Biophilic Design

September 8, 2017

Singapore’s Khoo Teck Puat Hospital: Biophilic Design in Action

Singapore’s Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) might well be the most biophilic hospital in Asia. In no other healthcare institution of this scale are elements of form, space and landscape so explicitly tied to the goal of human well-being—the very definition of biophilic design. The KTPH competition brief, from the onset, asked that the new…

August 30, 2017

Biophilic Design – The Key to Successful Designs in Hospitality

Just two years ago, Interface released a third-party verified research report titled “The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace,” now known as the Human Spaces report. Our research results were astonishing. With over 7,500 people surveyed across the world, there was a reported 15% increase in perceived wellbeing and creativity and a 6%…

June 22, 2017

A Positive Space to to Learn and Develop: The Garden School, Hackney

There is a wealth of evidence that harnessing a child’s innate attraction to the natural world through biophilic design can improve their physiological and psychological health. But despite this evidence, biophilic design principles have not been widely adopted in education spaces. There are all sorts of ways that biophilic design can be introduced into education…

June 18, 2017

Biophilic Design: A Pathway to WELL Certification at ASID Headquarters

I had the pleasure to visit ASID’s new HQ, the first space to receive both the WELL Platinum and LEED Platinum certifications. Becoming the first space to receive both the WELL Platinum and LEED Platinum certifications makes it truly one of a kind. ASID and Perkins+Will partnered to create an exceptional space that speaks to…

February 24, 2017

Remembering Stephen Kellert

Known by many as the “Godfather of Biophilia”, Dr Stephen Kellert’s extensive works on implementing nature in design have had a profound influence on the way we create spaces. In a previous article, Dr Kellert discussed the possibility of using biophilic design as a framework for the built environment, recognising that buildings can advance the…

February 13, 2017

Interface moves in to Mies van der Rohe Business Park

In October 2016, Interface moved its German headquarters to the Mies van der Rohe campus in Krefeld, a textile city on the Lower Rhine. Formerly occupied by the textile company VerSeidAG, it’s the only textile industrial campus that THE famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe planned and built. After Mies van der Rohe’s emigration…

January 23, 2017

Biophilic Design at Cranfield University

When refurbishing the Water Sciences Department at Cranfield University, Tracy Flynn, Development Project Manager, wanted to create a flexible space that would provide staff and students with areas to work independently, as well as places where they could work collaboratively to discuss ideas. Tracy was keen to use the principles of biophilic design – which…

December 8, 2016

Simulated Nature Research Gets Real, Part II

This two-part article is a collaboration between Bill Witherspoon, founder, Skye Witherspoon, CEO, and myself in my role as Director of Research Initiatives at The Sky Factory. It was inspired by Bill Browning’s Real vs. Simulated Nature section in The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace report, and its timely review to how…

November 22, 2016

Simulated Nature Research Gets Real, Part I

This article is a collaboration between Bill Witherspoon, founder, Skye Witherspoon, CEO, and myself in my role as Director of Research Initiatives at The Sky Factory. It was inspired by Bill Browning’s Real vs. Simulated Nature section in The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace report, and its timely review to how past…

October 3, 2016

Feeling Good, Working Well: Meridian Credit Union’s Biophilic Office

In the relocation of its Toronto corporate office, Meridian Credit Union’s transition team worked closely with designers Bullock + Wood and Interface to craft new offices that emphasize and support the well-being of its employees. As Ontario’s largest credit union, Meridian knows well what it takes to help its members grow. And in the process…