Re-Connecting with Nature through Form, Light, Color, Texture and Sound
I have always been fascinated with the natural world, its pattens, textures, fragrances and sounds.
As a child, I ventured as often as I could into what small wildernesses I could find in my native Germany. I felt alive and peaceful surrounded by woodlands or near brooks as I watched the sunlight move across a meadow or ate elderberry directly from its tree. I didn't know it then, but this feeling would be something I'd try to recreate later in life in my architectural work.
In 1990 I started my firm emphasizing natural elements, connective integration and nature's therapeutic effects. It wasn't until a few years ago, though, that I discovered that my instinctive approach to design has a name: Biophilic Design.
For over 23 years now I have incorporated biophilia into built environments that enliven and restore its occupants.
The word biophilia stems from Greek roots meaning 'love of life.' The term first appears in the 1960s in the work of Eric From, a German evolutionary psychologist, but it was Harvard biologist and Pulitzer Prize winner E.O. Wilson who popularized the biophilia concept in 1984 with his memoir, Biophilia.
Still, it could be argued that it wasn’t until 1995 with the publishing of The Biophilia Hypothesis, a book Wilson co-edited with social ecologist Stephen Kellert, that biophilia theory became widely accepted and influential in building design. The book explores the human response to nature and our connections to living systems. After much scientific research and theory, both men provide evidence for our innate affinity for the natural world and the healing attributes of nature.
Biophilic design links this instinctive bond between humans and nature. It brings the vitality I felt in the woods as a child into a built environment.
Nature Inspired Architecture
At its core, biophilia values sustainability and diversity demonstrating beautiful, essential and powerful design that promotes wellness and nurtures emotional and physiological connection. Learn More
Learn more about Building Places that Re-Connect with the Natural World. For Land Planning, Architecture and Collaborative Design, please email me or call me at: 610.935.3230 for more information.
