Australians spend roughly 80-100 per cent of their time indoors, either at work or home, and even more so in their retirement years. Even the young don’t get out enough – with 71 per cent of Aussie kids spending less than an hour outdoors per day, there is cause for concern on the impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
Biophilic design concepts in architecture can boost living experience by immersing people in natural surroundings where they can truly feel at ease.
Modern design materials and architectural concepts are seeking to rectify the isolation of a constantly indoor existence using natural materials that are sourced sustainably. Architects are doing a wonderful job of integrating outdoor and indoor spaces through biophilic design inspiration, allowing occupants to stay connected with nature.
Biophilic design aims to increase dweller connectivity to nature via intelligent direct, indirect and spatial methods, and improve human health and wellbeing in the built environment.
Human connection to nature is constantly replicated in our attraction to flowers, gardens, trees, parks, oceans, rivers, pets and being outside. The restorative effects of an endless blue sky and uninterrupted horizon are the topics of fables, films and poetry.
For more than one hundred years, design practitioners have known that a stronger connection to nature and the sense of outdoors in an interior environment can help reduce stress, enhance creativity and restore clarity.
Australia has one of the world’s biggest urban populations – currently 86.2 per cent of the overall population live in urban settings with the figure incrementally creeping upwards over the past decade.
Urban development has now become a major player in the environmental stakes as designers and builders strive to find alternative solutions that sustain natural resources and provide greater biophilic presence.
Biophilic spaces allow us to consider the environment and the positive impact of creating natural spaces, which provide a more immersive feeling of being in the midst of nature. The Fairview team is passionate about helping architects achieve these objectives through their range of quality cladding systems. CeramaPANEL through-coloured compressed fibre cement façade cladding is a great option when it comes to designing biophilic interiors.
While we’re technically surrounded by nature, the quality of the nature that surrounds us has changed. Currently, 54 per cent of the world’s population live in an urban environment. By 2050, it’s estimated to increase to 66 per cent, representing two-thirds of the world’s population.
As we continue to move towards the city and spend more time indoors, our day-to-day interaction with quality nature is shrinking. Ultimately, this is increasing our potential to experience psychological and physiological harm. How can we work to reverse this trend and improve the overall wellbeing of our communities?
One contemporary concept is biophilic design, a strategic approach to tap into – and harness – nature in the built environment.
The demands of the modern world have forced us to find a sense of calmness and comfort in our home environment, which could partially explain why we are seeing a significant increase in the use of natural and earthy construction materials.
Why biophilic architecture?
Biophilic design is about connecting people and nature within our built environments and communities.
The growing trend in biophilic design is two-fold: improving quality of life by reconnecting humans with nature using the built environment; and shifting the urban landscape from a steel and cement scenario to a greener one, where the integration of greenery, light, water and all sorts of natural elements in design positively affects people’s perception of space and the time spent in it.
Finding the balance between aesthetics and function is the key challenge when it comes to architecture, and irrespective of project scale, type or function, there are now many natural cladding products available to pioneer the progression towards the future of built environments.
CeramaPANEL fulfils biophilic design objectives
Regardless of the style and profile selected as part of the final decision, CeramaPANEL offers endless design opportunities. Architects can find biophilic inspiration from the multitude of natural materials and finishes that, rather than refine away the surface irregularities, highlight the organic elements to further enhance the urban experience. The eye-catching finishes can be created in seamless monochrome palettes or arranged to optimise colourful visual adaptations.
The collection is made from natural, through-coloured materials, which offer sophisticated shades appropriate for countless design palettes to suit sleek, modern applications. Achieve synchronous compliance and sustainability with CeramaPANEL’s use of environment-friendly raw materials in the manufacture of the stylish, high-performance cladding.
CeramaPANEL encourages creative flair, allowing any installer and builder to deliver the architect’s design vision, no matter how vivid or bespoke. The beauty of the through-coloured fibre cement cladding is that each panel has its own variations via the cement composite material delivered during the manufacturing process.
If you’d like to know more about how to incorporate biophilic aspects into your design vision with energy-efficient building solutions, Fairview’s CeramaPANEL fibre compressed cement cladding provides plenty of eco-friendly options to suit your needs.
