because I was interested in that kind of stuff.
But always with an eye on returning at some point to to address the issues, I thought there were with the green exercise kind of research area. So that's how my professional nature connection kind of got started.
Benefits of green exercise in a natural environment
Matt Morley
Okay, so let's loop back round that the green exercise bit, I wanted to lay a baseline in terms of the benefits and the why. And I think perhaps the root in for that could be the concept of green care, which is arguably, perhaps more extreme in a sense, but also, if you're able to make an impact there.
How interesting that the idea of a dose of vitamin nature for people, for example, living with dementia could genuinely improve their quality of life.
So I'm wondering if you could just talk to us a little bit about that. And also considering things like, you know, whether there are certain ages where nature exposure can can be more or less beneficial?
Dr. Mike Rogerson
Yeah, the first thing to say is definitely a universal thing in that, from what I've seen, certainly in the research, most people can get some kind of benefit. But the benefit each individual gets will be down to things like age or previous experience.
And, and also potentially, the reason why they are engaging with the nature environment in the first place for that acute experience will lead into it. So there's research showing that nature, type, time spent in nature, as a child can can buffer life stresses, both as a child and then into adulthood, as well, we have this thing called placemaking, where if somebody gets a connection with particular placement of that nature or not, then that can be a powerful tool that they they then use that to almost serve a function of finding a mental space when they visit there to to address problems they might be having and feel restored.
And of course, then it's theoretical reasons why a nature environment might be additionally useful if you do pick nature environment, as the place to make. Whereas then, yeah, put the kind of green care end of things which tends to be older adults, not always. A lot of it is with older adults, then yeah, obviously, they've got the often they've got the aspect of reminiscence.
So if they spent time in nature as a child, for example, in the countryside or on a farm, then if a care provider takes them to a farm or other type of outdoor environment, they've got that reminiscence factor and it brings old memories back that otherwise wouldn't have done and then you sometimes find that they they are readily able to talk easily about old old memories because of the environment they're in.
Whereas otherwise they don't. They don't open up at all when they their memories very bad. So I've seen that. For example, in adults living with dementia, and the environment when they spend time in it a farm environment for example, seems really powerful tool and then momentarily cutting through some of those that kind of cloud that dementia is placed on them.
So it's a really powerful thing to witness. But But yeah, researchers also kind of touched on that and started to bear it out a bit more numerically. And with some some wonderful work qualitative insight to. So I'd say that the benefits are not universal in the sense that everyone gets the same thing all the time, or to this all to the same extent, but universal in the sense that most people, most of the time should be able to get some kind of benefit from from engaging with nature.
So establishing the benefits of exposure to nature. And we were doing that via Green care. But we can look at that in the next piece in group exercise. And then the ages whether it was Yeah, kids or adults, but I think we could okay.
Green exercise in nature for biophilia
Matt Morley
So let's use that as a springboard then and really get into your area of expertise around green exercise. So let's establish, first of all, what it is and and from there, how it can facilitate well being.
And perhaps if you could talk a bit a little bit about the potential that you identify with green exercise in terms of particularly that study you did from 2020, around regular doses of nature.
Dr Mike Rogerson
Okay, yeah, they, the term green exercise, just quite simply is referring to some kind of physical activity, whilst experiencing nature in some way. So, most regularly, you could think of a walk in the park, for example, however, don't have to be experiencing nature. In terms of being there in the place, it might just be a case of looking at images of nature. So some kind of nature experience and some kind of physical activity.
So on the physical activity side of stuff that could be what you consider exercise or even sport.
Or it could just be more kind of activities based in nature, like horticulture, or allotment tending to an allotment, that kind of thing, or doing some kind of task at the farm, even. So there's different types of green exercise. So I don't believe to be put off by the term exercise, it's just just the umbrella term that's kind of used so so both kind of influences of an environment on an exercise behavior or outcomes of exercise.
And things like green care could both be considered under the green exercise umbrella. So that's kind of what it is and what's underneath that umbrella and in terms of the the outcomes that have been reported by the research in terms of exercise more in terms of walking and cycling.
The classic findings are, exercise improves your psychological well being and in the short and the longer term. But exercise in nature might offer additional boosts to that so even bigger, improvements in mood or self esteem or restored levels of attention. That kind of thing.
And on the green care side, there's lots of kind of evaluative work been done, which I'll come on to, in relation to the 2020 study in a second. And a lot of the time, that kind of mood or other wellbeing related questionnaires.
So the borrower can have a wellbeing scale, for example, in the UK, and then some some interview. So qualitative insight into what difference Greencare experiences seems to be making to people, both in short term and over things like 12 week programs, or longer than that.
So yeah, in the 2020 study, you mentioned, Matt, the point is, I had lots of data from those kinds of valuations where it's a well being targeted project for a specific, vulnerable group of some kind, whether that's older adults living with dementia, or youth risk, or homelessness and lots of different vulnerabilities, where they would use the environment in some way as the base or as a really key component of that wellbeing program.
So I mentioned already the dementia wellbeing project, but it's based on a farm, I looted to that already. There's also another organization, we work with a lot locally, called the wilderness Foundation, which is a youth at risk related projects to do with wellbeing and recovery from other serious issues. So essentially, it's a it's a therapy program, but the environment is key to it. So they take them to wilderness environments, including up to up to the cane gardens in Scotland. And that that, that space they go to becomes a key component of the therapy.
So what I did is I pulled the data from lots of different projects like that, because on their own, there wasn't enough data to properly analyze it statistically. But together, there is a method where once you pull that data, you can do a proper statistical analysis of the data.
So So did that. And unsurprisingly, probably, it came out that these projects seem to be benefiting people's mental well being as measured by the Bar Academy for Wellbeing Scale, which right now in the UK is the kind of the go to, for overall mental well being. And I split that analysis in one part by by how long the project was. So was it 12 weeks? Or was it I think 26 Weeks was, was the other group. And both of those groups showed improvements over time and mental well being.
The slightly longer projects showed slightly larger improvement, but most of the improvement was gained after only 12 weeks. And then another finding of of that particular paper was that for for different types of people, there were different extents of the benefit that they they seem to gain from going on these projects.
So although everyone showed some kind of not everyone, but overall, most people showed improvement in their mental well being score, the people who started off with the lowest scores showed the biggest improvement. So that's a real demonstration of the kind of leveling up ability of of these nature based wellbeing projects. And it shows that maybe the most vulnerable could get the most benefit.
Matt Morley
So when you say that the lowest scores, so is that in terms of current mood, in current sort of self esteem, sense of vitality, what were the markers in that?
Dr Mike Rogerson
So this particular project I've just been talking about was the only data that I had that was from the same measure across all of the projects was the Warwick Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale. So that's a measure of kind of globe, a superficial and overall measure of somebody's mental well being. So that that can be categorized into high, medium and low in relation to the UK national kind of average.
So when I'm talking about people with low mental well being made the greatest improvements, more more definitely speaking, I mean, people that were in the low category of mental well being at the start of a project made the bigger improvements compared to people who started from average to high category, so they really caught up, which was amazing.
Matt Morley
It's interesting, you know, I'm thinking back to our 2017 study, you know, at that point, the concept was effectively and Jim and I was assuming it was going to be a pretty standard fitness studio gym for your average gym goer. But since then, so much interest has come from perhaps slightly more peripheral areas of the market. I mean, you've mentioned disadvantaged kids
Kids recovering from trauma. I've had requests come in, like, could you create a green jungle gym type space for us within this NGO office? For kids to be able to play in anything? Oh, yeah. What a wonderful idea. Or in an old people's home in a care home, could you create a space for training, mobility and balance, but then it's all biophilic and green?
You know, increasingly, I see the benefits there for perhaps groups that, that need it even just that little bit more. And they might be, as you say, in that lower segment, right? Because you can just make that such a big leap from from one mental state to another.
Dr Mike Rogerson
Yeah, absolutely. And then the, yeah, unfortunately, rightly or wrongly work, work in kind of like pharmaceutical terms, if you like, don't be with them with well being. And often it obviously is treated with with pharmaceutical medications. And in that kind of language, if we're talking about where's the biggest bang for our buck?
It's bits with the people who will make the greatest improvements and have the most catching up to do if you like, in that sense, so. So yeah, I think it's, that's in terms of the research pointing towards that, which previous research of other types has done.
So there was a study by a researcher by the surname Mitchell up in Scotland, two, who showed number of years ago that access to green space can can essentially lessen the socio economic disadvantage on on people's mental health. So there's that discrepancy between socio economic groups, but the access to green space that somebody has can then can minimize that discrepancy. So, so that kind of leveling up is a real thing.
Biophilic design in luxury wellness spas gyms
Matt Morley
So, you know, that's it, I think, just to sort of sort of round that piece of interest in the the other area, we're now seeing some interest is arguably in the very highest upper percentile, where they're just trying to like in a Wellness Center in a in a fairly prestigious corner of London, for example, where they're just trying to squeeze every last drop of wellness and wellbeing and happiness and mood enhancing benefits from a space.
So you're already going in having a spa treatment and the like, Okay, well, if we layer in biophilic design, and we bring that outside world in and we bring in some nature to this space, can we get a little bit more bang for our buck?
So it's interesting, in a sense, the market bifurcates and sort of splits into I think, perhaps the, you know, arguably, the area in the middle is perhaps the area where you don't want to be I think it's perhaps if anything, either in the sight to disadvantaged area, or in the area where there's, there's more budget, and there's more interest in just getting every last drop of wellness, but it does raise the question, then, what type of, of nature or natural settings we're talking about?
You know, I might, in my mind, we often did things along the green lines, right, it was it was forest scenes and what have you, but I know that in 2015, you looked at some different versions of that of the types of natural settings. So what were the outcomes from that piece of work?
Dr Mike Rogerson
Yeah, so we did that study, because of the point you've just raised what what kind of nature and and just to backtrack very slightly, when we look at Green exercise we choose we've chosen that color. I mean, you can argue it's because because we coined the term in the UK, University of Essex and and nature to us looks largely green in color.
However, when we talk about green excise, that that really the word green pertains to nature, it like we could have chosen another color, you know, and then there is the blue exercise group that has very similar idea but focuses more predominantly on on water.
You go to Australia, and there's much more orange in in nature environment. So yeah, great green is really pertaining to that. So we, we looked at just looking at real green excise happening in the real world, which A popular example of that is now parkrun events, so a 5k, run or walk how have you found it in a local park?
So I selected four different Park run events, which varies in terms of the amount of water they had, and it's a very predominantly a kind of environment. It was some of the grasslands are a heritage site park built around culture to castle or along the beach. Just to see do we get different findings from different green excise environments?
And I guess positively, the answer was no, not really. Problem. It's all good. So that was the kind of the short answer and then and go beyond that. We we measured a bunch of factors about individuals. So like age, gender, about their, about their exercise I did. So how fast did they run the 5k, Park run event and things like that. And then stuff about the environment as well. So was it cloudy Was it raining.
And obviously, in fact, there were four very different types of environments. So to see how much of the benefit, the psychological benefits of exercise that we measured, which was self esteem, mood, and perceived stress, could be explained by those factors we measured.
And what we found, again, I think positively, is that we couldn't explain more than 10% of the improvement people showed in those psychological outcomes. Which terms tells me that the vast majority, somewhere around 90% or more was due to stuff we didn't measure.
So it doesn't matter who you are, or how fast you run park around, or whether it's raining that day, or which type of green environment you go for, you should be able to get most of the benefits of green exercise experience. So actually see that is a really, really positive result, it turns that universality of retaining psychological benefits of a green exercise.
And just to round that off, I think it's important to say, we didn't include an alternative type environment, like an urban environment or a non green environment. And that was because most other green exercise research does make that comparison is green versus non green.
So whether that's outdoors versus in a gym, or in a green environment, like a park versus in the inner city center. And predominantly, those those studies are showing that green can give you those boosts. So so we didn't include that comparison. In our study I've just talked about we just compared within our kind of spectrum of, of popular green exercise environments.
Social exercise vs solitary exercise
Matt Morley
Okay, so that study then was looking at what we might classify as a social exercise setting. So it was, to some extent, I mean, obviously, you're running alone, or you may be running with a friend or your or your husband or wife or your kids in the background. It's always quite a sort of, but it's a collective experience, right?
Then you look at a gym, the majority of people are training in the gym, or if you look at trail running, for example, that can be pretty solitary. And there can be beauty in that too. I find certainly that something about that that connection with nature and having the time to think and reflect and or listen to audiobooks, or whatever it is that you do is part of the experience.
But I know that you've also looked at this in a much more rigorous and scientific way in the past. And I wondered how you what the outcomes were from that process of looking at group versus lone green exercise participation.
Dr Mike Rogerson
So yeah, we we got people to do a typical grid excise experience. So a joke around the kind of green space on our university campus, actually, in this case. And they did that either on their own or as as part of a group.
And what we found, again, at the kind of like my superficial level was that the exercise experience elicited improvements in in the psychological variables that we measured, which was self esteem and mood, and also seem to increase people's reported level of connection to nature in both conditions, which sounds surprising, because it was in the same green space each time.
But we didn't find a difference in the psychological outcomes between our two groups or two conditions. So doing it on your own versus doing it with other people. So although superficially that that suggests, it doesn't make any difference, whether you do it on your own or with others, just from that study alone, it it doesn't really tell us about the potential nuances.
So for example, when you're doing green excise on your own, you might be more frequently attending to the environment. So focusing on on a tree blowing in the wind, for example, that kind of thing. Whereas when you're doing a social experience, you might not notice that as much, but you might get alternative benefits to those psychological outcomes from having a conversation and enjoying the social interaction.
So we don't really know whether the social setting makes no difference to the influence of green on you the influence of the environment, or whether it just kind of diminishes that and gives you a different benefit instead, which is more of a cup comes from that social experience. So, so it kind of raises more questions than answers.
But that was certainly a first step in trying to get one of those nuances of, of the green exercise experience and the outcomes, I think it's a positive thing, certainly from my perspective, because it means I think it leaves the door open to, to use a term I know that you've coined but the idea of exercise squared, so like doubling up with with extra benefits from indoor or outdoor green exercise in a collective group.
So whether it's CrossFit or hit training, whatever it might be, but equally, if it's a one on one session, and you're in a green exercise environment, you can still get similar type benefits. So I think it's not closing anything, it's sort of, it's allowing opportunities for all kinds of goodness, maybe with some distinctions between the type of hormone releases that we're getting, and the ones that we're getting from into connection with other people.
And that social engagement versus as you say, just Yeah, breathing in all those phytoncides sides in the forest and breathing fresh air and sort of connecting with nature is slightly different, but still, goodness, right. And I think often come to this philosophical point, when it comes to research findings, and the point is, sometimes does it matter how it works?
Dr Mike Rogerson
And, and for most people, most of the time, I think it's the latter. For me, as an academic, I'm very interested. So I want to know how it works. And many other people do too. Indeed, that that is key to in terms of that pharmaceutical language and bang for your buck.
Well, if we can make tweaks to the, to the experience, like they make tweaks to a medication to try to make it work better and give you more benefit from it, that's when we need to know how it works. So I do think it's important, but in the acute experience of doing it, and getting the benefits on that occasion, is probably the latter, it's just that it works.
Matt Morley
I think there's another angle to as well, which is about automaticity, and finding ways that people can actually start enjoying it for themselves on some inner level, and therefore keep going and repeating and make it a habit. And for some people, that solitary exercise thing is just not happening.
It's just not in their psyche to get out of bed at six in the morning and hit the workout and reach those peaks. But but if there's a group of people or your best buddy around the corner, waiting for you on the corner of the park, then then you're good.
And you know, you have to has to adapt, I think that's the positive message that I take, what you're saying is that, you know, exercise is very personal. I think some people it is a solitary experience, and it's just you go deep into the cave, and you knock it out and you get the job done and other people, they need that interaction and then need accountability, and so on and so forth. What you're saying is great exercise works in both cases.
Dr Mike Rogerson
Yeah, I think so. Yeah. I agree with everything you've said there. And it's why a lot of health interventions, now they, they, they're interested in the amount of kind of social support around the person who's going to be doing it. And we often hear about somebody's doing a particular, whether it's a diet or physical activity intervention, and a family member says yeah, I'll do it with you. I'll do it with you. And that makes a huge difference to many, many people. So yeah, I totally agree.
Matt Morley
When you're looking ahead, and we're talking before we started recording, but around where this can all go. If you if you look 3—5 years into the future in terms of what you're doing around the Green Expo space at what what's left to be done, or what would you like to see in terms of further evidence based research coming through that you think can make a real impact? He has a lot lots of things to be totally honest with you.
Dr Mike Rogerson
From across the research field, excused upon trying to make everyone's research more rigorous, also, starting to more more so use the same measures each other across different institutions, different countries, so we got more comparable results, and then we can pull the results easier like I did in in the doses Nature paper we talked about earlier. So there's that.
To be honest, the research area in the modern day started in 2000 to 2003. I feel like there's a lot of very, very interesting early findings, but now we need to increase that rigor. Wherever we can start getting at the mechanisms more so we can say more fine tune the experience for certain people. And in terms of my my particular kind of next steps I think exciting is the virtual reality use without Reality.
So yeah, that's what I mentioned earlier, isn't it? I think that we need to use virtual reality. Not instead of every other type of research, but where we do lab based research. Previously, we've shown people big screens with images of different environments on.
And in fact, the benefit of doing it in labs, you control the exercise, and understand the exercise rigorously. But now we've got this wonderful virtual reality technology, we can make that exercise experience more immersive and hopefully slightly more like the real thing.
So that then when we compare our lab based results to our more ecologically valid comparisons of indoor versus outdoor exercise, and things like that, then then it will marry up easier. And we can understand these mechanisms better through the control and rigor it offers.
Matt Morley
Nice. I look forward to following along for another five years or so. See what you're up to.
the role of water in a Healthy Building strategy
Here we explore the role of water in a healthy building strategy, from water management to promoting hydration via hydration stations, water purification measures and guidance from the WELL healthy building certification on water purity levels. Biofilico consultants.
the importance of water in sustainable buildings and healthy buildings
Water within the built environment is often considered from a sustainability or sustainable buildings perspective, covering subjects such as water efficiency, reuse, and reduction strategies. However, water is also, clearly, an important aspect of human health and therefore forms part of a healthy building strategy too.
The convenient availability and consistent quality of potable water is important for building occupants in an office environment for example as it helps promote healthy hydration levels during the workday and all of the cognitive performance factors that go hand in hand with that.
Moisture management, especially in areas within the building that are prone to damp or high levels of humidity, such as bathrooms or shower areas say, need to be monitored for issues such as mold growth, that in turn negatively affect indoor air quality (IAQ) and have detrimental effects on human health.
In addition to these elements of the WELL Healthy Building Standard’s “Water” concept, there are also specific products and practical solutions that can be integrated into real estate projects to help with healthy water management practices. Read on to find out more…
Water Quality in healthy building plans
In order for potable water to be made available in buildings, it must first meet health thresholds for a variety of chemicals and substances, as outlined in the WELL Healthy Building Standard’s “Water” concept.
First up, some basics that you might not otherwise think about. In order to even approach a tap in a building, water must travel from its source to a treatment plant to be filtered, where it then is distributed through an extensive system of pipes.
This multi-stage process introduces a number of variables, meaning it can be difficult to track and regulate the quality of water as it moves to a site - regulations vary based on location and water quality may fluctuate based on a variety of external factors. Consequently water within buildings must be regularly managed and tested for the prevalence of contaminants to ensure its compliance with health parameters.
monitoring for water contaminants in healthy buildings
Turbidity and coliforms are two commonly used indicators that are used to measure water contaminants. Turbidity essentially denotes the “cloudiness” of water, which on its own does not mean that the quality is poor per se but as it allows for masking and easier growth of microbes, it can suggest the presence of contaminants, making it harder to treat the water.
Coliforms are a naturally present bacteria, and are generally harmless, although some are related to fecal contamination and can cause serious health concerns if consumed.
There are many other contaminants that can be present in drinking water, and these vary greatly based on location and local water management.
Dissolved metals from pipes, organic pollutants, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers leached from soils, public water additives, and disinfectant byproducts can all be present in drinking water, negatively impacting its quality.
In addition to the regulation of numerous water contaminants, the WELL standard also notes the importance of managing Legionella colonization. This bacterium can cause lung disease and even death if inhaled in hot water systems such as spas, hot tubs, fountains, or humidifiers. As with many other bacteria, Legionella can be regulated through regular turbidity measurements, as well as residual chlorine and pH monitoring.
Water quality is the most essential characteristic to promote a healthy human relationship to water within buildings. The WELL standard thereby requires regular testing, monitoring, and reporting of various indicators to ensure high quality water throughout a building.
Promoting hydration in a healthy building plan
Hydration is intimately linked to the accessibility and quality of water. Essentially, in those places with low tap water quality there is likely to be lower levels of hydration and a higher prevalence of bottled water purchased in plastic containers, causing other issues at an environmental level such as excess single-use plastic use and waste production. This is one obvious example of the interconnectedness of human health and environmental health in the built environment.
The availability of drinking fountains and other water dispensers throughout a building, be it an office, cultural or educational facility, provides enhanced opportunities for occupants to stay well hydrated. without recourse to purchasing bottled water.
Such ‘hydration stations’ should also contain water that is appealing in terms of aesthetics and taste. Although drinking water must reach technical health-based thresholds, it is important that it is desirable in terms of color and taste for the user. If the color appears redder due to iron prevalence or tastes saltier due to high chloride levels, for example, people may be less inclined to drink the water and stay hydrated.
Moisture Management in a healthy building strategy
In addition to the water that is purposefully being brought into the building, it is also important to recognize that unwanted moisture and water may be present as well. Excess moisture affects around 20% of buildings across the U.S., Europe, and Canada. This dampness can lead to the growth of mold, which causes a variety of health issues for building occupants, as well as inviting in other pests, in turn causing additional building problems.
One fifth of asthma problems in the U.S. have been linked to excess moisture in buildings. In addition to these building-related respiratory issues, trapped water in building envelopes can host small creatures that lead to the degradation of building materials and their integrity. Corrosion of building materials and structure can lead to a variety of other problems in addition to the negative health impacts of unwanted moisture.
Regular inspections should be completed to eliminate the fear of mold and excess moisture, and the building envelope should be carefully designed to reduce the amount of water that enters the building as much as possible. In addition, mold and trapped moisture can arise from interior water sources, especially in places where water is present in surplus such as bathrooms, showers, or indoor pools. These spaces should be especially closely monitored.
LARQ pitchers use UV light and a plant-based filter cartridge
Water Management Products in a healthy building
There are a variety of water management strategies, systems, and products that can aid healthy building managers with the upkeep of healthy potable water in buildings. The most basic strategy is to install water filtration devices, using technologies such as carbon filters, reverse osmosis (RO) systems, and ion exchange resins. I
There are also other newer technologies such as ultraviolet (UV) light devices, which disinfect at the point of use and can be effective at killing microbes.
UV disinfection systems claim to eliminate 99.9% of waterborne living organism in water and can therefore greatly increase the quality of water. However, it is important to note the difference between traditional filters and UV systems—filters physically remove contaminants from the water through their processes, while UV treatments kill the bacteria without removing them from the water.
It is therefore important to have clear water when using UV systems to ensure the light can reach all organisms in the water. Ideally, some sort of filter and a UV light disinfection system should be used in tandem to ensure the healthiest, cleanest water in a building.
UV disinfection systems can be installed at building level through built-in systems, all the way down to a personal level, through hand-held products. Several manufacturers provide building level UV systems that can be easily installed at the point of entry and help with the disinfection process.
For the individual user, the LARQ Bottle is an exciting self-cleaning water bottle product, which eliminates bacteria in your bottle with the press of a UV light button. In addition, the SteriPen is a handheld device that can be placed in a water source and works to eliminate bacteria through UV light, producing a smiley face when done to indicate success.
for our guide to the essential principles of a healthy building strategy, see here.
Best Examples of Biophilic Design in Schools: Student Learning Environments — biofilico wellness interiors
A review of 5 best school, education and learning environments that leverage biophilic design to create healthy and sustainable places of study for students in Mexico, USA, China, New Zealand and Sweden. By Biofilico sustainable healthy building consultants. Matt Morley. London, Barcelona.
Ecokid Kindergarten, Vietnam
This nature-inspired kindergarten was designed by LAVA, an architecture studio with offices in Sydney, Stuttgart and Berlin. The client was the Hoo Goong Education Development & Investment with a 6300m2 site in Vinh, near Hanoi in northern Vietnam.
Incorporating biophilic design principles, this kindergarten aims to uplift students and staff, improve mood, reduce stress, and enhance well-being by integrating natural elements into educational environments.
Three semi-circular buildings with three floors each are connected by a series of bridges with multiple outdoor play spaces scattered in between to ensure nature is never far from view, whether indoors in a classroom or outside.
The stripped back building envelopes are characterised by curves, circular glazing and an irregular format with primary colour detailing.
Inside structural pillars and ceilings are masked in yet more curvilear forms, minimizing the presence of right-angles and bringing the play areas in, making them feel safer, less formal and playful.
Everything from the sofas to the indoor swimming pool has been created in the same organic, non linear forms.
LAVA won Gold in the 2019 Sydney Design Awards for the Kindergarten under “Architecture - Public or Institutional”.
Kakapo Creek Early Learning Centre in New Zealand
Located in Auckland, New Zealand, the Kakapo Creek early learning center was built with the best interest for children and the planet alike, making it a prime example of biophilic design in an educational environment.
The center was effectively embedded within the existing natural environment with just three small trees removed during its construction in 2021. A circular-shaped building has an open roofed central courtyard with a playground space for the children, creating an opportunity for biophilia - contact with nature - connecting the indoor and outdoor areas. The design also incorporates ample natural light, enhancing student performance, well-being, and productivity.
A series of spacious, open-air rooms allow for natural ventilation of the structure, reducing the need for heating and cooling, thereby decreasing carbon impact, through an eco friendly sustainable building design. The center’s shape was built around a small stream that passes by the building. Incorporating natural elements like plants and water further benefits the environment and the children's well-being.
Some of the building materials used within the structure were upcycled from existing houses and native plant roof tops cap the build. The green roof reduces stormwater run-off by over 50%, filtering the water and allowing it to flow back into the stream.
This biophilic learning space of the future provides a nourishing environment for children to grow alongside their natural environment.
The Paul Chevallier School in Lyon, France
Located in Lyon, France, the Paul Chevallier School stands out for its exceptional biophilic design, evident across its elementary and nursery sections. The layout, characterized by v-shaped structures enveloping an outdoor area, seamlessly integrates with natural landscapes. Additionally, green roofs extend outdoor spaces and provide additional exploration areas, fostering better educational outcomes.
Including a vegetable garden and proximity to a woodland park ensures classrooms offer scenic views, embedding nature into the learning environment. Furthermore, strategically placed floor-to-ceiling windows flood spacious corridors with natural light, promoting mental well-being among young students and enhancing sensory elements for improved educational outcomes.
Karolinska Institutet Health Promotion Unit, Sweden - biophilic design example
Designed by Biofit and officially opened in January 2018, the Karolinska Institutet’s eco gym was created for the Health Promotion Unit of the university. Located in Stockholm Sweden, the gym was built to enable students and staff to stay active and de-stress throughout the study day, or night!
Using organic interior design elements such as sustainable materials, air-purifying plants, forest aromatherapy, natural colours, greenery, and natural materials like wood and stone, biophilic design is present from floor to ceiling.
The facility has recycled material, moss-like carpets, bamboo camouflaged speakers, Japanese style kokedama moss balls, acoustic moss ceiling panels, a giant Swedish forest wall mural, and wellness lighting.
Natural fitness equipment occupies the gym including eco-friendly sandbags, natural fibre climbing ropes, sustainable wood wall bars, handmade push-up bars and lifting logs, vintage leather medicine balls, sustainable cork foot massage balls, wood gymnastics rings and various other ‘workout toys’ to encourage movement based training.
Biophilic design positively impacts emotional well-being by reducing stress levels and enhancing overall mental health.
The Biofit designed Karolinska Institutet eco gym is a natural space where students and staff can build their physical and mental wellness, connecting with and supporting the other spaces nearby for students such as functional training gym, a white light room and yoga studio.
University of Chicago Student Wellness Centre, USA
In a building project completed in 2022, University of Chicago brought together their Student Health Service, Student Counseling Service, and Health Promotion and Wellness group into a single biophilic structure.
The building also acts as a tranquil, restorative space for students to relax and work on their studies. The quality of healthy furniture was a high priority of thebiophilic interior design project.
The Student Wellness Center was adorned with sustainable interior furniture to provide nookes of solidarity to encourage collaboration. The quality of healthy furniture was a high priority of the biophilic interior design project.
All pieces were ensured to be clean air certified, minimizing the risk of Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs being emitted from furniture that would end up polluting the indoor air.
These harmful chemicals (don’t be fooled by the friendly ‘organic’ in their name!) have been proven to decrease cognitive functioning, among a slew of other health effects - see here for more on the health risks of VOCs.
By procuring such healthy and sustainable furniture, the interior designers contributed to the cognitive performance and indeed physical health of students and faculty, while minimizing their environmental impact. It’s a win-win!
Many of the internal corridors of the building are softly-lit providing tranquil spaces of relaxation with warm, yellow light and areas designed for productivity are illuminated in full by white light.
The base structure of the Student Wellness Center is a historic, gothic hospital. The new structure engages with the old building’s architecture bringing the natural elements of stone walls and arches within the walls of the center contributing to its biophilic design.
Plants are placed throughout the building to provide green spaces and boost mental health. With a focus on biophilic design, the University of Chicago sought to give students a calm and relaxing space to boost student wellness and productivity.
The Benenden School in Kent, UK
Biophilic design is embraced at the Benenden School in Kent, UK, to enrich the learning experience. The classroom, constructed from sustainably harvested timber, incorporates natural textures for a stimulating interior. A sedum roof provides insulation while offering views of the surrounding Victorian Water garden through a large doorway.
A wooden bridge extends over a pond, facilitating the exploration of the natural elements. This eco-friendly classroom encourages outdoor learning year-round, fostering an appreciation for nature's seasonal changes and providing an inspiring alternative to traditional indoor settings.
Green School, Mexico - Example of Biophilic Design
Opening in 2023 within a new residential development, the Green School in Tulum follows on from similar successes in Bali and South Africa under the same name and represents what looks to be a truly striking biophilic design for educational spaces.
This early childhood education center will become Mexico’s first truly sustainable school as it is being built from healthy building materials aiming to become as close to carbon neutral as possible upon launch. The design emphasizes a strong connection to the natural world, incorporating elements like plants, light, and water.
Currently under construction, the early visuals show organic structures that curve and bend, avoiding the rectilinear structures of a more urban environment in favor of something entirely more in tune with the verdant surroundings on the Mexican coast.
Sustainable materials include locally sourced wood and moulding stone alongside bamboo. Bamboo is one of the best materials in terms of sustainability as it is a fast growing grass that regenerates each time it is cut and does not need to be replanted. This allows repeated, plentiful harvests from the same crop.
This is the type of knowledge that will be taught in the future green school of Tulum as classes will encourage a green community, lifestyle, and future.
Sustainability classes are among many others that stand out from the school’s projected curriculum. Humanities, Spanish, and Mayan will also be taught to preserve culture alongside the Earth.
Eastern Bay Area Experimental School - example of biophilic design
The Eastern Greater Bay Area Experimental School by CMAD Architects lies in the heart of Shenzhen, China where the surging demand for education and an increasing shortage of land has prompted a trend towards school buildings that build up vertically instead of spreading out laterally.
To increase students’ spatial bond with the environment, to ensure they are in contact with biophilic design and nature during their study days in other words, the CMAD architectural team created terraced or stacked roof space to achieve optimal use of a limited area. Natural light plays a crucial role in this design, enhancing well-being and fostering creativity among students.
Open-air learning spaces provides students an increased connection to natural biophilic spaces while also offering venues for recreation and activity such as sports fields, a track, and outdoor seating.
Not only does this terraced roof design create increased space, it also allows the building to shape to the land it is built upon as the terraces reflect the natural terrain around them, integrating a sense of place into the architecture.