The Khloros Guide to Biophilia

What Is Biophilia?

Biophilia is defined as the “the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings.”1 In other words, humans are deeply attracted to nature. The term originated in 1964, but the theory that became famously associated with biophilia came from Edward Wilson in 1984. Wilson’s biophilia hypothesis proposed that incorporating natural elements into our spaces has many great benefits. Throughout the years, biophilia has been embraced by architects and encouraged to be used in corporate offices.  

How Can I Incorporate Elements of Biophilia?

Including living biophilic elements in an office is not as hard as one may think. You want to begin with creating a biophilic design, which we can help you with here at Khloros! Tell us what kind of plants you are looking for, the size, color. Does your office have a specific color scheme or a theme that you think would benefit from a bit of extra life? All you need is an idea.  

Benefits of Biophilia

Imagine you’re walking in the city surrounded by all the cars, concrete, and the giant buildings on your way to work. Then you get to your office, decorated with green walls, a couple of small desk plants, and you feel a little more at ease. That is the power of biophilia! Because humans love other living things, working in a space with plants has great benefits. Plants have been shown to improve productivity, increase happiness, and reduce illness. In corporate offices, you want your employees to feel their best in order to perform their best. In high stress environments, natural elements reduce those feelings of stress and fatigue. Using biophilic design is a game changer in the workplace. 

Examples of Biophilia

Biophilia can be incorporated in many ways. It can be as small as a house plant or as large as an interior forest. If you’ve never heard of an interior forest, check out the one in Singapore’s Changi airport. It is insanely amazing! You can also do green walls, which can include a variety of plants that can be of any size of your choosing. Incorporating your company’s logo into the wall like this really makes the wall unique to you. Similarly, moss walls look amazing. There are so many textures and colors you can play around with until you find your desired design. There are so many options, and we are here to help you pick what is best for your needs.