Biophilic Homes Prove Nature is the Best Medicine - NEO.LIFE

Track the people, companies, and technologies that are changing our bodies and minds.

Vivid design elements create a tranquil, multi-sensory, and healing experience.

When the scientist and inventor Andy Bass and his wife Maryanne first started planting bioluminescent flagellates in 2011, they were trying to make a living lamp: a kind of life powered entirely by plankton Simple household appliances. 

After many years and various prototypes,

It is the latest version of the Bass family's flagellate family products,

. Boat-shaped fish tanks describe thousands of tiny single-celled organisms. When they rotate gently in a sealed container, they glow in the dark, imitating

at your home. 

Bass said: "I think the idea of ​​how to live in the biological world is the essence of my pursuit." Bass, who lives in the north of San Diego, said. The proliferation of dangerous flagellate algae in this area leads to toxic red tides. past. "I want an interesting way to bring people into the biological world."

As biotechnology develops from the laboratory to the designer’s sketchbook and enters our living room, it seems that the field of biodesign has inevitably emerged. This is an interdisciplinary and somewhat obscure profession that is open to artists, scientists, technicians and People like Bass issued multiple hats for beacons.

More and more contemporary artists and biological designers are experimenting with the bonds of art, clothing, lighting and furniture in this living world.

,

It has become part of the design interface material and the source of inspiration for organically inspired interior design. 

However, as life follows the development of art, natural architecture and interior design are emerging from the quiet gallery and entering the mainstream chaos of our daily work and living spaces. The biophilic trend, or the concept of integrating nature and natural elements into our lives, comes at the best time. Due to the pandemic, all of us are trapped at home, taking refuge in a space that we are not designed for full-time residence, which may be because our lack of interaction with the natural world is damaging our bodies and lives. Mental health. 

Our lack of interaction with nature may be damaging our health.

Fortunately, a large number of new products use innovative technologies to expand or replace large openings, so even if we are trapped at home, we can feel the calming effects of nature. When biology, technology and nature intersect in design, the result is a trend.

Even if the budget is not high, the space can be upgraded to compete with the best galleries. Nature can also distract us from the screen, as an excuse for beating, relaxing and breathing, away from the constant chat on social media or the disturbing anxiety of the 24-hour news cycle. 

A recent study showed that even when interacting with the aquarium, even for a short time, it can provide

. Similarly, many other studies have shown

, Houseplants or

with

Will have a huge impact on our mood and body 

Applied environmental psychologist Sally Augustin specializes in the benefits of biophilic design. He said that the best way to incorporate nature into design is multi-sensory design. 

She said: “Most of us have all kinds of sensory experiences at any time.” The design should not overwhelm any senses, but should consider how people respond to the space and all the various inputs it provides, such as French seafood soup Many ingredients in.

According to Augustine, biophilic design in the home involves thinking about the design principles adopted by nature in places where we were truly comfortable as a species in our early days, and then applying these principles to our modern living spaces. 

Augustine said that one example is a scene that incorporates natural spaces, similar to what early humans saw when they looked out of caves and trees. Our mind is designed to scan the view to find things that we think are safe and comfortable, and these things have low visual complexity. Therefore, a room with open windows, a few plants and some fine wood grain is better than a chaotic, chaotic space without natural light. In short, our brains are at their best when they can quietly observe all aspects of the natural world. 

"Green Class" project of 3D design consulting company

, The audience is invited to sit down and have a meal in a spacious auditorium, and show programs in this auditorium, which is filled with soft, luxurious sofas, subtle lighting and an open window as large as a movie theater. However, the audience does not have to watch the movie, but can see the jungle outside, which is covered with mossy rocks, huge ferns, chi-called insects and waterfalls.

Loftgarten creative director Paul Milinski said that the purpose of this is to encourage guests to sit together and enjoy nature. "It provides an opportunity to connect with [your] love and environment at the same time. It also provides a break from our uninterrupted noisy life, and it also provides an opportunity to maintain mindfulness," he said in an email exchange.

The green classroom is still a conceptual prototype. It does not yet exist in the real world. But the idea behind it is a multi-sensory experience, mixing natural sounds like birds and natural streams with flowing water in streams, with relaxing low-fidelity music. This one

Immerse the audience in a unique experience. 

Although this is an unrealized fantasy, the green classroom is a compelling idea. The image created by Milinski shows the hotel lobby is spacious and dense

,Have

He said this is a recent example of speculative biophilic design, and these features will soon be realized.

"Most of the elements I use already exist," Milinsky said. What does not exist is to pair these elements with the environment in which they are located to create a natural living space and provide a rest for our endless hustle and bustle of life.

He said: "Along the human timeline, we are already out of touch with nature." "The truth is that we are like birds, trees or sunsets, and are part of nature. We can re-recognize this truth and prioritize biophilic design. And keep reminding us of our origin and a sign of a better future."

This is of course the future vision that other biophilic designers are chasing up, and many designers have created a true version of Loftgarten's vision through biologically inspired art and entertainment to achieve smaller-scale development, especially to provide ideas and creativity for families. Rest your body.

Zachary Smith, designer and CEO of Zauben, a Chicago-based bio-architectural company, said: "Even indoor plants are so simple and so beautiful."

, A green wall that sells for up to $7,500, was recently named

magazine

. "Plants make us happier. If we can provide it in a unique, novel and exciting way, that is what we are after." Smith said.

Company like this

It also installs beautiful green walls that are easy to manage for homes and offices. Favorite artist

Either

It is also a good choice to grab the itch of your own design without destroying funds. For those who may only want a few extra plants without having to install a whole surface of green plants, Bath has another project: Urbz, a compact gardening system that allows DIY farmers to place small plastic balls or transparent rectangles A bunch of herbs are grown in the plantation. Using bionic technology can be adhered to any glass surface. (Viscose is inspired by the way geckos climb up the wall without leaving residue.)

Buss said: "It's really satisfying when you see your plants flourish and feel responsible for this creature." 

Buss said there are about 30 Urbz growers in his family, which makes him and his family feel "more into the natural world" because the transparent plastic allows them to observe the root growth and follow the growth of his plants.

Not only plants will tick our senses and connection with nature. Light also has great health benefits, especially in the northern hemisphere at this time of year. Large windows and smooth, expandable glass panes are a strong backing for the biophilic design.

Augustine often collaborates with interior designers and architects to adopt biophilic design principles. He said that for those who live and work in urban households with insufficient natural light, indoor drainage can consume water. 

She said: "Natural light is like taking some kind of magical medicine." "Our mood improves, and the performance of our brain improves."

Immediately after the popularization of indoor LEDs, an innovative and energetic lighting design movement emerged, which drew clues from the natural world, but with technological changes:

. The circadian rhythm is the natural up-and-down pattern of gene expression in humans, plants and other organisms, which allows us to enter the 24-hour solar cycle regularly. Disrupting your circadian rhythm by moving the cemetery or crossing time zones may harm your health and mood.

Augustine said: "Circadian lighting can really help you track your position on the earth." When you forget this, she said: "You will feel a lot of pressure."

One of the ideas of circadian lighting is to change the color temperature and lighting intensity throughout the day. Colored light can help mental health,

, Biophilic design experts including Augustin say that exposure to different colors of light will produce different results. In order to make people feel more comfortable and relaxed, placing warmer colors such as oranges at a lower height (such as a desktop) can help set the mood. For this, look for lower Kelvins, such as 2000k to 3000k. To increase alertness and productivity, cooler colors can be used, such as bright whites that almost look blue (up to 6500K), especially when they are placed on the ceiling. Augustine recommends checking general stores (such as Target) to choose bulbs with clear glass bulbs marked cold or hot.

Bass said that dinosaur flagellates also have a circadian rhythm. Mushlume's design is partly based on the natural day-night cycle of plankton, which only glows at night.

Augustine said that smell and air should also be integrated into the design of natural style. The human olfactory system can detect thousands of different chemical odors even in trace amounts. Moreover, the smell scattered in the nose will trigger neural signals in the same part of the brain, thereby participating in the formation of memories and feeling emotions. Practitioners of massage and aromatherapy have used this fact for many years. However, the absence of foul or musty smell is as important as the presence of sweet smell, so clean, modern air purifiers and aromas can work wonders to improve focus or make people feel calm.

When severe smog and smog occurs in places like California or China, even the air quality inside the house may be poor. Therefore, companies like Ao Air start to develop the future of air purification technology from their futuristic

Cover your face so that your mouth looks like a refugee from a trendy band in the 1980s. According to the company, this is not only a passive filter, but also an advanced technology. Atmos uses 16 sensors and proprietary algorithms to continuously clean the wearer's breathing air. Although this respirator is still in its early stages of development, there are still many potential benefits, especially now that masks are everywhere.

Ilya Vensky, co-founder of Ao Air, said that the future of personalized air purification is on the cusp of revolution in the spaces where we live (such as houses, offices, and stadiums). He is very careful not to claim uninspected claims that his products can prevent coronavirus or any other airborne pathogens, but he does say that Atmos technology can change the ambient air quality. 

Vensky said: "We are moving towards a more invisible design to protect and protect your information."

He is looking forward to breath analysis that can fully explain a person's healthy future like blood markers. He said that in the end, this will not only seek to get rid of pollution, smog and other poor air quality drivers, nor to create clean bubbles. It will be about personalizing the air you breathe so that each breath depends on your specific health needs, activity or mood. Breathing the air in the future home may not only be a biological necessity. This may become a mood-enhancing experience.

Before that, just clean the air.

by

Alex Pearlman is an award-winning journalist and a bioethicist. Stat, "New Scientist", "MIT Technology Review", "Boston Globe", OneZero, Vice and other magazines have published her reports and comments on emerging issues in science, health and technology. She is the editor

magazine.

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