Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life

Biophilic design connects people to nature and local landscapes through gardens, green views, green walls and roofs, indoor plantings, water, natural light, natural materials, and architectural forms derived from nature, on every scale from individual buildings to neighborhoods. This 60-minute film features leaders in design and environmental advocacy who identify the many ways that contact with nature is important for human health and well-being and present examples from architecture, landscape architecture and planning that respond to this need. It takes the concept of green building into new territory by adding human emotions and connection to place into the discourse of sustainability. As Stephen Kellert, one of the film’s creators, observes, “Sustainable design focuses only on reducing environmental damage from waste and pollution, or excessive use of resources like energy and water,” while failing to appreciate people’s equally important need for beneficial contact with nature. The most sustainable buildings and places are those that people love, that nourish the spirit as well as the body, so that people are prepared to protect them and care for them across generations. This is the type of design that the film presents.