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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.

Site Planning for Architecture Students | A Complete Beginner’s Guide

April 4, 2025December 12, 2009 by Architect

An Ultimate Guide to Site Planning for Architecture Students, Design Enthusiasts as well as Architects

Site Planning: An Essential Guide for Architecture Students

P.S: Article updated on 29th March 2025

Site planning is one of the most crucial—yet often underestimated—aspects of architectural design. Before a single brick is laid or a line is drawn on a blueprint, the site must be understood, respected, and shaped. For architecture students, learning how to analyse and plan a site is fundamental. It bridges the gap between theoretical design and practical implementation, grounding creative vision in the real-world complexities of land, nature, and human use.

What is Site Planning?

At its core, site planning is the process of arranging buildings and structures on a piece of land, along with shaping the open spaces between them. It is an art as much as it is a science, blending architectural creativity with urban planning logic. A site plan doesn’t just tell you where things go—it tells a story of space, movement, interaction, and context.

Whether the site involves a single house, a group of buildings, or an entire neighbourhood, a well-thought-out site plan ensures the environment enhances, rather than limits, the design. Good site planning considers environmental, cultural, and infrastructural factors to produce a plan that is contextually appropriate, functional, and aesthetically pleasing.

The Importance of Site Planning in Architecture

For architecture students, understanding site planning is not just a box to tick. It is a foundational skill that will influence every project they work on. It affects:

Building orientation and solar access
Integration with the natural landscape
Accessibility and movement
Energy efficiency and sustainability
Quality of life for occupants and users

Ignoring site factors can lead to designs that are uncomfortable, inefficient, or even unbuildable. Conversely, designs that grow organically from the site often feel more harmonious and enduring.