The Benefits of Biophilic Design
We spoke earlier about how some places just seem to make us feel good. The beach, green forests, the sound of a water trickling down a creek etc.
Coulthard proposes that nature has provided us with all the things we need to survive and thrive throughout human existence including:
The sun for
Warmth
Light
Time, and
Orientation.
Plants for
Shelter,
Food,
Medicine, and
Construction materials.
Animals for
Food,
Company, and
Labour.
Streams and rivers for
Water and
Washing.
As such, contact with nature is linked with our wellbeing.
Studies have found that time in natural surrounds is associated with[i]
Reduced anger,
Reduced fatigue,
Reduced sadness,[ii]
Improved short-term memory,
Improved cognitive control, and [iii]
Improved energy[iv]
A study also found that patients who were in hospital rooms with a window looking over a natural scene
Stayed in hospital for less time after their operation,
Received less negative evaluative comments in their nurses’ notes, and
Took less potent painkillers[v]
Nature has been vital to the human existence and has many health benefits.
[i] NOTE: Coulthard outlines other benefits (including reduced blood pressure and cortisol levels) but on reading the literature, we have found that these are not necessarily supported by the evidence and thus have not been included.
[ii] Bowler, D. (2010). The importance of nature for health: is there a specific benefit of contact with green space?. Systematic review-collaboration for environmental evidence, (40).
[iii] Berman, Marc & Jonides, John & Kaplan, Stephen. (2009). The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature. Psychological science. 19. 1207-12. 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x.
[iv] Bowler, D.E., Buyung-Ali, L.M., Knight, T.M. et al. A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health 10, 456 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-456
[v] Ulrich, R. S. (1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. science, 224(4647), 420-421.
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