Biophilic Design

May 11, 2015

Biophilic Engagement in Healthcare Spaces, Part I

Wander through a major hospital in any modern city and a single visual element is likely to dominate the space: nature art is everywhere! Nature art: Images as representative symbols It’s been over 30 years since Roger Ulrich’s trailblazing study on the effect of window views to nature on patient recovery. His seminal finding that…

April 17, 2015

Sunlight and Nature: Positive Medication in Healthcare Spaces

It is almost impossible to discuss biophilic design in healthcare without mentioning this 1981 seminal study on recovery times during post operative care after gall bladder surgery by professor Roger Ulrich of Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. This fascinating study investigates whether a view out to nature from their room had any effect on…

March 27, 2015

Biophilia: Sustainability Meets Health & Well-Being

Places we naturally love turn out to be good for us! We can now scientifically verify the physiological viability of our designs, by measuring pulse rate, blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), electro-dermal response, hormonal & adrenal response, brain wave activity, eye movements & muscle tension. Biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology & neuroscience have begun…

March 23, 2015

Rethinking Office Space: Google’s Vision on Building Design

Like a number of big tech companies, Google is growing fast. In the past they have acquired/hired existing buildings, but recently they have presented their vision for great office spaces, which they will build from scratch. “The idea is simple. Instead of constructing immoveable concrete buildings, we’ll create lightweight block-like structures which can be moved…

February 5, 2015

Embracing Natural Wisdom in a Volatile World

The transformational times in our midst demand that organisations redesign for resilience in order to flourish in the volatile times ahead. The most important challenge facing leaders, strategists and operational managers is a shift in logic from the out-dated mind-set of command-and-control thinking to a logic inspired by and in harmony with nature that allows…