Abstract
Humans by nature need contact with nature for their physical and mental health, productivity, and well-being. However, the natural habitat of modern humans has become the built environment where they spend most of their time. Unfortunately, most modern buildings and cities are places that are harmful to the environment, disconnected from nature, and estranged. Therefore, the need for biological contact with nature has become increasingly important in high-rise and urbanizing societies. In this context, in this study, the concept of biophilic (healing) design is explained; its physical, social, environmental, and economic benefits are revealed; and its advantages against the most important problems of the 21st century are discussed at different scales. By examining different world examples of biophilic cities and biophilic buildings, a matrix was formed, and biophilic design principles and the benefits used were evaluated. Finally, the difficulties in implementing the biophilic design are mentioned.
TopIntroduction
People, by their nature, need to be together and contact nature for their physical and mental health, efficient work, and well-being. However, while modern cities have high levels of stress, mental health problems, high crime levels, and diseases, the approach adopted for the design of the modern urban environment has resulted in the unconscious consumption of energy and resources, loss of important ecosystem and biodiversity, widespread chemical pollution, contamination, intense atmospheric degradation, climate change, and alienation of humans from nature (kellert, 2008; soderlund & newman, 2015). However, as johnson stated, “leaving from nature is leaving from happiness” (samuel johnson). For this reason, the need for biological contact with nature is gaining importance day by day in high-rise and urbanizing societies. In many ways, the natural habitat of modern humans has become the built environment in which they spend most of their time. But modern buildings and cities are not built in accordance with human nature. According to kellert, these results are not an inevitable by-product of modern urban life, but rather a fundamental design error. Modernist designs have created cities and buildings that lack the nature and living organisms we need genetically, while perceptively changing the environment to suit human needs, and have cut people off from nature. However, people have not been able to adapt physiologically, emotionally, or psychologically to gray cities, far from contemporary nature. While this situation returns to human life as a physical disadvantage, some psychological effects such as stress and difficulty in focusing have also negatively affected the quality of life. In this context, it is seen that biophilic design can reduce stress, improve cognitive function and creativity, improve our health and accelerate recovery (beatley, 2016). The biophilic design also provides many benefits in health, socio-psychology, economy, environment, and sustainability issues. As the world population continues to urbanize, these benefits become more important than ever. Given the benefits of connecting people in the built environment to nature, “how can we achieve biophilic design?” The question comes to the fore. In this context, a study that explains what the concept of biophilic (healing) design is, justifies why design that is compatible with human physiological and psychological structure is necessary, investigates whether it can be proposed as a solution to environmental problems, which is the most important problem of our age, and reveals the advantages it provides at different scales is aimed.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Health: Physical, mental, and cognitive well-being, mental and physical satisfaction.
Anthropocene Era: The human-oriented age, where human-made objects replace natural ones, and the human effect is seen at a high level everywhere.
Biophilic Urbanism: A shelter that does not contain nature, but takes place in nature, imitates nature and where everyone can access nature equally.
Quality of Life: The level of access to the steps in Maslow’s pyramid of needs that people constantly strive to achieve.
Biophilic Design: A nature-centered design that reunites people with nature and offers them the opportunity to stay in nature, not in spite of nature.
Built Environment: Living spaces built to meet the social, economic, and physical needs of people in their age.
Biophilia: A concept that expresses the instinctive bond that humanity has established with nature since its existence, the innate love for nature and the continuity of human's need for nature.
Nature: It is a formation that has processes that cannot be directed by humans, that exists by itself, that includes certain proportions, patterns, and orders unique to itself, and that hosts living and non-living beings.