| Architecture Student Chronicles

Case Study: The Impact of Biophilic Design in Urban Workspaces

May 27, 2025 by Architect

In our biophilic design series, we’ve explored the principles of bringing nature into architecture and the practical techniques architects use to create nature-inspired interiors. Now, let’s zoom in on a real-world example that showcases biophilic design at its most ambitious: Amazon’s The Spheres in Seattle, USA. This iconic workplace, designed by NBBJ, is a testament to how biophilic design can transform urban workspaces, boosting employee well-being, creativity, and sustainability. For architecture students, The Spheres offers a masterclass in balancing bold vision with practical execution. This article dives into the project’s biophilic elements, its measurable impacts, and the lessons you can apply to your own designs. By the end, you’ll be inspired to reimagine workspaces as vibrant, nature-infused environments—and maybe even sketch one yourself.

The Spheres: An Overview

Opened in 2018, The Spheres are three glass-domed structures integrated into Amazon’s urban campus in Seattle’s Denny Triangle. Unlike traditional office buildings, The Spheres are an indoor rainforest, housing over 40,000 plants from 30 countries, winding pathways, and collaborative workspaces. Designed to foster innovation and relaxation for Amazon employees, the project embodies biophilic design’s core mission: to reconnect people with nature in densely built environments.

In 2025, The Spheres remain a global benchmark for workplace design, especially as companies prioritize employee mental health and sustainability post-pandemic. The project’s success lies in its seamless integration of nature into a high-tech, urban setting, proving that biophilic design can thrive even in corporate contexts. For students, The Spheres offer a case study in how architecture can address modern challenges—stress, disconnection from nature, and environmental impact—while creating functional, inspiring spaces.

Biophilic Design Elements in The Spheres

The Spheres incorporate a range of biophilic design strategies, drawing from the principles we discussed in our first article: direct experience of nature, indirect experience of nature, and experience of space and place. Below, we analyze the key elements that make The Spheres a biophilic masterpiece.

1. Direct Experience of Nature: Indoor Rainforest and Greenery

At the heart of The Spheres is its lush indoor ecosystem, featuring trees, ferns, orchids, and epiphytes across multiple levels. The planting scheme mimics a tropical rainforest, with a 60-foot “Rubi” ficus tree as a centerpiece.

Indoor Rainforest Ecosystem | Direct Experience of Nature: Indoor Rainforest and Greenery

Implementation: Plants are supported by custom irrigation and climate control systems, maintaining humidity and temperature akin to a natural forest. Living walls and hanging gardens maximize greenery in vertical spaces.
Impact: The dense vegetation provides a visual and sensory connection to nature, reducing stress and enhancing mood, as supported by studies like those in Scientific Reports (2019) showing nature exposure lowers cortisol levels.
Student Takeaway: Consider how vertical greenery can transform small spaces. In a studio project, design a compact atrium with a living wall to mimic this effect.

Biophilic Design in Practice: How Architects Are Bringing Nature Indoors

May 28, 2025May 19, 2025 by Architect

Biophillic Design - nature integration in the living space

In our first article, we explored the principles and benefits of biophilic design, a transformative approach that weaves nature into architecture to enhance well-being and sustainability. As urban environments grow denser and the demand for human-centric spaces rises, architects are finding innovative ways to bring the outdoors inside. From lush green walls to dynamic natural light, biophilic design is reshaping homes, offices, and public spaces in 2025. For architecture students, understanding how these concepts translate into real-world projects is key to mastering this trend. This article dives into the practical applications of biophilic design, showcasing techniques, iconic examples, challenges, and ways you can experiment in your own work. Let’s explore how architects are making nature an integral part of the built environment—and how you can, too.

Techniques for Bringing Nature Indoors

Biophilic design isn’t about superficial additions like a single plant in a corner; it’s about intentional strategies that mimic natural systems and engage the senses. Below, we outline key techniques architects use to integrate nature into interiors, each rooted in the principles discussed in our first article (direct experience, indirect experience, and spatial qualities).

1. Green Walls and Indoor Gardens

Living walls—vertical surfaces covered with plants—are a hallmark of biophilic design. These installations, supported by irrigation systems, bring vibrant greenery into tight spaces. Indoor gardens, from small atriums to cascading planters, create mini-ecosystems within buildings.

How It Works: Green walls use hydroponic or soil-based systems to sustain plants, often paired with automated watering. Indoor gardens might include potted trees, ferns, or herb beds, enhancing air quality and aesthetics.
Example: The One Angel Square office in Manchester, UK, features a living wall in its atrium, purifying air and calming employees.
Student Application: In studio projects, design a small green wall for a café or library, considering plant types and maintenance needs.

Understanding Biophilic Design: Principles and Benefits

May 20, 2025May 15, 2025 by Architect

As cities grow denser and urban life becomes more disconnected from the natural world, architects are turning to innovative solutions to bridge this gap. Enter biophilic design, a transformative approach that integrates nature into the built environment to enhance human well-being, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal. In 2025, biophilic design is not just a trend—it’s a movement reshaping how we conceive spaces, from homes to offices to public plazas. For architecture students, understanding biophilic design is essential to creating buildings that respond to modern challenges like mental health, climate change, and urbanization. This article explores the principles of biophilic design, its evidence-based benefits, and why it’s a cornerstone of contemporary architecture. By the end, you’ll be inspired to observe and incorporate biophilic elements in your own projects.

What is Biophilic Design?

Biophilic design draws from the concept of biophilia, a term popularized by biologist E.O. Wilson, which describes humanity’s innate affinity for nature. In architecture, biophilic design translates this affinity into intentional strategies that bring natural elements into buildings and urban spaces. It’s not just about adding a few potted plants; it’s about creating environments that mimic natural systems, engage the senses, and foster a deep connection to the outdoors.

Biophillic Design - nature integration — Biophillic Design – nature integration

Unlike traditional architecture, which often prioritizes functionality and aesthetics over human experience, biophilic design places well-being at its core. It uses elements like natural light, greenery, water features, and organic materials to create spaces that feel alive and restorative. From towering green skyscrapers like Milan’s Bosco Verticale to cozy homes with expansive windows, biophilic design is versatile, applicable to projects of any scale or budget.

In 2025, biophilic design is gaining momentum due to its alignment with global priorities: sustainability, mental health awareness, and resilient urban planning. As architecture students, you’re at the forefront of this shift, equipped to shape a future where buildings don’t just shelter us—they nurture us.

The Principles of Biophilic Design

Biophilic design is grounded in a framework of principles, most notably the 14 patterns outlined by environmental psychologist Stephen Kellert and colleagues. These patterns provide a roadmap for architects to integrate nature meaningfully. Below, we explore the key categories and examples of how they manifest in architecture.

1. Direct Experience of Nature

This category emphasizes tangible connections to natural elements. It includes:

Visual Connection with Nature: Designing spaces with views of greenery, such as gardens or forests. For example, large windows in a home overlooking a park create a calming effect.
Non-Visual Connection with Nature: Incorporating sounds, smells, or textures, like the sound of a water fountain or the scent of cedarwood.
Presence of Water: Using water features, such as indoor streams or reflecting pools, to evoke tranquility.
Dynamic and Diffuse Light: Mimicking natural light patterns, like skylights that shift with the sun’s movement.

A project like the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore exemplifies this, with its indoor rainforest and cascading waterfall, immersing visitors in nature within a bustling urban hub.

Reimagining Architecture with AI | Future of Design and the Built Environment

April 18, 2025 by Architect

Introduction

In the evolving landscape of technology and innovation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force across industries. From automating repetitive tasks to generating intelligent predictions, AI is redefining how we interact with the world. Architecture, a field traditionally rooted in creativity, materiality, and human experience, is now embracing the power of AI to reimagine the design process, enhance sustainability, and shape smarter urban environments. This article explores how AI is revolutionising architecture, the benefits and challenges it presents, and what the future might hold for architects, designers, and the built environment.

The Role of AI in Architectural Design

AI in architecture is not merely a tool for automation—it is becoming a co-creator, an analytical partner, and a decision-making guide. With capabilities in data processing, machine learning, and pattern recognition, AI enhances various phases of architectural practice, from conceptual design to post-occupancy analysis.

1. Generative Design and Form Finding

One of the most exciting uses of AI in architecture is in generative design, where algorithms generate multiple design options based on defined parameters such as site conditions, climate data, material usage, and user needs. Architects input constraints and goals, and the AI engine produces design iterations that may not have been considered through traditional processes.

For example, Autodesk’s Generative Design tool allows users to explore thousands of permutations of a design problem, rapidly testing different spatial layouts, structural systems, and environmental strategies. This not only accelerates the design process but can also lead to more innovative and optimised architectural forms.

2. AI-Driven Visualisation

AI-powered tools are also transforming how architects visualise and communicate their ideas. Programmes like DALL·E, Midjourney, and Lumion AI assist in creating hyper-realistic renders or conceptual imagery from textual prompts, enabling architects to iterate visual ideas quickly.

Furthermore, real-time rendering engines integrated with AI can simulate light behaviour, environmental conditions, and material textures, helping clients and stakeholders to better understand the spatial experience.

3. Smart Building Analysis and Environmental Performance

AI systems are particularly valuable in analysing energy performance, ventilation strategies, daylight access, and acoustic behaviour. Tools like Cove.Tool and Autodesk Insight use AI algorithms to predict how a building will perform environmentally and suggest design improvements early in the project lifecycle.

In sustainable architecture, AI aids in carbon footprint analysis, material lifecycle assessments, and optimisation of renewable energy sources. This data-driven approach is crucial in the global push towards net-zero and carbon-neutral buildings.