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Sound Without Walls – Considering room acoustics in hospitals as an integral aspect of biophilic design

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Sound Without Walls – Considering room acoustics in hospitals as an integral aspect of biophilic design

Sound may not be one of the first things we think of in biophilic design but what most people want from the auditory environment is intrinsically linked to nature.

Our hearing is often key in our perception of the world around us; it helps us to interact, communicate and be aware of what is happening and impending change. It is designed for the outside, a world without walls and other hard reflective surfaces that focus sound and allow it to build up to levels where it affects our concentration, increases levels of anxiety, negatively affects performance and interrupts our sleep….

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The Intersection between Feng Shui and Biophilic Design

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The Intersection between Feng Shui and Biophilic Design

Feng shui is an intuitive art that has been practiced for thousands of years. It was built on the observation of nature, common sense, and gut instinct and was used to locate the optimal places for survival. But today, the primary goal is to enhance success in life. Feng shui is a language of metaphor that requires attention to the feel of spaces.

On the other hand, biophilic design was developed in reaction to our modern, technology-driven lives. It is based on researchthat shows access to nature and natural elements decreases stress and improves our feeling of wellbeing.

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Shinrin-yoku - Forest Bathing

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Shinrin-yoku - Forest Bathing

By 2050, the United Nations states that 75% of the world’s projected 9 billion population will live in cities. So, is it so surprising that as a species we have become disconnected from nature…and forests, in particular, where we have lived for most of our life on earth? We are also, increasingly an indoor species. The World Health Organisation names stress as the health epidemic of the 21st century. Since its inception in Japanese culture in the 1980’s, Shinrin-yoku, meaning ‘Forest bath’, has proven to affect health and wellbeing beneficially in a myriad of ways. Forest Bathing/Shinrin-yoku - a Japanese practice reconnecting people with nature, alleviating effects of stress and burnout, developed in the 1980s during tech boom. Research into the practice has continued since then, and expanded worldwide…

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Biophilia, Five Elements and Wabi Sabi

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Biophilia, Five Elements and Wabi Sabi

Biophilia finds its way in most of my projects

It is only recently I asked myself the question “Why is it that everything I do encompasses biophilia in one way or another?

I do “Interiors with a Purpose” - mostly for workspaces - and I always invite nature into the spaces I create. It’s the most obvious way to create an environment that thrives and engenders wellbeing I believe.

It worries me whenever I see an office environment in a bad state. Of course, I like designer furniture, art ,etc. But even more I appreciate when people make an effort - when you feel that the surroundings have been taken good care of and you feel a good atmosphere. The best atmosphere is when nature is present. Humans have an innate tendency to seek connections with nature…

World Bee Day 20 May 2020

World Bee Day 20 May 2020

Something different from us today. I received an email this morning from Friends of the Earth. It was addressed to me from the Bees.

I wanted to share something with you. I am founder of Argenta Wellness, I’m a commercial documentary, portrait and natural world photographer, all my life has been wrapped around conservation, environmentalism and the embracing of nature. My mother was influential on me when I was a child, her own course on ecology and vociferous stance on protecting our rain forests helped shape my thirst for understanding the natural world. My father used to swim in the River Wensum when he was a boy, he loved birds and just being outside, birds would come to sit on his hand or just by him as he painted in the garden. I was a real bird nerd when a child too, priding myself on identifying as many as I could (I still do this I confess…!)…

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We Are Who We Were

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We Are Who We Were

Many things have changed for humans since their early days as a species—how excited do you think early Homo sapiens would have been by heating, air conditioning and weather tight structures to install them in, for example?

Not everything is different, however. We still have fundamentally the same brains as the first creatures we would recognize as “one of us.” That means we process and respond to the basic sensory inputs we see, hear, feel, taste, and smell today as our earliest human ancestors did….

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Epigenetics - Why our hospitals need to look and feel more natural

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Epigenetics - Why our hospitals need to look and feel more natural

Epigenetics - Why our hospitals need to look and feel more natural. ‘Epigenetics’ is a recently established pillar of biomedicine, it examines how environmental signals control the health of our cells. the opposite of the placebo effect, the nocebo effect, which, simply put, says negative thoughts create sickness. If you believe the power of the placebo effect, think about how important it is to not fall into the nocebo effect, driven by negative thinking. This may worry many, as psychologists say that 70-80% of the average person’s thoughts are negative ones. So, coming back to the fear of being in hospital…

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Changing your environment and mindset with actor and leadership coach, Paul Ryan

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Changing your environment and mindset with actor and leadership coach, Paul Ryan

Theatre, TV and film create simulations of environments to transport the audience somewhere else. Similarly here at The Journal of Biophilic Design and those who work using biophilic design, we create harmony by mimicking nature to bring about a simulated environment of an outside space to bring peace and calm to workplaces, healthcare and so on….

Biophilic Design – A practical way to restore our equilibrium

Biophilic Design – A practical way to restore our equilibrium

Whilst there remains some debate over the precise causes of SAD there is a consensus that it is associated with reduced exposure to sunlight and the deprivation that results. Light therapy and certain lifestyle measures can play their part in helping address the condition and are a potent reminder of a human’s need for certain stimuli and an equilibrium that puts us both at ease and in a better frame of mind. To some of us a woodland walk and being able to savour the petrichor that results from recent rains proves a welcome tonic. For others filling our homes with plants and flowers does the trick, tapping into that deep bond with the natural world that continues to inspire artists, poets and other sentient beings. Where once great houses might seek to bring nature within by hanging paintings by Claude Lorrain or John Constable now homes and public and private institutions can help simulate nature through Biophilic Design. Mental wellbeing is being improved via the use of canvasses, plants and art installations that enhance transport hubs, hospitals, universities and the workplace…

Is Biophilic Design always relevant?

Biophilia. It’s now one of the most influential elements in today’s design trends. And it’s having an increasing influence on interior design and architecture decisions across almost every sector. Biophilic Design integrates nature and natural elements, materials and forms into the architecture and interiors of the buildings we occupy day in and day out.

“Biophilic Design is fast becoming one of the most

important design considerations of this century”

If you were asked to picture a scene where you felt most calm and relaxed, you would most probably imagine a place in nature. Researchers have found that more than 90% of us imagine a natural setting.

Come and Walk with me this afternoon Argenta wellness+TREES-166.jpg

We feel good in nature. But even more than this, our physical and mental well-being depends on continued interaction with our natural environment. It affects our personal well-being, productivity and creativity. In the last few decades studies into Biophilic Design have been conducted by the scientific and design communities. These have reported convincing evidence of the positive benefits of interaction with nature. 

Plants and greenery have been proved to be a great way to introduce a biophilic element which can have a very positive contribution to wellness in the workplace.  They are minimal in cost compared to a refurbishment, make a huge visual impact and can be installed extremely quickly.

Interface conducted a global study of 7,600 employees across 16 countries into the impact of biophilic design on office workers and has revealed that those who worked in spaces with natural elements such as greenery and daylight reported:

·      15% higher level of wellbeing

·      6% more productive

·      15% more creative

Interestingly, 33% of respondents said office design would affect their decision whether or not to accept a job offer

Office table with nature plants biophilic workplace design.png

The study also identified the 5 most wanted elements in office space:

1.     Natural light (44%)

2.     Indoor plants (20%)

3.     Quiet working space (19%)

4.     A view of the sea (17%)

5.     Bright colour (15%)

Note regarding Point 4: This was a global survey so a view of the sea could be interpreted as a nice outlook or if this is impossible, it has been found, perhaps surprisingly that even looking at pictures of scenes of nature has the ability to lift our spirits and make us feel more relaxed.

Relaxing interior using biophilic design and planting.png

And it's not just office environments enjoying the benefits, another recent study showed that the hospitality industry sees guests spending 25% more in spaces incorporating biophilic design. Whilst rooms with a view attract a premium of 23%.  More research can be found here: https://www.benholm.com/biophilic-design-planting

Hospitals with an abundance of nature see patients recuperate faster too. Dr Charles R. Hall of Texas A&M University reports:

“Shrubs, trees, and flowers have a practical application in hospitals: the presence of plants in patient recovery rooms greatly reduces the time necessary to heal. The soothing effects of ornamental flowers and plants are so great that simply having daily views of flowers and other ornamental plants in landscaped areas outside patient recovery room significantly speed up recovery time.”

Benefits of plants aren’t just felt by patients; their calming effect can also be particularly useful for staff that are working in this type of high-stress environment.

Retail outlet using nature for better design shopping experience.png

Retail outlets with plants and flowers benefit from shoppers spending more. With customers enjoying a real shopping experience they perceive the products sold by stores filled with nature to be of better quality and value the brands more highly.

Natural elements such as plants and greenery can be combined with Argenta’s range of beautiful scenic images to create realistic three-dimensional scenes in any of these spaces for increased impact. By collaborating with Argenta we are opening up a host of new visual display opportunities for our customers to transform their interior environment.  Take this forest scene for example; we are confident it would take a keen eye to tell the difference between this created indoor space and a true stroll in the countryside!

Biophilic design combining real planting with photographs of nature Benholm and Argenta Wellness.png

So, in answer to the question: Is Biophilic Design always relevant, we can conclude that yes, it is.  This design principle can be applied to almost any interior situation in almost any market sector and the positive benefits can be seen and felt.

Adrian Byne, Marketing Manager, Benholm Group

At the Benholm Group we use plants creatively to enrich people, places and spaces.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you'd like to explore some ideas for a biophilic makeover in your premises. Call Freephone 08000 724723

Podcast Credits: with thanks to George Harvey Audio Production for the awesome intro and outro creation (“Footsteps, dry leaves” and “Concrete” sound samples included courtesy of InspectorJ).

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Biophilic Design for the Workplace

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Biophilic Design for the Workplace

The benefits of biophilia are increasingly being accepted by workplace designers and managers as not only adding to the visual attractiveness of a workspace, but also by enhancing the wellbeing and happiness of its staff and visitors. We all know that this in turn results in increased productivity, creativity, attendance rates, stress levels and fatigue, and ultimately increased workplace performance. Read more…

Steel City shows Value of Gentler Side

Steel City shows Value of Gentler Side

Scientific support (1) for the underlying principles of biophilia continues to grow.

A smartphone app trialled in Sheffield has brought further confirmation of the beneficial effects of a connection to nature. Researchers at the University of Derby asked 582 adults, some with mental health difficulties, to interact with the app when they saw something they liked in nature in the South Yorkshire city.

Changing the World? Don't Forget Nature

Changing the World? Don't Forget Nature

What happens if you try to change the world and you’re successful?” asked William Keyes Rudolph, introducing a touring exhibition entitled Victorian Radicals*.

The answer, where interiors are concerned, illustrates the Law of Unintended Consequences. It arises from nothing more complicated than the geometry of walls….

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Even mainstream media is saying how nature is good for you

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Even mainstream media is saying how nature is good for you

How many times have I written, “it’s not rocket science…nature is good for you?” Well for the umpteenth time, I’m saying it again, and so is NBC. A recent NBC article discusses why natural scenery improves your mood and makes you more productive. They quote the results of an article published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology which outlines the benefits of having just 40 second green views can have on sustaining attention, less errors and more consistency. This is because it boosts sub-cortical arousal and cortical attention control.

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Noise at Work - how to improve results

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Noise at Work - how to improve results

Croner-i published an article announcing the launch of the new UK Association formed to promote hearing conservation in the UK. The UK Hearing Conservation Association (HCA) claims that current noise risk at work management programmes are not working, and that improvements are needed in several key areas.

We are particularly interested in that their focus will be on preventable causes of hearing loss and hearing health impact “through common sense, cost effective, evidenced solutions”.

Preventing the £100 billion loss to the British Economy

Preventing the £100 billion loss to the British Economy

70 million working days are lost each year due to mental ill-health, costing Britain £70-£100 billion, according to the Mental Health Foundation, with a 24% increase to the number of working days lost in the past 6 years the number of working days due to stress, depression and anxiety. How do we improve this? The solution is closer and cheaper than you think…

ICU - Intensive Care Units and Nature

ICU - Intensive Care Units and Nature

“Rethinking the intensive care environment: considering nature in nursing practice” is an excellent paper by Claire Minton, MN, RN, Lesley Batten, PhD, RN, it “explores evidence related to the negative impacts of the intensive care unit environment on patient outcomes and explores the potential counteracting benefits of ‘nature-based’ nursing interventions as a way to improve care outcomes.”…

Nature Stimulus enhancing the Birth Experience

Nature Stimulus enhancing the Birth Experience

A fascinating report in HERD: Health Environments Research and Design Journal, reports results of research studying the influence of nature stimulus in enhancing the birth experience.

“These findings support the study hypothesis which states that the nature images would influence the labor experience positively. In addition, the findings emphasize the importance of incorporating non-pharmacological techniques in the labor and delivery room (LDR) units to soothe the pain. Adding nature imagery to the LDR environment can be one of these techniques.”

Faster Recovery

Faster Recovery

What would you rather stare at, flappy A4 photocopies, manky laminated words, nothing visually attractive. Would you create your home like this? Making an environment pleasant for all of us, whether Doctors or Patients should be important. Psychology and positive feelings engender healing and recovery. That’s not rocket science and is generally accepted. So what if there is an affordable solution that would help accelerate healing and bed space? Interesting, no?

Patient Recovery

Patient Recovery

We developed our biophilic range of fine art so it can support the wellness movement and help improve the lives of workers, patients and families. Our Hyper-Real print range is water-proof and fire-retardant and can go anywhere from surgery to recovery room, board-room to nursery, wet-room to a living wall.

While ideally one would install natural light, plants, waterfalls within a hospital environment, of course it is not practical in buildings already designed and built. Often there are no windows in rooms, or recovery rooms are soulless places, missing something natural. Hospitals and healthcare spaces are sterile environments for health reasons and so they should be, one advantage of installing Argenta-Wellness imagery into any recovery room, surgery, waiting rooms, A and E, Isolation rooms is that they can be cleaned with detergent (they are waterproof and fireproof). You can even install them in wet rooms to create a feeling of wellness as patients are washing, bringing a spa feeling to an otherwise unlikely environment. So also there are no concerns for an increase in maintenance costs, as they can be cleaned and wiped as part of the usual clean-up procedures.

Bringing the outdoors in can enhance the wellbeing of staff and patients alike, encouraging staff retention and happiness, and recovery for patients freeing up beds.

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