Naturally, we believe you are going to love this design trend.

 

In the traditional approach to contemporary architecture, landscape and interior design are isolated as separate entities with different purposes. However, as increasing research reveals the importance of nature for our well-being, home designers are fusing these worlds to promote wellness both in the individual and for the planet.

 

The past few years of spending more time at home than ever have emphasized the desire to improve our living spaces to not only be more functional and comfortable but to promote our connection to our environment for optimal wellbeing.

 

Out of this growing need to develop homes that feel like a sanctuary has risen the here-to-stay trend of incorporating biophilic design into home improvements. In this article, Alair South Tampa explores this ‘life-loving’ design style and how it is changing the game of custom home building.

 

Credit: Alair Homes Savannah

What is Biophilic Design?

 

To put it simply, biophilic design is design that expresses a love of all living things. These spaces promote connecting to nature through large floor-to-ceiling windows, greenery, and natural materials. The main elements of biophilic design include:

 

 

While these elements are by no means new innovations, progress in design capabilities has made it possible to achieve spaces that seamlessly blend into nature. Whatever your priorities are when building your space, Alair South Tampa will help you make them a reality.

 

Credit: Alair Old Naples

How Biophilic Design Promotes Wellness

 

Humans find safety and comfort in the freedom and tranquility of nature. In our chaotic, screen-driven age with society evolving at a rate too fast for ecosystems to keep up with, nature helps us slow down and reflect on our purpose.
We grow and reproduce as other species do, but the human condition allows us to experience beauty in a visceral way that, as far as we know, makes us unique.

 

Incorporating nature into our indoor environments, where most of us spend the majority of our time, promotes physical, emotional, and intellectual well-being.  

 

Science has shown that nature improves cognitive function, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and more.

 

Credit: Alair Old Naples

Incorporating Biophilia in Your Custom Home Design

 

There are countless ways to incorporate biophilic elements into your custom home design, both directly and indirectly.

 

 Natural Lighting 

 

With overwhelming evidence supporting its benefits for our health, natural lighting is an important factor you should consider when designing your custom home.

 

In particular, try to maximize lighting in rooms you spend a great deal of time in such as a home office or the kitchen. You can install floor-to-ceiling windows that function as a wall, especially if you plan to landscape a beautiful garden, have a spectacular water view, or want to ensure your design is created to take advantage of the sunlight.

 

Floor-to-ceiling windows with a half circle frame or cathedral style can add a unique quality to your space. You can even build a fully glazed structure such as a conservatory or a sunroom. If you don’t want to commit to full floor-to-ceiling windows, slightly smaller wrought iron and steel windows can add serene elegance to your home.

 

Whatever kind of windows you install, try and incorporate a way to open them to allow fresh air to flow into your space.

 

Indoor Greenery

 

Take your everyday house plants to the next level with adventurous greenery. You can incorporate a living wall with ornamental plants or even herbs and vegetables. Consider planting a tree in the floor of your home or even building your entire home around the trees already on your property. Talk about truly living with the land!

 

In South Tampa, we have the luxury of growing citrus in our backyards. Orangeries were originally created to protect fruit plants in the winter, but now you can build one of these glazed extensions for everyday living and housing whatever plants your heart desires.

 

When designing a custom home, we do not automatically strive to remove oak trees. We first look at how they might benefit the design.

 

Natural Materials

 

There is a huge variety of natural materials you can incorporate into your home build to bring the outdoors inside. Stone, bamboo, and adobe brick are sustainable materials that you can use for your home build. In the not-too-distant future, we will likely see more mycelium (aka mushrooms!) being used as building bricks.

 

Incorporating oak, pine, or cedar into the framing and features of your luxurious home can give your space a forest-like ambiance that blends into the outdoors.

 

Natural Colors

 

Environmental psychology has shown that color has a substantial impact on our mood, so it is important to keep that in mind when selecting finishes and paint colors for your custom home. For a calming biophilic effect, select natural earth tones like muted greens, cool off-whites, sandy beige, and ocean blues.

 

Biophilic design mimics nature.

Choose colors accordingly for your interior design.

 

The floor should be the darkest tone as if it were a path on a forest floor, while eye-level colors should be neutral or earth tones. The ceiling should be bright and open like the sky. Even better, install skylights that let the actual sky shine through.

 

Inspiration Awaits > 10 Can’t-Miss Luxury Features for Your Custom Home

 

Credit: Alair Homes Sanibel

Orientation

A good architect considers the prevailing breeze, sun rise and set, shading, sounds, etc. when positioning the home on the lot, or designing the layout.

 

In Florida, there are months when opening the windows and turning off the air conditioning allows you to experience natural, fresh, cool air inside, reinvigorating the home.

 

Create Your Environmental Oasis with Alair

 

There is a lot to consider when building a custom home. That is why Alair South Tampa is here to guide you through the process of creating a space where you feel safe, healthy, and inspired.

 

You worked hard to reach this point, so you deserve a custom home that will meet your every need and provide an environmental oasis to unwind after a long day. Regardless of what your vision looks like, Alair South Tampa is prepared to make it a reality. Contact our team today to schedule your consultation!

 

Featured Image Credit: Alair Old Naples