Last Updated on June 7, 2025 by Tanya Janse van Rensburg
When you think ‘biophilic design’, you’re probably thinking, “What the heck is biophilic design?!”. Well, it just means making buildings feel more like they’re part of nature.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get back to it. Although it seems counterintuitive, biophilic design isn’t about plants.
The point of biophilic design is to create a deep connection to nature, and that doesn’t automatically happen as soon as you surround yourself with greenery.
Sometimes, you need to set aside what grows and think about what gets built.
Don’t think that that’s the case?
Well, imagine a wooden beam and how it feels when you touch it. Or a stone path and the way it shifts a little with the earth beneath it.
Of course, these things are decorative, but they’re not just accessories. They’re natural elements that can speak just as loudly as a potted plant.
In this article, you’ll get way more than just a list of houseplants. You’ll see how natural form, matiella, and flow are where biophilic design begins.
Nobody is saying that plants don’t do their job. Plants are an excellent addition to any space, and they have plenty of benefits.
But biophilic design is more than just a visual trick that, for some reason, got reduced to a bit of greenery. A few plants are not a quick fix because biophilic design goes deeper.
It’s not only what you see that matters, it’s also how you experience the space with your whole body. This is where structure comes in.
The way a building is shaped, the materials it’s made of, and how it flows from one space to the next all play a bigger role in connecting people to nature than a row of potted plants could.
Structure impacts the way you move, how sound travels, how the air feels, and even what you touch. Timber, for instance, can bring warmth and texture.
Stone offers grounding and coolness. Clay adds a sense of raw, earthbound calm.
Researchers have found that these natural materials (especially wood) reduce stress, lower heart rates, and even improve focus because the brain responds differently to organic textures than to synthetic ones.
Instead of imposing boxy, stiff structures on a landscape, why not take cues from nature’s layout? Uneven, layered, ever-adapting. Let’s take a closer look.
Instead of forcing the land into submission, work with it. Building a deck, for example, doesn’t mean that you need to flatten the yard with concrete or steel posts.
Why not go for a curved structure that follows the slope of the hill?
This type of design creates subtle elevation changes, which the brain often reads as calming and organic because this is how you encounter the space in nature.
Just make sure to work with a pro to make this happen. Search for “deck builder Nashville,” “deck builder Houston,” Chicago, L.A., or wherever you are, to find a local contractor that’s working sheds and knows what they’re doing (check user reviews!).
Straight lines are easy to draw, but how often do you find them in nature?
A walkway that curves through a yard or garden is what you’d usually find if you took a walk through a forest or a field.
What’s more, these little shifts also encourage slower movement, deeper breathing, and a stronger awareness of your surroundings.
It doesn’t just create visual interest; this kind of flow invites mindfulness in a way grid-based layouts simply don’t.
Apart from being a solution to tricky terrain, split-level zones are a design feature, as well.
You can use elevation changes to define zones without walls. A few steps down might lead to a fire pit area, and a raised platform can catch the morning sun better than a flat lawn.
This also mimics the way nature works, with its cliffs, valleys, ledges, and plateaus.
You also need to consider how a space is oriented. Areas that catch morning sun can be used for breakfast and reading, while those with natural shade can be places for rest and retreat.
If you design around light patterns, you’ll reduce the amount of energy you use and you’ll support your body’s internal rhythms.
Think about it – each zone is tied to a time of day, so the space has almost a mood that evolves with the sun.
The next time someone tells you their space is ‘biophilic’ because they have a few houseplants, just smile politely.
Then, show them your deck that curves with the hill, your timber posts that feel like tree trunks, or your sunlit nook that changes with the seasons.
Faking a forest indoors is not what biophilic design is about, so keep smiling politely (no gloating, of course), and let the person know what it truly is.
