Beyond Green…Toward Restorative Biophilic Design

Why the Need for Restorative Design?

In the design community there is considerable emphasis on formalistic or largely abstract concerns such as style, form, display, and utilitarian need.

Walls and roofs do well to shelter us from rain, snow, sun, and cold but often seem to enclose us too completely, creating introverted insular structures that isolate and separate us from nature’s dynamic seasons, processes and patterns.

Nature or natural elements are often relegated to a purely decorative role 1.

Evidence is mounting that merely building for protection or display may not be enough….that we need to look beyond elimination or mitigation of demands, beyond mere style and decoration to the restorative provision of attributes that allow us to re-connect with nature.

Many of the psychological ailments of our time such as depression, SAD (seasonal affective disorder), anxiety, violence, confusion, isolation and loneliness, as well as many of the physiological problems of our time such as sleep disorders, fertility issues, increased cortisol levels, allergies, asthma and even cancers may directly or indirectly be related to the way we have designed and structured our indoor and outdoor environments.

One common thread between all ailments, psychological and physiological seems to be that of an organism stressed, depleted and unable to cope.