Why Is Sustainable, Biophilic Design Still Going Strong In The Commercial Space?
                     Why Is Sustainable, Biophilic Design Still Going Strong In The Commercial Space?
Why Is Sustainable, Biophilic Design Still Going Strong In The Commercial 
Space?
• Generally, commercial buildings and spaces are assumed to be antagonistic when it comes 
to nature and its offerings. Living in a concrete jungle, high-rise buildings and commercial 
projects are often assumed to be threatening to the natural environment around us. 
However, many organisational workspaces have taken the initiative of incorporating nature 
in their designs via sustainable, biophilic designs. 
• What Is A Biophilic Design?
• Biophilia refers to the love one has for life and living things. Biophilic designs are extensions 
of the same love for nature. A biophilic design is a type of design that incorporates nature 
and its elements while designing interiors. It is a way to stay connected with the natural 
environment while incorporating modern elements of design.
• A lot of commercial spaces use biophilic interior designs to develop a symbiotic relationship 
with mother nature. Some of the biggest industry tech giants use biophilic designs in their 
interiors to stay in touch with the natural environment. 
What Is A Biophilic Design?
• Such designs help people working within commercial spaces receive the benefits of nature, 
such as fresh air, sunlight, cool breeze, and much more. At the same time, biophilic designs 
allow commercial projects to nurture nature instead of working against it.
• Some of the most common traits and elements of a biophilic design include:
• Use of natural materials
• Incorporating plans in the designated space
• Natural light
• Open and unrestricted airflow
• Use of natural patterns and shapes
What Is A Biophilic Design?
• Architecture in sync with natural landscapes
• Use of nature-based textures, shapes, and colours
• Using water as an integral part of interiors
• Biophilic designs may include direct use of natural elements or analogues of the same. For 
using direct natural elements, designers often choose to use natural vegetation, animals, 
natural light, shadows, and more within the spaces designed by them. On the other hand, 
natural analogues involve the use of natural objects, colours, shapes, and patterns in the 
furniture, furnishings, and overall décor of the space.  
Why Is Biophilic Design Still Popular With Commercial Spaces?
Why Is Biophilic Design Still Popular With Commercial Spaces?
• Most commercial spaces involve a number of people working long hours under artificial 
conditions using man-made machines. While we live in the age of digitization, it is important 
for humans to feel the touch of nature once in a while. 
• Sustainable, biophilic designs allow people working in commercial spaces to have a breath 
of fresh air (quite literally!) while working, thereby providing them with a conducive work 
environment.
• After struggling with a global pandemic that forced us all to stay indoors for several months, 
it is healthy for human beings to reconnect with nature instead of working behind closed 
doors with no ventilation for hours.
• Here are some of the major reasons why sustainable, biophilic designs are still popular in 
commercial spaces:
Use Of Sustainable Materials
• Whether you put a single potted plant inside a cabin or create a miniature lake with pebbled 
stones, biophilic commercial designs often use sustainable materials. As most (if not all) 
sources of such designs are natural, you do not need to worry about any of these elements 
harming the environment. 
• Creating biophilic interior designs for commercial spaces assures you that you are not 
polluting the environment. In fact, some of these designs allow you to cater to the nature 
around you and help it flourish. 
• Improved Mental Health
• People often choose to go out for a walk in the garden and take a barefoot stroll on natural 
grass when they feel stressed out. While working in conventional workplaces, employees 
generally go out for a walk and some fresh air to take a break or after a stressful meeting. 
Biophilic commercial designs aim at bringing these elements to the interiors. 
Improved Mental Health
Improved Mental Health
• Moreover, as biophilic commercial designs involve bringing nature to the interiors, they tend 
to prolong energy, good mood, and sound mental health for the employees working in an 
organisation. This is always a sign of a conducive work environment. 
• Creative Freedom For Designers
• As compared to conventional interior designs, creating biophilic designs offer greater 
creative freedom to designers while working in commercial spaces. This is because natural 
elements offer a range of different possibilities, patterns, and innovative approaches to 
designing interiors. 
• Depending on the area being designed, the personality of the company, and the preferences 
of the client, designers can mould different elements to suit the biophilic design being 
created specifically for the said organisation. There are a number of different combinations 
that can be used and patterns that can be innovated while using biophilic designs for 
commercial interiors. 
Creative Freedom For Designers
Aesthetic Appeal
Aesthetic Appeal
• Along with all the health and environmental benefits of biophilic commercial design, it is 
important to address the fact that it really adds to the aesthetic appeal of the space! Nature 
is beautiful by itself and using its elements to design your office would only make your office 
look more beautiful.
• Using biophilic design in commercial spaces often portrays contrast in a unique way, giving 
these spaces an exotic look. Incorporating elements like plants, pebbles, bamboo sticks, etc. 
makes a commercial building stand out amidst a concrete jungle!
Longevity Of Designs
• Unlike most trends and fads, biophilic commercial designs are not short-lived. They often 
stand the test of time and only get more beautiful with time. Essentially, this is because 
nature never really gets old and out of fashion. Most biophilic designs age really well and 
provide longevity to the interiors of commercial spaces. 
• Unless you are using living elements like plants, you do not need to worry about the articles 
getting old over time. They retain their elegance for a long time, saving you all the toil and 
trouble that goes behind redesigning. 
• Better Air Quality
• Instead of stepping outside the office to get some fresh air, biophilic designs allow 
employees to breathe fresh air indoors. The use of greenery and plants in commercial 
interiors allows you to improve the air quality of the concerned place.
Better Air Quality
Better Air Quality
• It is common knowledge that plants absorb carbon dioxide to release oxygen, thereby 
purifying the air around them and making it fresher. Moreover, installing plants inside 
commercial spaces and providing them with natural light allows them to transpire through 
their leaves and makes the air around them more humid. This helps you deal with the issue 
of dry air without using any electrical appliance. 
• Plants are also known to absorb volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which include the 
chemicals added to domestic cleaning products, used in making carpets, and emitted from 
electrical appliances. This further enhances the quality of air around you and allows you and 
your team to work in a healthier environment. 
Improved Productivity
• Working in closed mechanical surroundings tends to exhaust people very soon, affecting 
their ability to give their best. If you make your employees work in an office where they can’t 
tell if it is day or night, their productivity is likely to take a hit. 
• Using biophilic designs for commercial interiors provides workers with a fresher and more 
comfortable environment to work in. With elements of nature around them, the world gets 
less “mechanical” and more organic for people to work. This allows your workers to give their 
best and increase their productivity. 
Better Employee Retention
• One of the biggest reasons why sustainable biophilic designs are still going strong in the 
commercial space is that they help companies retain their valuable talent. After going 
through the catastrophic COVID crisis, employees around the world want a break from 
working within four concrete walls. 
• Incorporating natural elements in commercial interiors allows your employees to work in a 
comfortable and invigorating environment. This makes them genuinely motivated to come to 
work and engage themselves better. When you have high employee engagement, you do 
not need to worry about retaining talent within your organisation. 
Creating A Happier Environment
• Along with ensuring the mental wellbeing of the workers, biophilic designs help you create a 
happier work environment. Nature makes people happy, cheerful, calm, and composed. 
When you have a small water fountain, a miniature lake, or plants as a part of your interior 
design, it enhances positive thinking, creativity, and motivation. 
• Using biophilic designs allows you to change the complete vibe of commercial space, 
making people there feel as if they are in touch with nature (irrespective of the scale at which 
you incorporate the natural elements). 
• Helping The Natural Ecosystem
• We live in an age where the natural ecosystem is being destroyed in a plethora of different 
ways. From all kinds of pollution and deforestation to inadequate waste management and 
depletion of non-renewable resources, it is important to control the manner in which we are 
destroying the natural elements. 
Helping The Natural Ecosystem
Helping The Natural Ecosystem
• Biophilic designs allow you to help the natural ecosystem by using natural elements for 
creating innovative and sustainable interior designs. Instead of destroying nature by building 
commercial spaces, this approach allows corporations to integrate nature in the best ways 
possible. Sustainable biophilic designs facilitate healthy and fruitful co-existence between 
nature and humans without extensive depletion of natural resources. 
• Incorporating Biophilic Designs On A Budget
• When used in commercial spaces, biophilic designs need not be too expensive. As a lot of 
these designs make use of natural elements, they often cost less as compared to man-made 
articles and furnishings. You can easily incorporate biophilic designs for commercial interiors 
without spending a fortune for the same. 
• Moreover, biophilic designs do not always need to be implemented on a larger scale. You 
can follow a low-key approach and still avail yourself of all the benefits offered by these 
designs.
Using Potted Plants
• Here are a few ways in which you can use biophilic designs at a smaller scale without 
spending a lot of money:
• Using Potted Plants
• This is the most basic way to go about using biophilic designs. If you want to incorporate 
these designs on a shoestring budget, you can simply get some potted plants and place 
them at strategic places within the concerned commercial space. 
• It is common for companies to keep potted plants on the balconies, hallways, cafeterias, and 
a range of other locations. This is arguably the most cost-effective way of using biophilic 
designs for commercial spaces. You can, of course, incorporate potted plants in your interior 
designs in an innovative way to enhance the aesthetics of the place. 
Using Natural Light
• Using Natural Light
• The use of natural light is one of the most overlooked aspects of biophilic interior designs. 
While you incorporate natural elements within a commercial space, make sure that the area 
is lit well by natural light. Design interiors in a way that people working therein can get 
access to enough natural light throughout the day. 
• Making Innovate Use Of Water
• Using water in innovative ways is another cost-effective way of incorporating biophilic 
designs in commercial spaces. If you do not want to go overboard with the money, you can 
get small table-top fountains and place them at suitable places within the premises.
• As these fountains mimic the sounds of a natural spring or a waterfall, it has a calming effect 
on the minds of people working at the office. Along with improving memory and reducing 
stress, implementing such articles would also help in lowering the blood pressure of your 
workers.
Modifying Furniture
• Modifying Furniture
• Without spending a lot, you can replace some of the furniture at your office with articles 
made of bamboo or wood. This would give an exotic look to the space and add a touch of 
nature to your office premises. 
• The Final Word
• Sustainable biophilic designs are still going strong in the commercial space and are likely to 
remain so in the future due to their benefits. This approach to commercial interior design 
allows you to work for nature instead of against it while building commercial spaces.
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