Wood is a key element in biophilic design
Biophilic design is a recently developed concept used within the building industry. Its goal is to allow the occupant of a space to connect to the natural environment to a greater degree through the incorporation of direct nature (such as access to sunlight, open air spaces, plan and animal life etc.) or indirect nature (such as images of nature, use of natural material, naturalistic shapes and colours, biomimicry and the like) in the occupied space, be it a place of work or a dwelling.
The idea of biophilia, i.e. the innate human inclination towards establishing connections with nature and other forms of life, was coined fairly recently in our history. The term originated in Erich Fromm’s work The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness, where it denoted a psychological orientation, a passionate love for life and living things. This concept was later used by the American evolutionary biologist Edward O. Wilson, in his work Biophilia (1984), in which he proposed that the human beings’ tendency to focus on and affiliate with the natural world and its various forms of life was rooted in our genetics. However, such observances are much older and can be traced, in some elements, at least as far back as the thought of Aristotle, although one might claim that the idea of biophilia has been present in the human thought since its earliest beginnings, at least as a feeling or an intuition.
Even as we moved away from the wilderness, the world of raw and untamed nature, we strived to bring with us all the natures comforts, the things that made us feel good and filled us with certain warmth and a sense of calm. Why else would the builders of some of the greatest wonders of the world, such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Madinat al-Zahra of the Umayyad caliphs in Muslim Spain, or the Forbidden City of the Ming emperors of China, dedicate so much thought and labour to making sure these monumental edifices were so rich in the most diverse forms of plantlife? Why would we today enjoy getting away from city life every now and then so much?
The purpose of biophilic design is to make it possible for modern humans to remain in touch with nature even in our everyday lives, personal and professional, as we become more and more aware of the benefits for both human health and the environment that come from us nurturing our innate affinity for living in some form of harmony with nature.
It only makes sense then that wood is becoming more popular as a material in construction and interior design. It isn’t just the living plants that ennoble our surroundings by keeping us close to our origins. Studies have shown that being surrounded by wood contributes to a sense of calm, as its proximity – even in its dead, processed, form – evokes memories of the great outdoors for modern-day civilised people, who spend the bulk of their lives indoors, surrounded by technology and concrete.
As research progresses and more results show increases in well-being for people in environments with wood, so the use of wood is becoming more common in the construction of new, more stimulating, biophilic dwellings and places of work and learning, particularly in the construction of schools. According to some studies, wood tends to make teachers and students feel happier and healthier. Testimonies indicate that wood-rich school environments help to improve concentration and lead to fewer occurrences of sick leave. One study found that students who were taught in buildings with wood exhibited significantly lower levels of stress, as well as lower blood pressure and heart rates, in comparison with those taught in school environments with no exposure to wood. An increase in the students’ creativity has also been noted.
Wood is a material which also helps reduce noise levels, further lowering stress and anxiety, and other adverse effects of living in densely populated urban areas. Another study compared learning results after the introduction of design elements in wood. The average increase in test points was in some cases measured to be up to 3.3 times higher in the classrooms where wood had been integrated with greenery. Similar benefits have also been noted in hospitals built from wood.
The increased use of wood shows mankind’s effort to reach to our beginnings in order to move forward happier, healthier, and unburdened by the avoidable and unnecessary negative side effects of urbanisation and technological progress. At Wood Plastix, we’re doing our share to make biophilic construction the norm and to help the benefits of wood-rich environments become accessible to the widest possible number of people.
