Influence of Nature in the Design of Places
Photo courtesy of Four Hands
A Brief History of Nature and our Built Environment
In recent years, designers, builders and planners, recognizing and embracing the healthy emotional aspects of providing spaces and things that are aligned with nature, continue to capture this zeitgeist which benefits us all. As we go through each day, most of us are not conscious of how various aspects of the natural world affect us. Understanding how to design with nature in mind is not a new philosophy or approach. An ancient one called feng shui, which means ‘wind-water’, is an over 3,000 year-old Chinese practice of orienting significant sites, buildings, and the spaces and objects within them in harmony with the flow of qi. It is rooted in the Daoist concept of complementary energies of yin yang and the theory of the five fundamental elements in the universe: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal.
Feng shui is based on the concept that all objects harness energy and that balancing opposing but complementary energies increases the flow of good energy to generate, among other things, good health. Therefore, how furniture and other elements in a living space can impact how one feels in their home. An example is placing the back of a sofa or the headboard of a bed against a wall opposite of a doorway, so the user can see who is entering the room - which is more comfortable than not seeing who is coming in.
Biophilia is a term coined by combining the Greek words Bio (life) and Philia (love). It was popularized in the 1960s by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm. In 1984 Harvard sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson defined Biophilia as ‘A love of life and the living world; the affinity of human beings for other life forms'.
Today we are experiencing Biophilic Design as both a practice and ideology, as called out by Terrapin Bright Green in their White Paper from 2014: 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: Improving Health & Well-Being in the Built Environment. They found studies that have shown Biophilic Design can reduce stress, enhance creativity and clarity of thought, improve our well-being and expedite healing as the world population continues to urbanize, these qualities are ever more important.
Courtesy of Barberis
Bau-biologie, more commonly known as building biology, a holistic approach to the science of building was first formulated in the 1970’s by founder Dr. Anton Schneider of Neubeuern, Germany and who was instrumental in founding the Institute of Building Biology in 1983. Of the 25 principles of Bau-biology, one is to consider the use of building materials and plants (inside and outside), which allow filtration and neutralization of toxic airborne substances. Another is to provide for natural light and use illumination and color in accordance with nature.
Biomimicry is a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges. Although the term biomimicry appeared as early as 1982, it was popularized by scientist and author Janine Benyus in her 1997 book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. It offers an empathetic, interconnected understanding of how life works and ultimately where we fit in. The methodology learns from and mimics the strategies used by species alive today. Per the Biomimicry Institute, “It is about valuing nature for what we can learn - not what we can extract, harvest or domesticate. In the process, we learn about ourselves, our purpose, our connection to each other and our home on earth.”
Courtesy of Sherry Scott Design
Innovators turn to biomimicry with the hope of achieving a unique product that is efficient and effective, but they often gain a deep appreciation of and connection to the natural world. Biomimicry encourages conservation for ecosystems and its inhabitants, because they hold the knowledge we need to survive and thrive.
Ways to Bring the Natural World and Elements to our Everyday Lives
For those who are fortunate enough to design their own residences, there are few homes that better illustrate how to harmonize and integrate with natural surroundings than Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Falling Water’, completed in 1935. A local builder with that vision to bring the outdoors into our homes, Joseph Eichler’s interior courtyard homes celebrated the California weather and lifestyle more than 50 years ago. These homes are in demand because they resonate with people who want to connect more with nature while they connect with their screens.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Fallingwater” is a pivotal piece of architecture that expertly integrates the home’s natural surroundings into its design. Photo courtesy of Brandon Sargent on FLICKR
While building new is not always an option, an easy step would be to take one corner of a room near a window and fill it with a softly-shaped chair or chaise, a cozy throw, textured rug, a tactile side table carved of wood and a few plants in pots. This easily becomes very inviting.
Outdoors a ceiling fan can be installed for a cooling breeze or a swing made of natural materials can be installed under an overhang for that natural transition between indoors and outdoors. Thinking of the types of colors and materials for kitchens and bathrooms to appeal to our subconscious affinity for nature, a mix of textures and natural colors that mimic nature will have longevity such that it will cut down on remodels, keeping built objects out of our landfills.
Influences and Considerations of Nature Continue
Design by Nicole Hollis. Photo courtesy of Douglas Friedman
Pantone Color Systems announced at the most recent New York Fashion Week show, that “A range of environmentally inspired colors highlight our appetite for more organic hues."
Woven by the Pennsylvania Dutch and the Amish beginning the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, Rag carpets (tightly woven rugs made from strips of tattered denim) are one way historic communities reused their denim and other clothing. This was a way to use up the remnants of cloth at the end of its life. Cloth was valuable, and rather than throwing it away, people found a way to use it—right up until it disintegrated. Upcycled cotton jean area rugs can be found on Forvoi and Revival.
With a goal of 100% waste diversion, Bay Area-based office space decommissioning company Greener Source is saving surplus office furniture fated for landfill by reselling, donating, or recycling it. CEO Jennifer Denny founded Greener Source to resolve the rise in furniture waste created by businesses that closed or moved during the pandemic. Once businesses reopened, Denny continued to repurpose office furniture and create a second life for used inventory instead of throwing it away.
Yasmine Mahmoudieh recycles plastic waste from the ocean by turning the plastic into an innovative 3D-printed furniture collection. Through his furnishings he tells the story of a big ocean wave full of plastic bottles. Changing waste into beautiful, 3D-printed objects in the form of chairs, stools and vases. Introduced at Art Basel Miami, his Flow chair is designed to mimic the organic flow of the human body. The chair is made from recycled PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol), a type of recycled polyester. The chairs are designed with ocean-blue color gradients and a percentage of the sale price is donated to ocean charities.
Using their patented Soleic™ technology, Algenesis produces fully biodegradable plastic made from algae. Not only is this a renewable product, but it is also a high-performance material allowing it to compete with plastics we currently use.
An app to help repair deforestation called Treeapp brings planting a tree around the world to your phone. In its first year, over 230,000 trees were planted.
Some easy reading for inspiration: ‘Embracing Natural Design: Inspired Living’ by Stephanie Kienle Gonzalez, 2022, ‘Residing with Nature: The Houses of KAA Design’ by Grant Kirkpatrick and Duan Tran, 2024, and ‘The Landscape of Home: In the Country, By the Sea, In the City’ by Edmund Hollander, 2024.
Readers are encouraged to submit design conundrums, which may be addressed and printed in a future column. To submit questions, email design@sherryscottdesign.com.
Sherry Scott is a Certified Interior Designer in California, professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and the proprietor of Sherry Scott Design in downtown Los Altos, 169 Main St.
