INTERIOR DESIGN BIOPHILIC DESIGN
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BY NATURE
Designing interiors for care homes involves a lot more than selecting an attractive colour palette and the most practical seating options. Joyce McLelland and Dana O’Donell, senior interior designers at Blueleaf, explain the potential of biophilic design in care homes
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he design world has adopted the term biophilic design to communicate design that increases people’s connection to nature to the benefit of health and wellbeing - improving mood and social interaction in residents and staff, and encouraging independence, improved comfort and safety, and even reducing symptoms of stress and dementia, A key principle of biophilic design in care homes is to ‘bring the outside in’, specifically for those who are unable to go outside physically on a regular basis. True biophilic design goes beyond using natural colours or hanging pictures of flowers, and dotting a few plants here and there. Rather, biophilic design promotes a true connection between the exterior and 28 Care Home MANAGEMENT
interior, achieved through features such as full height windows, bi-fold doors and skylight windows. Natural light is important for human functioning: not just for activity, but also to reduce depression and fatigue and to regulate the human body clock. When access to natural light throughout the day is not possible, artificial lighting and design solutions come into play, specifically, ‘smart lighting’ solutions that simulate daylight patterns and the use of biophilic design elements.
Biophilic design promotes a true connection between the exterior and interior www.chmonline.co.uk