2.1.3SPACE&PLACE

The third biophilic design category, the experience of Space & Place, refers to the spatial setting, including the ecological context of the built environment and how people manage and organize their environmental circumstances. 21 This category relates to the spatial features characteristic of the natural environment that have advanced human health and well-being. 22

Prospect & Refuge

Practice Description

inclusion of long distances and enclosed spaces, such as through sight lines and sheltered spaces

Fear & Awe designing peril and adventure into the built environment, such as through overhangs

Curiosity & Enticement

Growth & Efflorescence

Complexity & Order fostering curiosity, exploration, and discovery of nature and natural processes, such as through a labyrinth incorporation of aging and maturation processes in design, such as through ornamentation creation of detail-rich environments in a structured and orderly way, such as through complex ornamentation

Security & Protection ensuring protection in the built environment, such as through secure shelter

Mastery & Control reflecting the human desire for control over their environment, such as through manufactured landscapes

Mobility & Wayfinding enabling clear and efficient circulation, such as through clear pathways

Exploration & Discovery inclusion of opportunities for exploration and discovery of natural processes, such as through gardens

Attraction & Beauty fostering an aesthetic appreciation for nature and natural processes, such as through flowering plants

Affection & Attachment eliciting emotional affinities for nature through design, such as through a meditation fountain

Reverence & Spirituality designed spaces that provoke feelings of transcendence and connection, such as meditation gardens

Complementary Contrasts blending of contrasting features in a complementary way, such as the combination of light and dark

Hierarchically Organized Ratios and Scales hierarchically connected forms that are arithmetically or geometrically related, such as the Fibonacci sequence

Linked Series & Chains clear movement facilitated through linked spaces, such as connected rooms

Practice Description

Integration of Parts to Wholes evoking the feeling of discrete parts that comprise the overall whole, such as through hardwood flooring

Patterned Wholes uniting of variability through integrated and patterned wholes, such as through a patterned ramp

Bounded Spaces the inclusion of bounded and delineated spaces in the built environment, such as with clear boundaries

Transitional Spaces designated spaces that provide access from one area to another, such as passageways

Central Focal Point point of reference in a constructed landscape, such as an object of focus

Spatial Variability allowing for diversity of spaces, such as differing room sizes

Spatial Harmony the blending of light, mass, and scale within a bounded space, such as through spatial and light manipulation

Spaciousness incorporating feelings of openness in the built environment, such as through open floor plans

Inside-Outside Spaces connection of interior spaces to the outside environment, such as through porches and interior gardens

Mystery eliciting a sense of anticipation through design elements, such as through translucent materials

Spirit of Place evoking a feeling of space as part of personal identity, such as through historical significance

Indigenous Materials utilization of local and indigenous materials, such as through furnishings and finishes

Cultural and Ecological Attachment to Place the fusion of local culture and ecology in design, such as through sustainable practices

Geographic Connection to Place evoking feelings of connection to geography of an area, such as through the emphasis of geographic features

Historic Connection to Place eliciting continuity with the past, such as through historic symbolism

Ecological Connection to Place facilitating connection to ecology and ecosystems, such as through non-destructive design techniques

Cultural Connection to Place integration of history, geography, and ecology of an area as part of the built environment, such as vernacular forms