I am in equal measures both proud and horrified that I am still writing up my thesis. I was due to submit at the end of last year, safe to wholly immerse myself into the Strictly final with abandon but instead find myself limited to fewer highs and yet more sighs as I face the final push.
On editing one chapter I found myself slipping back into search engines and discovered the most delicious and accessible route into The Biophilia Hypothesis, which posits our connection to nature as innately emotional, and so part of our own human nature (Wilson, 1993). Our relationship with the natural world is complex; exploring this phenomena from a different angle gives a fresh approach, waking us up to another way of thinking about familiar stuff. The source I've included below is a link to an article presenting the components of biophilic design, contained within an online repository with an architectural focus. Alongside some gorgeous imagery which filled me with restorative awe, the author gives an overview of biophilia and tips to architects on the best ways to create a nature-inclusive design. Snippets include consideration of direct experiences of nature such as use of water, light and natural landscapes; indirect experiences such as natural colours and naturalist shapes and forms; and consideration of space and place in terms of refuge and complexity, transitional spaces, and mobility and wayfinding to maximise navigation for everybody.
Research suggests that we continue to disconnect with nature (Soga & Gaston, 2016), therefore it is imperative that action take place to reverse this. We must, individually and collectively, utilise all skills and sectors to find ways to foster reconnection to nature in order to fulfil our own meaning in life and promote health and wellbeing.
Link to the must read article is here: https://www.archpsych.co.uk/post/biophilia-hypothesis-and-biophilic-design
References
E.O. Wilson (1993). Biophilia and the Conservation Ethic. In S.R Kellert & E.O. Wilson (Eds.), The Biophilia Hypothesis (pp31-41). Island Press.
Soga, M., & Gaston, K. J. (2016). Extinction of experience: The loss of human–nature interactions. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 14(2), 94-101. https://doi.org/doi:10.1002/fee.1225