This we we discussed biophilic designs. Biophilia literally translates as Life Love, in terms of design it is looking at life and loving and appreciating in a sense of gathering inspiration from it to develop designs that incorporate nature with it.  Their were several articles that we read that talked about various examples and the importance of biophillic design for the future of sustainability in our world. The first article I enjoyed reading was 14 Patterns of Biophililc design. In class we broke up into groups and discussed what each group members favorite design was and why as well as coming up with a question for another group to answer about these 14 patterns. I found it a very engaging and fun activity because we first had a lecture that showed examples of these different patterns such as the house that was built on top of a river and my personal favorite of the TED talk with a family who builds bamboo houses and a bamboo school in Bali, Indonesia. The houses were a good example because in the TED talk she explains that bamboo grows extraordinarily faster than trees and can get as strong as steel and other metal resources. She uses a 3D model to develop the blueprint of the houses and uses challenges that building with bamboo as an advantage such as using more curvature designs rather than standard design to create a beautiful architecture that is complimented through nature. I feel like this is an important concept to incorporate throughout the world to help save on resources and help protect our environment.

During the group project with the 14 different designs I chose visual connection with nature. That is because I feel physically and mental better when I am surrounded by nature which is why I enjoy hiking or traveling to natural parks or places that are surrounded by nature such as Washington State, Costa Rica, and the Philippines. We discussed in class the studies that were made and the movement of companies incorporating these principals to their businesses. One popular way of doing this is utilizing the presence of water and non-visual connection with nature in the form of a water fountain. As well as putting plants in offices, utilizing natural light or having a airflow variability (example was the hospital in Singapore). Lastly, I really enjoyed the example of biophilic design patter number 8. Biomorphic, forms and patterns of the sea creature that created intriguing patterns on the sand.

Another article that I felt was interesting was the Impact of In-Store Greenery on Customers” in this article it basically states that consumers will spend more time shopping a store if more nature is incorporated in it because they feel more calm and relaxed while shopping became a more enjoyable experience for consumers.

 

This week there was also a TED talk titled “Natalie Jeremijenko: The are of the eco-mindshift” that discussed redefining the way we live. I thought it was interesting when she talked about the fish sticks that where developed to feed the fish in Iceland. She stated that the fish sticks can be eaten by both humans and animals which I thought was very interesting. She calls this re scripting the interaction into a collection remediative action. This is possible with the continual innovation of technology to address environmental challenges.

 

Here is a picture of my design and here is a picture of what I was going for.