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3.2 SIGNIFICANCE
The main purpose of this paper is to analyze biophilic design at the residential scale, which undoubtedly provokes the core question: why is biophilic design significant on the residential scale, and why is it something we should devote our time and energy caring about? Besides the multitude of proven benefits and the clear evolutionary link that enforces the connection between biophilia and the home, a major factor of this practice’s significance in the residential sphere is the sheer time that people spend in their homes. Including the time that they are sleeping, the average person in the United States spends the majority of their day in their home, and with increasing levels of remote work from home and quarantine from the recent COVID-19 pandemic, this number has only increased in the last few years. 102 With this in mind, it is only a logical conclusion to draw that a practice as beneficial as biophilic design should be a focus in this environment, but the real problem exists in why the practice is lacking in this field.
In studies testing this practice, biophilic design in the residential environment has been seen to both indirectly and directly contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of inhabitants and also to benefit the overall satisfaction of residential life, so it is clear that this application is significant, but only assumptions can be made as to what is preventing this practice from taking off in the residential field. 103 First, the current experience of biophilic design in the home is seen only in extravagant circumstances, with trees planted into the middle of living spaces and the introduction of large pools and gardens throughout the property, which is clearly unobtainable for the average person looking to implement this practice. This makes biophilic design seem out of reach and portrays the misconception that this practice can only be achieved if the occupant has a considerable amount of money to throw into its application. The second assumption, resultantly, is due to the lack of knowledge of the practice and its accessibility. While many designers have heard of “biophilic design”, it is still considered a very ambiguous practice and is not fully understood in what it means and what it entails for design. With the supposed experts on the subject still working to comprehend its meaning, it is understandable that most people outside of the design field would have little to no idea about the benefits of this practice, or that it even exists. And if they did, the previously mentioned examples would likely make them believe it is something that would not be possible in their homes, which is untrue due to the wide range of applications available. The lack of accessibility of information on what this practice is, how beneficial it can be, and the ease of implementation restricts this practice from being one that is even considered in residential design, and all of these issues can be addressed by simply raising awareness of the practice and how it can be implemented in this scale of design.
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