“We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us” - Winston Churchill
Great people attract great people and great people need great spaces in order to thrive. Of course early start-ups are known for cramming as many developers into a single cubicle as possible (that is, until the day comes where we can afford kombucha on tap). But you can't keep them there forever. Companies may no longer be measuring our importance in terms of the square footage of our office but we are quickly approaching a time of recognition that our productivity is directly linked to the spaces in which we are producing.
Let's try a simple thought experiment. If someone approached you and said for every 100 bracelets you weave you can receive $100 dollars, but only if done in 100 unit increments. You have the option of making these bracelets at a desk in a windowless room with ample fluorescent lighting or in a beach chair with your feet in the sand as you watch the waves crash upon the shore. In which environment would you be more willing to start in on bracelet #101, 201 … 1001? Unless you're a vampire you’re going to choose the beach (come to think of it even the vampire would choose the beach … at night). So if we know that this is the case for a task as simple as weaving a bracelet why would we assume any different when the task becomes more important?
I think the old world of gentleman wearing a hat and 3 piece suit to work has left an image burned in our minds that comfort = laziness.
“A desk chair can extract energy, a hammock can restore energy, and quarterly reports can be read in both. “ ~JK
The major barrier to biophilic design taking the world by storm is people. It isn't just one party or organization that is responsible for it, it’s all of us in combination. It’s the profit driven client-developers that are sure of their underwriting but have not considered the user experience. Along with underpaid architects that are encouraged to not take chances. And lastly its us, the employees and apartment renters who must demand that our managers, corporate executives and landlords hear our cries for biophilic design. Let us not be shy in our desire for increased sunlight, fresh air and exposure to living systems. If we are connected to the natural world throughout our day we are more productive at school, work and in life generally. Oh yea and we significantly decrease our general existential angst.
~JK
“BD is not just an approach to architecture that is good for the planet. Its an approach that allows us to celebrate all that is good about being alive.”