Biophilia

Photo by Kate Russell

Anyone that has ever noticed a gentle breeze on their skin or stared into a fire until their thoughts disappeared or had a long pause in the changing colors of the sky, already understands biophilia. In our deepest levels of DNA we all understand, because our ancestors were formed within it. Biophilia is our innate love and connection to the natural world. In other words, consciously or subconsciously we are all craving nature in our lives. Science has proven that applying biophilia to the spaces we live and work in improves health and happiness but also teaches the next generation to treat nature with reverence.

Try this on for me, what is the first thing you touch when you wake up in the morning? What is the second? Unfortunately, studies have shown that it’s our phones (Im not here to scold you). If that is true and not changing anytime soon then what image is on your screensaver? Maybe next it’s the sheets on which you sleep, are they made of something that once had roots or are they bleached white and derived from plastic bottles? They are covering you for hours every night. What color are they? Most likely , It’s the first color you see every single day. Is this interesting to you? This is applying biophilia to your personal choices , keep reading.

Now think about the space in which you live and the one you work within. Do they have movement or are they completely still? Do you see natural shapes around you or do you see corners and the common right angles of modern construction? Would you discover shadows on the wall and do they move with the light throughout the day or do you have the ever-even brightness of task lighting? Do you have plants, pets or things to watch change and grow? Do you have access to a window, does it open? These are all questions of biophilic design when applied to spaces.

It was my passion for botany and landscape design that brought me to studying biophilic design. I had a chance to study others homes and offices and I realized that our indoor and our outdoor spaces are often disconnected. I have spent copious hours thinking about outdoor irrigation and how to mitigate the heat of the generous New Mexican sun so I could design gardens for people to linger in. It occurred to me that indoors is temperature controlled, sheltered from excessive light and quite honestly where we spend most of our time. I began thinking about how to make these indoor/outdoor spaces connect and in my questions I discovered a book called “Biophilia” by biologist and naturalist, Edward O Wilson. I have been on a new journey of design ever since.

Studies have shown that connections with nature and natural patterns lower stress and improve overall health and wellbeing. We are living in a time ripe with anxiety, attention deficit disorders, lack of sleep and good health. I believe that our design choices along with cultivating plants and growing our general understanding of the wild spaces in which we have evolved from can improve the quality of our lives. I want to dive into these ideas with you.

Pith Plant Studio was created to host conversations and projects around biophilia. I do custom installations in homes and businesses that focus on our innate need for beauty and nature. On Saturdays, Pith is a plant retail store so that we can meet new faces and support you in your plant knowledge and grow good design choices.

Please feel free to reach out to us with your questions and ideas, Pith would like to be a part of your thoughtful decisions for a healthier way of living. On Saturdays please wander in, we are open 10-5. Sign up for our mailing list for lectures and classes on biophilic design or follow us on Instagram @pith_plantstudio.