On the topic of Biophilia! It's certainly one of those concepts that you almost know about before you know about it. But how do we embrace Biophilia in our design, work and home life?
I’ve always taken extra notice of nature, intricate forms and shapes in leaves, petals, or the way a branch arches out from the tree. Small snippets of beauty that will often pass us by, and a lot of us will take for granted. 'Biophilia' describes our innate love for nature and being within nature, that many believe humans inherently possess.
Image Credit: Bof
Living in Wales there is an abundance of forestry, mountains, and national parks and gardens to explore with rich naturally occurring foliage and florals. I’ve always lingered a second longer whilst staring at the florist on my home street, (but that may also be due to the stray cats that sleep amongst the pots and plants)! It’s only recently that I’ve started incorporating plants into the design of my bedroom, and even more recently why I found out why there has been such a big boom of popularity for these urban jungles. People want to bring plants back indoors, and social media teems with ‘shelfies’, aesthetically pleasing snapshots of a shelf full of foliage.
But why are we crazy for cacti, succulents, and leafy jungle vibes? According to GlobalData, 34% of consumers interviewed last year bought their indoor plants to improve the air quality in their homes (Retail Insight Network, 2019).
With the threat of air pollution rising in many cities, in addition to the rise in popularity of homeopathy, it’s only natural we’d start welcoming our plants back into our homes.
In terms of design, many interior focused companies are pushing the importance of Biophilic inspiration and interaction. Some welsh native innovators close to home are Orangebox and Bof, two companies with a dedication to creating a workplace that promotes wellbeing, through the use of Biophilia. Their showrooms are ‘living offices’, where employees are free to work where they please, and aren’t confined to desks. From the plants spotted around in natural planters, to the beautiful installations seen in Bof’s showroom, I feel that it’s so interesting to see how Biophilic intervention affects so many areas of our lives, and will certainly be inviting a few more potted plants into my life.
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