The Evolution of Biophilic Design: The 10 Year Anniversary of the 14 Patterns
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Introduction
On 4 December 2024, Terrapin Bright Green released the 10th Anniversary Edition of 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. Why is biophilic design so important? Consider that in the 12,000 years since humans began farming and other activities that transformed the natural landscape, only in the last 250 years have modern cities become common. Within the last few decades we have become urban dwellers, with more people around the world now living in cities than in the countryside. In the coming decades, it is projected that 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities. With this shift, the need for our designs to (re)connect people to an experience of nature becomes ever more important. Hence, the practice of biophilic design is not a luxury, it’s becoming more and more of a necessity for our health and well-being.
Growth of Biophilic Design
In 2014 when the first edition of 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design was published, general knowledge of even the word biophilia was limited. Some people were even a bit afraid that the word had vaguely unpleasant sexual connotations. Today the word biophilia can be found in newspaper articles and home design magazines. A number of tech companies and hotel brands have biophilic design standards, and it has exerted a profound influence on the design of hospitals and even airports. Biophilic design credits can be found in a number of green building standards such as LEED, WELL, Living Building Challenge, Fitwel, Living Architecture Performance Tool, and BREEAM.
In Singapore, the Khoo Tech Puat Hospital's intensive green roof serves as a Visual Connection to Nature for patients in the adjacent ward. Photo: Bill Browning.
The literature has also since expanded with notable publications that have helped further the narrative, moving beyond theory to showcase exceptional projects, and a deeper look at the science and societal benefits. Some notable titles include:
• Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design (Beatley, 2017)
• Creating Biophilic Buildings (Sturgeon, 2017)
• Nature by Design (Kellert, 2018)
• Nature Inside, a Biophilic Design Guide (Browning & Ryan, 2020)
• The Economics of Biophilia, 2nd ed. (Ryan, Browning & Walker, 2023)
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Tracking and Measuring Efficacy
Since the original edition of 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design, monitoring the efficacy of implemented biophilic design patterns has expanded as a branch of scientific inquiry. Variability in the built environment creates a challenging framework for verification, and the highly intensive nature of some measurement techniques and tools (i.e., fMRI, EEG) adds a layer of complexity and cost. Now, the increased availability of lower cost, but sophisticated equipment has opened new abilities to study human responses to biophilic patterns. Smart watches, smart phone enabled sensors, VR systems with gaze attention tracking and advanced mobile EEG equipment have come into use in the last 10 years.
Lower cost research equipment is allowing explorations of a number of topics. Neurasthenics research with detailed fMRI work is teasing out responses that seem to be tied to specific demographics (Bermudez , et al., 2017) and advanced mobile EEG equipment is being used to explore the rapid subconscious response to three dimensional spaces that had been predicted in Affordance Theory work. (Djebbarra, 2018) Gaze attention tracking is allowing predictive response to biophilic interventions in proposed designs (Yin, et al., 2020)
Portland International Airport PDX's new terminal incorporates the biophilic patterns: Visual Connection to Nature, Biomorphic Forms and a Material Connection to Nature to lower passenger stress. Photo: Bill Browning.
Awe
The science of biophilia is a rapidly evolving field. There is an increasing interest in biophilia research in psychology, neuroscience, endocrinology and other fields. Our understanding of the patterns of biophilic design will continue to be refined and strengthened as new evidence is gathered. Already, one new pattern has emerged since the original edition ten years ago, and it is entirely possible that additional patterns will emerge over time.
In 2014 we considered including a 15th Pattern. We knew that the experience of ‘Awe’ was a powerful reaction that can occur both in nature, like the response to viewing the Grand Canyon, or in the built environment, like walking into the nave of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. While we believed that this was an important spatial experience, ten years ago the science around the response to Awe was lacking. Today it is now understood that Awe experiences involve an overloading of a portion of the brain, specifically the medial prefroantal cortex. This leads to a pause followed by the need to recalibrate one's world view. One would think that the physiological response would be similar to a fear response, but instead we we see the muscles in the face go slack (mouth open and wide eyes) and blood pressure does not increase. After having an ‘Awe’ experience people tend to be more humble, charitable, and have more pro-social behaviors. (Piff, et al. 2015, Stellar, et al. 2018)
The Park Royal Collection hotel in Singapore features Visual Connection to Nature, Presence of Water, Risk Peril and Awe among the biophilic experiences. Photo: Bill Browning
Repeated Exposure
Finally, one of our most interesting insights since writing the first edition has to do with repeated exposure to biophilic elements. A concern that we had was that the biophilic responses would diminish with repeated experiences. The standard assumption is that spaces are the most impactful the first time we experience them, and that over time we get habituated to, or just ignore the space.
There is however, evidence to the contrary, Irving Biederman and Ed Vessel had noted that viewing a biophilic image like a Japanese garden maintains roughly the same level of interest over time (Biederman & Vessel, 2006). Recent biometric evidence in studies of a biophilic classroom (Determan, et al. 2019), and a biophilic immersion experience in a hospital breakroom (Phillips, 2023), indicate that positive physiological and psychological responses actually improve over repeated exposures. Pioneering biophilic researcher Stephen Kellert had said that repeated and sustained contact with biophilic measures throughout the day was important, and we now know that this is more true than any of us could have predicted.
Conclusion
The patterns of biophilic design will continue to evolve as more and more scientific inquiry exposes the many nuances of its positive impact on human well being. As more an more people live in cities, designers and planners must redouble their efforts to provide inhabitants with biophilic experiences. For these environments continue to benefit us whether or not we are consciously aware of their impact. How wonderful is that?
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Bill Browning, is a co-founder of Terrapin Bright Green, which leverages high-performance design, whole systems thinking, and research in biophilic design, bioinspired innovation, and ecological design to improve the built environment. www.terrapinbrightgreen.com
References
Beatley, T. (2017). Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Bermudez, J., Krizaj, D. , Lipschitz, D. L., Bueler, C. E., Rogowska, J., Yurgelun-Todd, D. & Nakamura, Y. (2017) Externally-induced meditative states: an exploratory fMRI study of architects’ responses to contemplative architecture, Frontiers of Architectural Research, 6, 123-136. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2017.02.002
Biederman, I. & Vessel, E. (2006). Perceptual Pleasure & the Brain. American Scientist, 94(1), 249–255.
Browning, W. D. & Ryan, C. O. (2020) Nature Inside, a Biophilic Design Guide, London: Royal Institute of British Architects.
Browning, W. D., Ryan, C. O. & Clancy, J. (2014, 2024) 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: Improving Health & Well-Being In The Built Environment, New York: Terrapin Bright Green.
Determan, J., Akers, M.A., Albright, T., Browning, B. , Martin-Dunlop, C. , Archibald, P. & Caruolo, V. (2019). Impact of Biophilic Learning Spaces on Student Success. Washington DC, American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Building Research Information Knowledgebase (BRIK), www.brikbase.org/content/impact-biophilic-learningspaces-
Djebbara, K. (2018) Incentive Architecture: Neural Correlates of Spatial Affordances During Transition in Architectural Settings, paper for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, 2018 Conference, La Jolla: Salk Institute.
Kellert, Stephen R. (2018). Nature by Design, The Practice of Biophilic Design. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M. & Keltner, D. (2015) ‘Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 108, issue 6, pp. 883-899. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000018.
Phillips, M. (2023) personal communications with Mirelle Phillips of Studio Elsewhere regarding time series data sets of user response in Recharge Rooms.
Ryan, C.O., W.D. Browning, & D.B. Walker (2023). The Economics of Biophilia. Second edition, New York: Terrapin Bright Green, LLC. www.terrapinbg.com/report/eob-2.
Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A., Anderson, C. L., Piff, P. K., McNeil, G. D. & Keltner, D. (2018) Awe and humility, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 114, issue 2, pp. 258-269. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000109.
Sturgeon, A. (2017) Creating Biophilic Buildings, Seattle: Ecotone Publishing.
Yin, J., Yuan, J. Arfaei, N., Catalano, P. J., Allen, J. G. & Spengler, J. D. (2020) Effects of biophilic indoor environment on stress and anxiety recovery: A between-subjects experiment in virtual reality, Environment International, 136 (2020) 105427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105427