Biophilic design : the theory, science and practice of bringing buildings to life

"When nature inspires our architecture-not just how it looks but how buildings and communities actually function-we will have made great strides as a society. Biophilic Design provides us with tremendous insight into the 'why,' then builds us a road map for what is sure to be the next great design journey of our times."
-Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman, U.S. Green Building Council

"Having seen firsthand in my company the power of biomimicry to stimulate a wellspring of profitable innovation, I can say unequivocably that biophilic design is the real deal. Kellert, Heerwagen, and Mador have compiled the wisdom of world-renowned experts to produce this exquisite book; it is must reading for scientists, philosophers, engineers, architects and designers, and-most especially-businesspeople. Anyone looking for the key to a new type of prosperity that respects the earth should start here."
-Ray C. Anderson, founder and Chair, Interface, Inc.

The groundbreaking guide to the emerging practice of biophilic design

This book offers a paradigm shift in how we design and build our buildings and our communities, one that recognizes that the positive experience of natural systems and processes in our buildings and constructed landscapes is critical to human health, performance, and well-being. Biophilic design is about humanity's place in nature and the natural world's place in human society, where mutuality, respect, and enriching relationships can and should exist at all levels and should emerge as the norm rather than the exception.

Written for architects, landscape architects, planners,developers, environmental designers, as well as building owners, Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life is a guide to the theory, science, and practice of biophilic design. Twenty-three original and timely essays by world-renowned scientists, designers, and practitioners, including Edward O. Wilson, Howard Frumkin, David Orr, Grant Hildebrand, Stephen Kieran, Tim Beatley, Jonathan Rose, Janine Benyus, Roger Ulrich, Bert Gregory, Robert Berkebile, William Browning, and Vivian Loftness, among others, address:
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The basic concepts of biophilia, its expression in the built environment, and how biophilic design connects to human biology, evolution, and development.
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The science and benefits of biophilic design on human health, childhood development, healthcare, and more.
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The practice of biophilic design-how to implement biophilic design strategies to create buildings that connect people with nature and provide comfortable and productive places for people, in which they can live, work, and study.

Biophilic design at any scale-from buildings to cities-begins with a few simple questions: How does the built environment affect the natural environment? How will nature affect human experience and aspiration? Most of all, how can we achieve sustained and reciprocal benefits between the two?

This prescient, groundbreaking book provides the answers.

Author Notes

Stephen R. Kellert is the Tweedy/Ordway Professor of Social Ecology and Co-Director of the Hixon Center for Urban Ecology at Yale University, and a Partner in the private equity firm Environmental Capital Partners. The recipient of numerous awards for teaching and writing, he is the author of more than 150 publications, including seven books.

Judith H. Heerwagen is President of J.H. Heerwagen & Associates. She is a psychologist whose research focuses on sustainability, biophilia, and the evolutionary basis of environmental aesthetics. She has authored and delivered numerous articles and lectures on the topics of workplace, biophilia, and the psychological value of space.

Martin L. Mador, a researcher on biophilic design at Yale University, has worked on green building and healthy schools issues, including the passage of LEED legislation in Connecticut. He is a board member of the Connecticut Sierra Club, as well as several other environmental organizations.

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This collection of essays centers on Edward O. Wilson's concept of biophilia: "the inherent human affinity to affiliate with natural systems and processes." By applying biophilia to design, the editors and contributors hope to go beyond the standard green architecture goal of simply lowering the environmental impact of buildings. They hope to enhance the human relationship with nature through buildings, believing, e.g., that one's affinity for light or water should be incorporated into the placement of windows. The book is divided into three parts. The first provides a theory of biophilic design and offers general guidelines. The second offers a more focused look at health issues and the role of nature. The third examines applied instances of biophilic design. Many of the suggestions are commonsense ones, but a number will need refinement (Gehry's buildings are praised for their rolling shapes despite their egregious energy consumption); and the art of architecture may become lost in the science of design. This book offers some useful essays, but as a whole could have been more rigorously edited to cut down on repetition. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. M. Frank University of Massachusetts Lowell

Stephen R. Kellert and Judith H. HeerwagenHillary BrownStephen R. KellertEdward O. WilsonJanine BenyusMartin L. MadorNikos A. Salingaros and Kenneth G. Masden IIRoger S. UlrichHoward FrumkinVivian Loftness and Megan SnyderTerry Hartig and Tina Bringslimark and Grete Grindal PatilRobin C. Moore and Clare Cooper MarcusRichard LouvDavid Orr and Robert Michael PyleJudith H. Heerwagen and Bert GregoryStephen KieranKent BloomerGrant HildebrandTimothy BeatleyJonathan F. P. RosePliny Fisk IIITom BenderAlex WilsonJenifer Seal Cramer and William Dee BrowningBob Berkebile and Bob Fox and Alice Hartley

Preface	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Prologue: In Retrospect	p. xiii
Part I The Theory of Biophilic Design	p. 1
Chapter 1 Dimensions, Elements, and Attributes of Biophilic Design	p. 3
Chapter 2 The Nature of Human Nature	p. 21
Chapter 3 A Good Place to Settle: Biomimicry, Biophilia, and the Return of Nature's Inspiration to Architecture	p. 27
Chapter 4 Water, Biophilic Design, and the Built Environment	p. 43
Chapter 5 Neuroscience, the Natural Environment, and Building Design	p. 59
Part II The Science and Benefits of Biophilic Design	p. 85
Chapter 6 Biophilic Theory and Research for Healthcare Design	p. 87
Chapter 7 Nature Contact and Human Health: Building the Evidence Base	p. 107
Chapter 8 Where Windows Become Doors	p. 119
Chapter 9 Restorative Environmental Design: What, When, Where, and for Whom?	p. 133
Chapter 10 Healthy Planet, Healthy Children: Designing Nature into the Daily Spaces of Childhood	p. 153
Chapter 11 Children and the Success of Biophilic Design	p. 205
Chapter 12 The Extinction of Natural Experience in the Built Environment	p. 213
Part III The Practice of Biophilic Design	p. 225
Chapter 13 Biophilia and Sensory Aesthetics	p. 227
Chapter 14 Evolving an Environmental Aesthetic	p. 243
Chapter 15 The Picture Window: The Problem of Viewing Nature Through Glass	p. 253
Chapter 16 Biophilic Architectural Space	p. 263
Chapter 17 Toward Biophilic Cities: Strategies for Integrating Nature into Urban Design	p. 277
Chapter 18 Green Urbanism: Developing Restorative Urban Biophilia	p. 297
Chapter 19 The Greening of the Brain	p. 307
Chapter 20 Bringing Buildings to Life	p. 313
Chapter 21 Biophilia in Practice: Buildings That Connect People with Nature	p. 325
Chapter 22 Transforming Building Practices Through Biophilic Design	p. 335
Chapter 23 Reflections on Implementing Biophilic Design	p. 347
Contributors	p. 357
Image Credits	p. 365
Index	p. 371

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Table of Contents