What is Biophilic Design?

Biophilic design is a design methodology rooted in the concept of biophilia: the idea that human beings possess an innate tendency to seek connection with nature and other forms of life. This idea is supported by over 30 years of environmental psychology and research into human wellbeing, showing how spaces that foster a relationship with nature can reduce stress, support cognitive function and strengthen our sense of meaning and belonging.

Traditional biophilic design often stems from an evolutionary theory, taking into consideration the early human being and how it had to survive to live, and how these survival elements are in a way still in our DNA. It interprets our attraction to natural forms as the result of centuries of survival mechanisms: we feel safe near water, alert in open spaces, restored in forests. This evolutionary hypothesis has led to impactful design strategies worldwide, integrating daylight, greenery, natural materials, fractal geometries and sensory experiences into our homes, schools, offices and public spaces.

At Studio NousNous, we work and interpret biophilia and biophilic design a step further. We are the only spatial design studio in the world to approach biophilic design not only through environmental psychology but also through a broader human narrative, a faith-based understanding of our origin, giving our methodology a science and faith based approach.

While the evolutionary hypothesis suggests that life evolved from water, many people across the entire world hold another powerful perspective: that we once lived in paradise, and that nature was not only our habitat but our original home. This sense of origin shapes how billions of people intuitively relate to the natural world, not as a backdrop for survival but as a place of spiritual memory, calm and connection. When we walk through a forest or sit by the sea, something in us feels at home. It is this inner familiarity with nature that we aim to restore through design.

At Studio NousNous, we bring these two perspectives, the scientific and the faith based approach, into one starting point we all people can agree on. This enables us to find what we call a collective reality: the shared recognition of all people having a bond to nature, be it from a religious or scientific perspective. Our design work is a response to that bond, an invitation to remember who we truly are as a human being, and what we need as our true habitat, to reimagine and reweave nature into our built environments again.

Our unique methodology shapes every project we take on, from tiny houses and public interiors to parks, gardens, healing architecture and city scale visions. Biophilic design, in our hands, becomes not just a tool for wellbeing but a quiet act of reconnection, to life, to origin and to a more meaningful future.

Creating a Healthy Space

Designing a healthy space begins with understanding how the human body and mind respond to the environment. At Studio NousNous, we believe that wellbeing is not an aesthetic layer but a structural foundation. Biophilic design offers the tools to create that foundation by working with spatial patterns that support clarity, calm, vitality and connection.

These patterns are not random decorations. They are deeply rooted in how people intuitively respond to light, air, materials, movement, views, sound and spatial rhythm. For example, we may feel at ease in spaces with soft light and gentle airflow, or become curious when there is a visual hint of what lies just beyond. These design experiences reflect patterns we have known since the beginning of human life — patterns of shelter, exploration, safety and belonging.

Over the past decades, biophilic designers have identified key spatial patterns and grouped them into categories. These include visual and sensory connections to nature, the use of natural materials and forms, and spatial configurations that evoke a sense of prospect, refuge or mystery. While the original framework outlined 14 core patterns, the field has since expanded. Today, researchers and designers have identified hundreds more, with some estimating over 600 biophilic patterns that influence our physiology and perception.

Rather than applying a fixed checklist, Studio NousNous approaches each project through custom pattern design. We begin by analyzing the physical context, user needs, cultural background and emotional function of the space. Whether the space is inside or outside, small or large, temporary or permanent, we assess which spatial patterns are most relevant and how they can be meaningfully integrated.

A healing room may benefit from soft thermal transitions and visual stillness. A retail space may call for complexity, movement and tactile materials. A garden may be shaped around layers of openness, rhythm and acoustic intimacy. The outcome is not a generic natural look, but a space that actively supports human health and connection — grounded in pattern logic and emotional resonance.

Designing a healthy space is not about adding greenery. It is about restoring a deeper relationship with our surroundings, using the quiet language of form, material and atmosphere. This is the heart of how Studio NousNous designs, one pattern at a time.

Original biophilic patterns include:

A.) Nature in the space

1. Visual Connection with Nature
2. Non-Visual Connection with Nature
3. Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli
4. Access to Thermal & Airflow Variability
5. Presence of Water
6. Dynamic & Diffuse Light
7. Connection with Natural Systems

B.) Natural Analogues

8. Biomorphic Forms & Patterns
9. Material Connection with Nature
10. Complexity & Order

C.) Nature of the space

11. Prospect
12. Refuge
13. Mystery
14. Risk/Peril