Trait 2 : Natural
ENVIRONMENTS FOR TRANSFORMATION
We’re aware that consumers are increasingly mistrustful of corporations, causing some brands to react with transparency and openness when it comes to their actions and responsibilities.
This shift involves brand product and brand space stripped back to its most essential parts, eliminating all superfluous design, containing only details that are simple, yet considered and meaningful.
“It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.” Steve Jobs
A direct way of pairing ‘back to basics’ is to embrace the primary character of the natural environment. We’re aware that a simple layout, natural materials, sunlight, water and greenery are proven to be ‘better’ for us. But what if beyond ‘better’ these elements are actually essential? Far from being decorative or superficial, the simplicity of nature is an integral factor in the creation of meaningful spaces: using our innate desire to connect with nature, as a means to effectively transform our state.
Good ol’ fashioned Timber
Across centuries, natural materials have been key players in the build and craft industries, but history has seen wood loose favor to certain industrial materials such as brick and steel. Initially driven by concerns around climate change, followed by a global preoccupation with reimagining buildings that are healthier for people and the planet, good ol’ fashioned timber (in all it’s exciting new shapes and forms) is back!
Research search shows strong correlations between wood and wellbeing; proving that being surrounded by nature can optimize performance, speed up healing, and support more balanced life-and-work styles.
“If urban densification is inevitable, then let it be done with a material that makes us happy.” Clare Farrow, co-curator of ‘Timber Rising: Vertical Visions for the Cities of Tomorrow’
Retail lets Nature do the work
Winning numerous awards within the field of events and pop ups, is the multi-sensory, timber-infused concept by Gaggenau (kitchen appliance manufacturer): Gaggenau Restaurant 1683. This invite-only, temporary restaurant transports visitors 333 years back in time to the Black Forest (Gaggenau’s origins), immersing them in sights, sounds and smells of the wooden landscape. Real tree trunks and moss, earthy smells, and light falling like rays through trees. Highly sensorial and emotional, yet simple in effect, visitors report to be momentarily transformed with this stark contrast to their hectic, modern-day urban surrounds.
Awarded Tokyo destination for art supply brand Pigment is a prime example of being both Responsive and Natural (Traits 1 and 2). As much a museum as a community hub and a retail store, the brand seeks out to act as a catalyst for inspiration, and a repository of knowledge for young creatives. Pigment is simultaneously a laboratory, an academy, a museum, and a store combined into a comprehensive facility of learning. The store is made almost entirely of bamboo, with an astounding undulating ceiling and thousands of colorful pigments enlivening the light and airy space. Designed to embody creativity, whilst intending to make a long-term impact in the lives of young artists.
Institutions are made more human
The growing understanding that space can actually heal us, and keep us engaged and motivated, has had a profound impact on the design of retail, hospitality and work spaces.
“Without hesitation, within five years more and more architects will visit hospitals. Not because of illness or stress. Purely for inspiration.” Robert Thieman, Founder of Frame magazine (Frame, March — April 2018)
Hospitals interiors are typically associated with institutionalized waiting rooms, plastic furniture, faded artwork and no natural light. Today, we’re more aware that architecture can help fulfill simple human needs, such as being surrounded by natural materials and light. The soft appearance of wood can make us feel more secure and comforted. The recently completed hospital building ‘Maggie’s Oldham’ is pioneering healthcare of the future. Timber is used for everything, including simple details like door handles; protecting patients’ skin made sensitive by certain treatments.
“In wood there is hope and warmth.” Architects dRMM
Is Biophilic the Future?
Buildings and communities are being completely reimagined, as we no longer expect space to be purely functional and aesthetically pleasing. It needs to radically improve and transform us. This drive is seeing Biophilia (our need to affiliate and connect with nature and other life forms) earning considerable esteem within the fields of branding and design. The rationale being that by mimicking natural environments in built space, our physical and emotional states can be improved. Through nature, people connect with more of themselves, and are more likely to feel part of a greater whole.
In addition, our growing cynicism towards commercial motives means that people are turning to science and evidence-based design to help inform their lifestyle choices. The science supporting biophilic design is still developing, but we are now able to measure direct responses in heart rate and stress levels - with quantifiable results demonstrating faster recover from surgery and shorter stays in psychological wards.
Creative Ecosystems
The list of brands experimenting with Biophilic design is exhaustive. Although originally a metal office furniture company, Steelcase is increasingly integrating biophilia into furnishings and architecture. The global flooring company Interface has a research blog entitled ‘Human Spaces’, aimed at raising awareness on the benefits of design inspired by nature. Kickstarter employs several patterns of biophilic design in their Brooklyn offices (such as natural materials and textures, and views to outdoor gardens), with the intention to shape a healthy, dynamic environment where creative projects can flourish. In a similar vein, Google’s headquarters in Chicago have been designed with the intent to provide the healthiest environment possible: ample daylight, and individual control over color and lighting are just a few of the biophilic characteristics in the workspace.
An extreme example of Biophilia is Amazon’s latest workplace project The Spheres: 3 giant glass orbs filled with ‘cloud forest’ gardens. Studies suggest that spaces that embrace biophilic design can inspire creativity and even improve brain function, says Amazon’s blogpost. This biophilic’s dreamland draws from historic Botanical gardens and hosts over 40,000 plants from all over the world, some up to 17m tall. The impressive biodiverse environment hosts workspaces in birds nests, tree-house meeting areas, as well as green spaces open to the public, aiming to create a community around biodiversity - right in the centre of the city.
Nature-infused Lifestyle Destinations
In parallel with our growing awareness on the impact our designed environments have on our wellbeing and productivity, brands and organizations are striving to create extraordinary and meaningful interiors. Part of this process is to create a comprehensive vision for how the architectural shell, spatial elements and the activities within all correspond to the surroundings. For the physical place to feel like a destination, this often involves integrating the local culture and surrounding community.
Applying Biophilia is a way to help reunite indoor and outdoor worlds, where everything is designed with a purpose. The co-working concept Second Home sets a high benchmark for sustainable and biophilic design. It homes hundreds of creative companies (including Vice and Kickstarter) harnessing nature with ponds and hundreds of indoor trees (acting as walls and sound barriers), swooping their way around glass meeting cocoons and curved desks. And with an extensive lifestyle program of talks, music and yoga, Second Home sets out create a destination that helps workers be more balanced, and more fulfilled.
A more subtle approach is the fitness concept Biofit that applies Biophilia directly to movement. A fitness concept that can be unrolled at any scale, it is designed to mirror nature and the unpredictability of life; both through it’s spatial features, as well as the types of classes it offers: dynamic movement, an hour of creative contemplation, creative brainstorming, etc.
Friendly Technology
Digitalization is exponentially altering our lifestyles and influencing our habits, needs and desires. Biohackers are using new tech tools to enhance our state, sharpen our senses, help us learn faster and expand ‘beyond’ our natural selves. There seems to be a growing sense that opportunities presented by technology are bursting through human limitations, creating new, ever shifting needs. As a counter movement to this, is a convergence between nature and technology; digital tools are brought down to people-scale and taking on more human traits. Simply put, tech is made more friendly.
An experimental case to illustrate this is the app-based existential chat room Die With Me, where users are only allowed access if their battery levels are at less than 5% (on their phones that is…).
“Die Together in a chatroom on your way to offline peace” states the creator.
Highly likely a commentary on our online existence, and on the (deliberate) short life of the iPhone’s batteries, this idea merges the online space with human life cycles. Prompting us that digital can also die.
Higher on the meaningfulness scale, is a pilot project in Denmark for a delivery room of the future, where nature, technology and essential human needs all come together. Although at first glance rather gimmicky, this environment has received highly positive feedback from the just over 600 mothers having given birth in it thus far.
Professor and midwife Ellen Aagaard explains: “Experts in delivery room design have determined that it is important for the woman’s sense of security that she can selectively choose projections and lightings, which she associates with relaxation and positive experiences so as not to provoke her senses.”
With the intention to create a more soothing delivery experience, the room is customizable to suit the atmospheric preferences of the person giving birth. New technological advances mean that light, sound and 360 degree visual can be controlled, transforming the room from one nature scenery to another.
Take a look at ‘Trait 1 - Responsive’ for more info. on new levels of customization.
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