Architecture of Happiness: How Does Biophilic Design and Sustainability Enhance Our Mental Health?

Introduction:

How can the building you live in or work in have a significant impact on your mood and mental health? What if there was a design that enhances your psychological comfort and increases your daily happiness?

Architecture of happiness is not just a luxury, but a well-studied architectural approach that relies on integrating biophilic principles with sustainability concepts to achieve environments that enhance mental health and quality of life.

Scientific studies confirm that the architectural environment can have a significant impact on our behavior and emotions, and can be a decisive factor in reducing stress and depression levels.

According to a study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, employees who work in nature-rich environments showed a 15% increase in productivity and a 30% improvement in creativity.

Biophilia Theory:

- The renowned biologist Edward Wilson coined the term "biophilia" in his book "Biophilia" in 1984. It literally means "love of life or living beings."

Wilson suggested that humans have an innate connection with nature as a result of biological evolution that has continued for millions of years.

Humans evolved in natural environments, creating a psychological and biological bond between humans and nature, making them feel comfortable and happy when they are in natural or near-natural environments.

- On the other hand, psychological studies have shown that interaction with nature reduces stress, improves mood, and increases focus.

Many modern studies have supported the idea that nature has a therapeutic effect on humans, which led to the application of these concepts in architectural design.

- In neuroscience, research has proven that exposure to nature stimulates the release of happiness hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, and reduces the release of the stress hormone cortisol. In a study conducted by Marc Berman at the University of Chicago in 2015, it was shown that walking in nature improves memory and attention by up to 20% compared to walking in urban areas.

We can say that the emergence of biophilic design was through the interaction between biological, psychological, and architectural sciences, where it was developed as a response to a deeper understanding of the relationship between humans and nature. This concept relies on scientific evidence that proves that contact with nature enhances health and well-being, making it an important approach in modern architectural design.

Studies by the Green Building Council indicate that buildings based on sustainability standards achieve an improvement of 23% in employee well-being compared to other buildings.

This is confirmed by buildings that have obtained the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certificate, which have shown that buildings based on sustainability standards achieve an improvement of 23% in employee well-being compared to traditional buildings as well.

Integration of Biophilic Design and Sustainability Together Towards Better Mental Health:

Integrating nature with modern techniques can make buildings more than just spaces to live and work in!

The integration of biophilic design and sustainability presents a comprehensive architectural environment aimed at improving people's daily lives.

Buildings that combine renewable energy, green spaces, and natural lighting can be more than just a place to live or work, but a place that enhances mental health and increases general well-being.

In the city of Singapore, the integration of environmental techniques with green spaces in most commercial and residential buildings has led to excellent results in reducing stress among residents and employees.

Another study in the city of Calgary, Canada, showed that buildings that rely on biophilic design and sustainable principles have led to a 40% reduction in feelings of stress and psychological strain among employees.

A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology indicates that interaction with green spaces can reduce heart rate by up to 7%, which alleviates stress.

Case Study: Real Applications of Happy Architecture

Masdar City" Project - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Masdar City is one of the most sustainable projects in the Arab world, and one of the first completely sustainable cities in the world, where it relies on a passive environmental design that reduces energy and water consumption. Narrow and shaded streets reduce the impact of high heat and enhance thermal comfort. Green spaces integrated with buildings, a psychologically comfortable environment for city residents, and 100% renewable energy and modern techniques to improve indoor air quality, which reduces stress and strain.

Masdar City is one of the least energy-consuming cities in the world, where buildings in it reduce energy consumption by 40% compared to traditional buildings. It relies entirely on solar and wind energy, with the presence of smart systems for resource management, and a focus on reducing carbon emissions and resource consumption.

It aims today to be a center for research and development in the field of clean energy and urban sustainability.

The city combines multiple green spaces, such as vertical gardens and planted roofs with plants, which improve air quality and reduce the impact of urban heat islands. And its reliance on local materials such as clay and natural stones creates an environmentally harmonious relationship with nature.

The Quranic Garden - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Quranic Garden relies on biophilic design by integrating green spaces with cultural elements.

The Quranic Garden is one of the most innovative biophilic projects in the Middle East, as it was designed to integrate environmental elements with spiritual and cultural values. The garden spans an area of 60 hectares, and includes plants mentioned in the Quran and Islamic traditions. It provides a psychological relaxation experience through gardens of plants mentioned in the Quran and their impact on health.

The project idea combines a green educational environment, where visitors can explore the plants mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah, enhancing the emotional connection between humans and nature. And the reuse of treated water for irrigation of gardens, which reduces water consumption by 30-40% compared to traditional methods, as it relies on a sustainable irrigation system and environmental techniques to conserve water resources. And a quiet green therapeutic and contemplative environment that contributes to improving mental health through a harmonious design that encourages meditation and relaxation.

The garden relies on solar panels to generate electricity, making it a model of sustainability in the recreational field.

El Hamma Gardens - Algeria

One of the most beautiful and oldest botanical (biophilic) gardens in the world...

Established in 1832, it is a comprehensive model of sustainable biophilic architecture, as it includes a wide range of rare plants, and provides an ideal environment for meditation and relaxation.

The design shows the integration of nature with urban planning, and a model of balance between humans and nature, as it contains more than 3000 types of plants that help purify the air and improve the quality of urban life.

Thanks to smart planning, the garden provides a moderate climate inside it, even in the hottest seasons of the year. One of these means is the use of large plants to create natural canopies that protect visitors from the sun's rays.

The garden includes green recreational spaces for relaxation and water paths that enhance environmental sustainability and the mental health of visitors. The garden relies on a natural irrigation system that depends on rainwater, making it one of the most sustainable biophilic projects in the Arab world.

Some studies indicate that green areas inside cities with studied area ratios can reduce urban temperatures by up to 5 degrees Celsius. This is what makes El Hamma Gardens a successful model of biophilic design.

This garden forms a historical sustainable design that maintains ecological balance and provides a quiet environment. It has been used as a source of inspiration for many architectural projects that integrate biophilic design and sustainability.

The Bosco Verticale in Milan, Italy:

"The Vertical Forest" is a famous architectural project in Milan, and it is an innovative example of integrating nature into urban architecture.

The building includes hundreds of trees and plants on the facades, which helps improve air quality and creates a quieter environment within the city.

It consists of two residential towers containing more than 9,000 trees, 13,000 shrubs, and 5,000 flowering plants, where air pollution is reduced and air quality is increased in the surroundings of the buildings. The trees provide natural shade that helps reduce the temperature.

The biological diversity contributes to increasing the ecological diversity within the cities, by providing new habitats for different types of birds and insects.

Innovative techniques such as the self-watering system were used in the design of the towers, and the designer was interested in reducing the thermal impact and improving the thermal insulation of the buildings.

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The Evolution of the History of Biophilic Design:

Although the term "biophilic design" is relatively recent, its idea has existed since ancient civilizations, where communities throughout history have sought to integrate nature into architecture.

We find this in ancient civilizations from Egyptian temples to Roman architecture and up to Islamic architecture and the Alhambra Palace gardens in Andalusia, which are among the most important examples of that period.

In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, European palaces and churches used formal gardens, such as the Versailles Palace gardens in France. Islamic cities also integrated nature into most of their buildings through interior courtyards, fountains, and gardens to cool the atmosphere and improve thermal comfort.

During the Industrial Revolution, more cities began to lose their connection with nature, where concrete architecture spread, and green spaces decreased due to rapid urbanization. Later, high pollution rates and chronic diseases appeared due to industrial waste, lack of natural ventilation, and limited exposure to sunlight.

Here, some architects and thinkers began to realize the importance of reintegrating nature into urban design. The concept of organic architecture began to appear, and as a result, models of projects that adopted these concepts emerged (Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959): and his famous house "Fallingwater", and the Garden City Movement founded by Ebenezer Howard in the early twentieth century, which focused on designing integrated cities with nature.

In the late 1990s and early new millennium, researchers Stephen Kellert and Judith Heerwagen developed the concept of biophilic design based on Wilson's hypothesis.

Kellert detailed the basic principles of biophilic design in his book "Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life" (2008).

Kellert identified six main elements of biophilic design, including:

• Visual connection with nature: This element includes providing indoor and outdoor natural views, such as gardens, plants, and water bodies. This can be achieved through large windows, balconies, and green roofs.

• Non-visual connection with nature: This element includes using other senses besides sight to communicate with nature, such as natural sounds (such as the sound of water or birds) and natural scents (such as the scent of flowers or trees) and natural texture (such as the texture of wood or stone).

• Natural patterns: This element includes using natural shapes and patterns in interior and exterior design, such as organic shapes and natural colors. This can be achieved by using natural materials and geometric shapes inspired by nature.

• Natural light: This element includes providing as much natural light as possible inside the building. This can be achieved through large windows, courtyards, and light-reflecting materials.

• Natural spaces: This element includes providing indoor and outdoor spaces that resemble natural environments, such as interior gardens, water bodies, and green corridors.

• Spatial relationships: This element includes designing buildings and outdoor spaces in a way that enhances the connection between humans and nature, such as providing shared spaces for interaction with nature and designing buildings in a way that integrates with the surrounding natural scenery.

Today, the concept of biophilic design is linked to the concept of sustainability, where it is used in smart buildings, green cities, and hospitals, to improve the quality of life.

Biophilic Design Objectives:

Biophilic design aims to achieve a set of environmental, health, and social benefits, and its most prominent objectives include:

1- Enhancing mental health by providing green spaces that reduce anxiety and stress. Improving productivity and focus in workplaces and schools through natural lighting and interaction with the living environment. And accelerating health recovery in hospitals, where studies have proven that patients who are exposed to nature recover faster.

2- Supporting environmental sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint by using sustainable materials and natural ecological systems, promoting biological diversity through integrating plants and water bodies in cities. And improving air quality through plants that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

3- Improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort by reducing the need for industrial air conditioning through natural ventilation. And using green roofs and living walls to lower city temperatures.

4- Rethinking the formation of smart and sustainable cities by designing green public spaces that enhance social communication and public health. And developing buildings with environmental spaces that mimic nature, such as green skyscrapers.

In the "Maggie's Centre" hospital in the United Kingdom, studies have shown that patients who spend time in the hospital's outdoor gardens have shown faster recovery rates and reduced anxiety levels.

In a study conducted by the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, it was shown that offices containing natural plants achieved a 37% reduction in stress levels among employees compared to offices devoid of plants.

Sustainable Architecture as an Ally in Enhancing Mental Health:

What if the buildings we live in not only provide comfort, but also improve our mental health?

Sustainability in architecture includes the use of different techniques to achieve an environmentally balanced environment, such as improving air quality, thermal balance, and reducing indoor pollution. There is no doubt that this directly reflects in improving the psychological state of humans. Sustainability also includes the use of natural and environmentally friendly materials, making buildings less impactful on the health of residents.

In the "The Edge" building in Amsterdam, which is one of the most sustainable buildings in the world, and the most sustainable office building on earth, with a BREEAM-NL rating of 98.36%, and a building with a zero net energy consumption, where it produces 102% of its energy, smart techniques were used to reduce indoor pollution levels and enhance natural lighting, which contributed to improving the health and well-being of employees in the building. (More about the building in our article: Quality of Life)

Amazon Headquarters in Seattle - United States

"Amazon Spheres" is the new headquarters of Amazon in Seattle, and it is one of the most buildings that combine innovative architecture and nature in the world.

It relies on indoor forests inside the offices, where the indoor tropical forests provide a quiet and inspiring environment for employees.

The design is inspired by nature, and the headquarters contain three large glass spheres with an area of 40,000 square feet, which are filled with tropical plants and rare species of plants. The "Spheres" were designed to be comfortable and flexible workspaces, as they contain interior gardens that provide a work environment that encourages innovation and creativity.

Natural ventilation systems that rely on air flow are used, in addition to the use of rainwater for irrigation. The project also contains green roofs that improve the quality of the surrounding air.

The building uses advanced technology windows that control the amount of light and heat that enter the building, which provides a comfortable and environmentally friendly work environment. These are smart glass (Electrochromic Glass), which is a type of glass whose color or transparency can be changed by applying a low electric voltage, which changes its optical properties.

Sensors are also used to measure the intensity of external light and temperature. These sensors send data to the central control system. With manual control, employees can also control the windows manually through applications or internal control panels, which allows them to adjust the lighting according to their personal needs.

These techniques reduce the need for artificial heating and cooling, which reduces energy consumption, improves visual comfort, and reduces the carbon footprint of the building.

Apart from the building's harmony with its urban environment, its design focuses on mental health and the ability to innovate by relying on biophilic design.

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital - Singapore:

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) reflects the philosophy that the healing environment directly affects the recovery and mental well-being of patients.

The hospital is designed to be a "garden inside a hospital" rather than a hospital with a garden. It includes vast green spaces, balconies filled with plants, and vertical gardens throughout the building. It provides patients with the ability to interact visually and directly with nature, which accelerates healing and reduces stress.

The design allows for the entry of as much natural sunlight as possible through large windows. The reliance on artificial lighting is reduced, which enhances the biological rhythm of patients and helps them sleep naturally.

The hospital contains a lake and a water garden that help improve air quality and lower temperatures. Water also creates a peaceful therapeutic environment that reduces stress and anxiety.

The building is designed to allow natural air flow through all spaces, which reduces the need for air conditioning by up to 60%. The use of indoor plants and vertical gardens absorbs carbon dioxide and purifies the air.

The hospital relies on smart systems for lighting and ventilation, which reduce energy consumption by 30-50% compared to traditional hospitals.

The hospital's water garden is designed to recycle rainwater for use in irrigation. Smart water systems reduce waste and save about 50% of water consumption compared to traditional hospitals.

Future Challenges and Opportunities in Happy Architecture:

Can architecture become an effective tool in combating stress and depression in the future?

Among the challenges faced by architects in integrating biophilic design with sustainability is the initial cost. Studies by McKinsey indicate that investing in green and sustainable construction can provide a 20% higher financial return in the long term.

There are also technical challenges, such as providing green spaces in crowded urban areas. However, there are immense opportunities in developing flexible buildings that rely on modern techniques to create healthy environments.

Although modern technology provides immense potential to support biophilic design, it may pose several challenges that hinder its actual implementation. These challenges include physical, economic, technical, and functional aspects. Also smart buildings rely on standardized and closed designs that reduce contact with the natural environment.

Additionally, excessive reliance on industrial building materials such as concrete, glass, and steel makes buildings reflect heat and increase thermal pollution instead of cooling spaces as plants do.

However, it is possible to develop sustainable building materials such as bioconcrete or environmentally friendly clay bricks, and use innovative solutions such as green facades and living walls to enhance the relationship between the building and nature. Technology can be an obstacle, but it is also an opportunity if used wisely to support environmental architecture. The solution lies in balancing modern construction and nature through sustainable materials, smart systems, and integrated urban planning.

Another challenge is the lack of laws and regulations that support the addition of natural elements such as green roofs and vertical gardens, and focus on space efficiency rather than the environmental experience of humans. There is also a lack of attention to sustainable irrigation techniques and modern water filtration systems to maintain green spaces in cities.

Therefore, it is necessary to modify legislation to support sustainable design and increase financial incentives for biophilic projects. Developing sustainable irrigation systems, such as rainwater recycling systems, is also necessary.

Conclusion: Towards Architecture That Is Happier

Architecture should not only be concerned with the spaces we live in, but also with how to improve our daily lives and make them happier and more comfortable.

Sustainable biophilic design is not just an aesthetic choice, but a health necessity that contributes to creating living environments that enhance mental health and well-being. With the development of technology and knowledge, architecture can become more impactful in our daily lives, making us live in happier and more comfortable environments.

Share your vision about the opportunities and challenges facing architects and planners in this field...