Biophilic Interior Design has gained steam quickly for the cemented psychological and physiological benefits that come with incorporating natural elements into indoor settings, though what many aren’t aware of is this design philosophy isn’t static; rather, it’s designed to be dynamic in ways mirroring the ever-changing world of nature that it seeks to replicate. This article will focus on how seasonal changes can—and should—influence biophilic strategies for design.
From material choices to technological implementations, these real-life examples and insights from industry experts explain variation within seasonality in
biophilic design.
The Benefit of Seasonal Variability
Connecting Back with Natural Cycles
Biophilic design is far from a ‘set it and forget it’ scheme. One of the most attractive characteristics of nature is its ever-changing state, whereby every day brings newness that can be witnessed either in person or through photographs. From cherry blossoms to fall foliage, the outdoor environment constantly changes. Designs that can adapt naturally or so easily adjust such that they mirror these changing elements may reach people more deeply than those that do not.
Let’s take the Eden Project in Cornwall as an example. This globally recognized institution consists of several geodesic domes which contain a number of climates across the world.
Apart from using Biophilic elements such as water, plants, and natural materials, it also changes its indoor climate and flora based on seasons. The subtropical dome, for instance, varied in temperatures and humidity throughout time to mimic real conditions of a subtropical climate during different times of the year. People resonate with this completely – feeling connected to nature despite being indoors under artificial climates through cycles that exist naturally around us all our lives.
Psychological Benefits
The focus on the ability to match interior elements with seasonal changes for more than just aesthetic harmony but also alignment with our psychological needs is clearly present. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression that develops at certain times of the year, is one condition greatly affected by changing seasons. The specially designed Biophilic treatment rooms – complete with specialized lighting designed to simulate natural sunlight and seasonally changing flora — are an environment better suited for controlling SAD symptoms.
Essentially, designers leverage the ingrained human instinct to align with natural cycles by paying attention to seasonal variability. This enhances wellbeing and partially captures at least part of the boosting effects of a sunny summer’s day or even just the calming serenity of a snow-covered landscape through clever Biophilic design that adapts to seasons.
The influence of seasonal variability on Biophilic design can hardly be overstated in terms of its depth and breadth. Such dynamism is a matter of aesthetic consideration as much as psychological one to yield notably significant benefits. Stay tuned: We will go deeper into the nuts and bolts, starting with how material choices shift, considering the seasons.
The Seasonal Shifts In Material Choices
Natural Materials And Their Seasonal Suitability
Biophilic design material selection is due not only to aesthetics but also to all the qualities of how material interacts with occupants and the environment. Season changes require us to seek different biological qualities of our interior– warmth during winters, summer coolness, and a balanced temperament in spring and autumn. The materials used for an interior setting can significantly contribute to those tactile experiences.
One such amazing example is the Royal Arena in Copenhagen by Danish firm 3XN Architects. For shaping spaces, an extended use of strong, sustainable wooden interiors has been adopted to complement seasonal adaptations in nature. Wood acts as a natural insulator in huge amounts across winter months for warmth, and its porosity works as a cooling agent during summer, keeping the atmosphere cool. Also, wood modulates humidity and offers comfort year-round without any dependency on HVAC settings. Seasonal adjustments are not relegated only to setting HVAC devices but permeate into the material essence of structure.
Transitioning Elements
‘Transitioning elements’—things that can be rotated by season—are in the spotlight today. Even seemingly trivial shifts, like swapping out rugs, throws, and cushions according to the season, change what a space feels like. Textiles are more than just practical—they add sensory detail as well.
For example, the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco perfectly incorporates this concept. With its predominant open-space office environment, Swap The Textiles Flexibility has an important role to play in seasonal comfort. During winter months, employees have plush, warm rugs and throws that add a sense of warmth. These are replaced during summer months using lighter textiles that are breathable yet provide a cooling touch.
When varied material choices differ by season, the occupant’s tactile experience of these materials can hit deeply at a core level. The warm touch of wood or envelopment in soft rugs feels different from one another in subtlety. While contributing to other than physical comfort, it adds up to something that contributes to their psychological wellbeing as well.
In other words, when properly balanced, seasonal materials promote a connection with nature. This is an underlying building block and cornerstone within Biophilic design philosophy.
It’s evident that material choices in Biophilic design are not merely aesthetic decisions; they are integral to the overall experience, affecting our comfort and connection to nature. Adjusting these elements with the seasons amplifies this effect, harmonizing the indoor environment with the changing world outside.
Having examined the nuances of material choice, our next section will explore another fundamental aspect: light and space. These factors, too, shift with the changing seasons and bring unique opportunities and challenges in the context of Biophilic design.
Light and Space: Seasonal Considerations
Importance of Light
Light is the quintessential element of Biophilic design. Not only does it influence how a space looks, but it also can affect how it feels. The benefits of natural light have been well established; however, often ignored are these seasonal differences in quality, angle, and intensity changes between winter and summer months. Soft light at low angles creates longer shadows experienced during winter months as compared to dense direct sunlight shown by bright surfaces during hot summers. Changing indoor lighting conditions using this shift works within a Biophilic framework.
The ‘Sky Garden’ of the London office building Walkie Talkie is a glorious example of this. This public garden high atop a skyscraper has been designed to respond optimally to changing light conditions. During winter, certain reflective surfaces are added in order that maximum available natural daylight can be optimized, and during summer, carefully timed shading elements are connected in such a way that optimum plant lights can be achieved year-round, at the same time, spotlighting human comfort inside.
Modulating Space
Seasonal changes impact not just the lighting aesthetic but how we perceive and use space too: summers become airy environments while winters shift to more confined, cozy spaces—both logically challenge us to create adaptive spaces that can transform as per seasonal needs.
Consider the Airbnb headquarters, which employs adjustable partitions and mobile green walls. During summer, the partitions are opened up, allowing for a free flow of air and light, making the spaces feel expansive and connected to the outdoors. Come winter, these partitions can be closed to create smaller, intimate spaces that help maintain heat and offer a sense of coziness. The mobile green walls follow suit, moving to areas where they can receive optimal winter light while also acting as natural barriers to create more defined spaces.
Seasonal variations in light and space present a plethora of possibilities for furthering the deepening relationship with natural cycles. It is no rather shallow relationship as it profoundly influences our psychological state of wellbeing or sense of comfort. Through careful planning and adaptation, Biophilic design has the potential to bring us closer to nature season by season within the very shells with which we live or ply the various forms.
As is obvious, seasonal shifts in Biophilic design are complicated, affecting everything from material choices made to light and space considerations. But wait—that’s not all: the part that plants play and seasonal decor- both of which we’ll uncover next- contribute complexities and possibilities to this rich fabric.
Seasonal Flora
Plants and Seasonal Decor
Plants are the soul of any Biophilic design, embodying nature indoors at its very essence. And yet, they’re as susceptible to change throughout the year as all other elements in another sense. For example, some plants truly blossom only at certain times of the year – not just as part of aesthetics but also with regard to ease of care and their impact on indoor air quality matters. Microsoft’s Treehouse meeting spaces in Redmond, Washington, offer a classic case study for this kind of seasonal adjustment: Situated in natural forest surroundings, these elevated workspaces have an interior full of changing cycles based upon which species you may find blooming when – cherry blossoms in spring bloom season; blazing reds from autumn through species like
But seasonal flora doesn’t end with the flowers and trees; it also includes herbs and mosses. Even water features can be tweaked for each season. For instance, in winter, one might want evergreen species to flourish under lower light levels and cooler temperatures coupled with giant moss walls providing a lush greenery backdrop while the rest of the outdoor world is white as snow.
Seasonal Color Schemes
Colors hold psychological power, affecting our mood, cognitive function, and even our appetite. In the context of Biophilic design, color palettes can also transition with the seasons to reflect the hues found in nature. WeWork’s New York offices employ this strategy to remarkable effect. In the spring, the color palette shifts to softer pastels and vibrant greens, reflecting the rebirth of plant life. During autumn, the palette embraces warm, earthy tones like ochre and burnt sienna, mimicking the changing leaves.
Such color transition can be done in multiple ways, from wall paints to art installations and upholstery. The seasonal approach of colors does not just help the design remain fresh but also resonates with our connection to nature along its cycles.
Plants and décor play a key role in Biophilic design as they help us stay connected with our natural rhythms. Using seasonal flora and changing color schemes is not just an ideal way to improve one’s aesthetic experience but also benefits psychological health. By choosing certain species that grow well in different seasons, designers can pick radiating colors suitable for the various times during the year when creating beautiful, meaningful spaces for human consciousness.
Thermal Comfort Through Seasons
Temperature and Air Quality: Seasonal Adaptations
Creating a space that will feel comfortable all around is no easy job, not to mention introducing natural elements. Thermal comfort is an important aspect of the Biophilic design, primarily in this regard with regard to seasonal changes. The idea here is to create an environment that resembles what, among other things, are perceived as the best parts of things found naturally while at the same time being comfortable and safe for its occupants’ needs.
One such example is the Oslo Opera House in Norway, where architects have elegantly tackled this challenge. Designed to look like a glacier, the building adopts thermal massing techniques that moderate internal temperatures according to seasons. During winter, the thermal mass retains heat and then slowly releases it, therefore maintaining a constant indoor climate. It absorbs excess heat during summer days, keeping the interior cool when compared to outdoor temperature. What’s special about these adaptations is that they are neither purely functional nor mechanical but create an emotional connection by aesthetically making architecture feel like part of a natural thermal flow cycle outside the surrounding environment.
Air Quality and Ventilation
Air quality is another key design consideration in Biophilic design that should be tuned to seasonal needs. The realization of quality air will vary with temperature, humidity, and the number of airborne particles – factors all variable all seasons long. For instance, an indoor space tends towards drier conditions during winter months, which has implications for human health as well as vegetation wellbeing. Conversely, higher levels of summer-time humid conditions call for adjustment on behalf of indoor units to prevent mold and maintain comfort levels through ‘humidity buffering.’
Marina One in Singapore is its mixed-use complex. This innovative plan to maintain air quality shows the integrated ‘Green Heart.’ A more complicated system of air filtration utilizes natural plants at the center of the building. During tropical periods, high humidity returns; therefore, moisture-tolerant plants are featured, keeping optimal air quality from period to period. These are rotated with species well-adapted to lower humidity as cooler but dryer months arrive, ensuring that the air quality remains stable and healthy throughout the year.
Conclusion: Harmonizing Design With Nature’s Rhythms
The seasons—their lush colors filling the world around us day in and day out—are a natural mechanism by which to keep up with the year. They also provide an ever-changing backdrop that shapes our intrinsic rhythms of life. Biophilic design—in its purest sense—tries to mimic these processes, grounding us in a sensory experience reflective of our wider world.
As we’ve explored, seasonal changes impact Biophilic design on many levels: changing material choices, light-shaping considerations, plants and decor, temperature, and air quality too—and each one presents its own set of challenges but equally serves to offer unique opportunities for creating adaptable and enriching environments.
The power of seasonal adaptation is not simply in creating aesthetically pleasing spaces but in crafting environments attuned to our innate biological preferences and needs for Biophilic design. From the thermal massing techniques at Oslo Opera House, transitional elements like those that makeup Salesforce Tower, right down to careful attention paid to air quality, as seen at Marina One Singapore, we see that design doesn’t just try to accommodate seasons—it can thrive within them.
This approach turns our living and working spaces from static structures into dynamic environments that breathe and evolve with the seasons. The result is an experience of the place that is more authentic and more fulfilling—a relationship with your surroundings, one that respects nature while providing comfort and wellbeing throughout the year.
Biophilic design provides a vital reconnection point in a time when so much has obscured our real connection to nature. When applied thoughtfully, its seasonal adaptations enhance this connection, making it into a relationship—that evolves and deepens just as does nature itself.
Seasons have much wisdom for us; their cycles of renewal, growth, maturation, and rest act like a roadmap, offering signs on how to create spaces that are not just beautiful but functional but deeply fundamentally human. By aligning our built environments with these natural rhythms, we don’t just survive each season – we celebrate it. And in doing so, we elevate the human experience, finding comfort, beauty, and a sense of home in the world that surrounds us.