Image Credit: JoshuaDavisPhotography | Flickr

Many people purposely seek out nature in order to experience its beauty and learn from it. Of course, for designers, biomimicry involves the understanding of nature as interpreted into design. But I ask, what are other ways that you can learn from nature to really push the way you think about what your occupants do within your buildings? And how can you use nature to find new ways to promote issues like learning and productivity within an office building and its office layout design?

Well, there are ongoing studies which find that typical office buildings are actually not the most conducive of spaces to promote a good work environment that encourages natural productivity, attention, and focus amongst its occupants. However, what has been found, is that by going for a walk in nature (by taking a 20 to 50 minute break from work) can actually improve your memory, attention and focus — thereby making you more productive at work. (2)

Specifically, University of Michigan psychology researchers found that “memory performance and attention spans improved by 20 percent after people spent an hour interacting with nature.” And similarly, a study was done where occupants looked at pictures of nature as compared to urban pictures, and it was found that those that looked at the nature pictures Read more

Image: Curbed SF | Flickr

Unleashing Necessity and Your Ingenuity

The need to build green skins that are able to harness energy gives architects incentive to find new ways to use and guide emerging technologies. Essentially, it is necessity coupled with ingenuity that can often spark the best design innovation.

As an architect, it will help you to think about building skin and all of its possibilities in totally new and fresh ways. Instead of using building skin to “shield” or “expose” building occupants to the external environment, think of how building skin can act as a live filter that “flexes” its own boundaries in dynamic ways. As an exercise to get you thinking along these lines try asking yourself the following three questions to get you started:

1. On Selectivity: How can I connect my occupant with nature in completely new ways? Instead of thinking of skin as a barrier, how can I think of it as a dynamic filter — how could I separate different light, air quality or sound properties so the exterior can enhance interior spaces? How many exterior/interior “hybrids” can I think of?
2. On Preconceptions: What qualities of nature do I presently take for granted as a designer? Can I “capture” a particular aspect of nature that is usually “invisible”? How can I “feed” my occupants through a building’skin to let them “touch” it in new ways? (For instance, a clever positioning and use of smart glass.)
3. On Transience: What could my building do if my building skin could change in real-time? Could “windows” move and flex in new ways? Could they magnify or minimize certain qualities of nature? What new “between-states” could I create to bridge interior and exterior environments?

With the advent and evolution of nanotechnology, there will be many new developments for architectural buildings — particularly when it comes to building skins. Already there are newfound ideas on the drawing boards showing how certain nanotechnology integrations could work.

Harnessing the Power of Sun and Wind

One example of this is seen in the Concept Tower designed by Agustin Otegui. Within this tower’s skin, Otegui uses Nano Vent-Skin (NVS) as a way to extract energy from both the sun and wind. Using a system of “sensors, organic photovoltaics and micro-wind turbines”, the Concept Tower’s skin would be able to self repair through a self assembly process.

In the following images you can see, conceptually, how this design would work: Read more

Image: kennymatic | Flickr

This solar and wind project is unique because it takes technology beyond just being “tacked on” to a building. These micro solar panels mimic nature’s ivy, really bringing life to the otherwise redundant ways we typically see energy being stored.

Your building façade will be able to do Read more

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NATURE AS INSPIRATION

By taking a look around, designers can find inspiration everywhere – particularly in nature. Nature provides us with an amazing array of solutions for many complex problems that we face today – the quest to learn from nature in this way is “biomimicry”, and architecture can benefit from this kind of approach.

At times what may seem as “simple” in nature can translate to better design solutions that are more efficient, sustainable and healthy. Yes, nature is inspirational but it is also a part of our world which we can study more deeply – extracting creative solutions that we can apply today.

WHAT IS BIOMIMICRY?

Most all designers will benefit from studying certain aspects of nature. As buildings now face a whole myriad of problems that need solutions, it may be in nature that architects can find Read more

Jolob | Dreamstime

The nature of the way we work in offices has changed over the years. Yes, ergonomics has arisen as key to comfort; but, with the advent of the technology revolution even our brains need to be kept in healthy environments. As a result of the computer age, workers are constantly busy – at times even deprived of person-to-person interaction. While bodies sit still, worker brains are influenced by the internet, email, cell phones, videos and all else that can be found via the digital age.

So, what is the best way to design an office that is healthy and includes (even embraces) technology? How can offices help eliminate what Scientific American Mind recently termed “digital [mental] fog” in their article Meet Your iBrain? Digital fog is important to eliminate because it contributes to worker error, mental burn-out and general unwanted stress. Over time, unhealthy environments can ultimately lead to actual cognition impairment and eventual depression.

Since so many hours are devoted to office work, office design should place emphasis on what makes for a healthy workday. Here is my list of 10 simple steps toward design that lessens technology’s negative effects. These helpful tips also contribute to greater comfort, efficiency and overall less employee stress.

1. Include places that give your eyes a rest. Have nature, artwork or a window view to help reduce strained eyes that should not stare at computer technology all day.

2. Provide both natural light and well-planned task lighting. Offices need lighting that counters monitor light. Also, well lit areas should allow for healthy desk-writing, bulletin-board reading and bookshelf scanning.

3. Offer a place for quiet breaks or peaceful meditation. It is important for workers to relax during the workday by providing even a micro-space that is serene by feeding the senses. Think sand garden or other feature for contemplation.

4. Make organization easy. Use functional office design techniques for efficient paperwork and file organization. Setup systems that complement the occupant’s working style.

5. Prevent information overload. Fuse technologies together – allow data to feed from one technology to the other without redundancy. (For example, avoid reading the same email on different computers, cell phones, etc.)

6. Don’t forget to factor chair, desk and mouse ergonomics. This is so important. If your body isn’t adjusted and comfortable, all else will suffer.

7. Keep technology in check…don’t let technologies take over an office. It is important to mentally (or physically) unplug at certain times during the workday. Provide office space and features for use during those times.

8. Provide place for human interaction. Counter the negative effects of too much technology by creating friendly space for meetings and impromptu interactions with people.

9. Allow office workers to make their mark. Designed office space should allow workers to personalize certain areas. It is also important to allow these areas to change over time – for example, to complement seasons or worker mood during the day. Workers need some control over their environment.

10. Clear pathways and reduce travel-times. Place most used items within reach and make pathways always accessible. This not only makes an office more functional but is key to making it efficient.

In the end, it is important to remember that successful office design should let workers be in control. Control over how an office functions and feels goes far to alleviate stress — ultimately boosting self-esteem. When coordinated correctly, office design and technology can harmonize; eventually to improve worker morale both physically and mentally. As workers use technology to improve their abilities to pay attention, multi-task and mine data it is also key that they stay connected through their environment. Office design is vital to having healthy workers.

Taophoto | Dreamstime

THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF NATURE

Healing environments often integrate nature to help de-stress patients. Nature can be a beautiful distraction or have physiological benefits. Either way, nature is important because it has been proven to reduce pain and subsequent stress. In the book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, patients with views of trees heal more quickly and with less pain than those with views of blank walls. So, how can architecture best incorporate nature to reap all of its healing benefits for healthy environments?

BRINGING THE QUALITIES OF NATURE INDOORS

By incorporating technology, we can extract features from nature in a more conscious manner. As designers bring architecture together with nature, they can align environments with human natural biorhythms. For example, lighting properties could more closely resemble those found in natural sunlight. For better understanding, I like to think about healing gardens that are full of life and appeal to all of the human senses. Color, sound, smell, touch and sometimes even taste are embedded into garden designs. Healing gardens are places where people can find strength, both physically and mentally.

Sometimes certain healing garden characteristics can be found within healing architectural spaces. Water features, circulation pathways or social gathering areas are elements that each may have in common. From healing gardens we learn that by reaching out to the senses, design can greatly impact human well-being. The key is to appeal to human senses.

GREEN architectural features are also helping to make architectural environments more pleasant and comfortable. Interest is in spending less energy while maintaining optimal comfort conditions. In the book Ten Shades of Green, the author describes the Gotz Headquarters by stating that “every element of the building contributes to climate control”. In addition, the atrium pond and plants contribute to the indoor air quality of the building as well.

RELIEVE STRESS WITH HEALING SPACES

Unfortunately, many hospital environments are still overfilled with technology and interior design that is clunky, noisy and visually too sterile and intimidating. Patient experience in such places dampens the senses and makes patients heal in spite of their surroundings. Currently; however, there is an ongoing push to make such environments more humane, comforting and natural. Attention to color or organic textures, for example, are proving to significantly impact occupant or patient mood.

In essence, designers should not forget the healing power of nature when designing healthcare space. Again, bring forth some of what makes healing gardens so successful – such design characteristics are sure to relax, comfort and help to heal.

GreenLiving | Dreamstimes

Sometimes there is a fine line between technology and nature. That line can be as obvious as a window pane or as slight as an accent of green picked out in a textile pattern. There are many ways to integrate nature into an architectural design. For example, be conscious of your choices when selecting features like color and texture. After all, the human senses respond to certain color and texture palettes. 

Mirroring nature in just the right places can make architectural environments more healing. Did you know that patients in rooms with window views of trees reported healing with less pain medication and in reduced time? Nature, in all its dynamic form should serve to inspire and make the architectural space healthy. Whether it be an abstract architectural interpretation or a touch of the outdoors inside, nature with architecture is a powerful union – just don’t forget to make it a conscious and positive one.

Additionally, architectural technology can be used to extract beauty from nature and represent it in unique ways. Have you ever seen a digital media wall of nature? Have you ever walked on a floor that looked like water? Sometimes digital media technology can push you to experience nature in a whole new way. Don’t be afraid to experiment when designing with augmented reality – perhaps designing nature with interactive architectural technologies will make nature and architecture better than the sum of their parts.