Biophilic Design: A New Approach Towards Sustainable and Restorative Environment

In today’s world, maximum population spends their time indoors than outdoors. Poor indoor environmental quality and less connection with nature leads to deterioration of mental health of people as well as the productivity of the work gets affected. Biophilic design evolved from Biophilia, which defines the connection of the human with nature, while improving the work environment, productivity, and mental health of people. Biophilic design is one of the methods to cater to the needs of the environment and people in the workspace by intruding nature in the space. With this overview, the paper attempts to study the significance of biophilic design in improving the productivity of workspace. Through literature review, it aims to understand the effect of nature in architectural space by applying biophilic design principles. This study is undertaken using a qualitative approach through case study method. The research uses both the primary and secondary data sources to understand the various patterns of biophilic design and analyses their implications into built environment. Understanding biophilia and associated design parameters is limited here to office buildings or workspaces only. The study concludes that incorporating several biophilic patterns into the present workplaces and applying the biophilic design principles in new buildings can bring positive outcome in terms of increasing well-being of the employees, reducing work related stress and creating efficient workspace leading to improved productivity. Potential of biophilic design principles should be maximized in contemporary built form to combat with environmental change and to achieve sustainable built environment.