Stepping into a spa is refreshing and restorative. When that spa is a place where the lines between build and natural environment are blurred, it becomes even more uniquely invigorating. Over time, I’ve had the chance to experience many spa designs, from the traditional to the modern. What has always stood out to me, though, has been the spaces that use biophilic design. Just as a biophilic city can serve to actively promote wellness, so too can a biophilic spa. For me, a biophilic spa is about far more than just the aesthetic of natural elements. Indeed, I believe that the magic of these spaces lies in the integration of plants, light, and water features—along with other natural elements—that help attendees relax and reconnect with their senses.
One of the first things that impresses me about a well-executed biophilic spa is the use of natural materials. Whether it’s the warmth of wood, the coolness of stone, or the organic textures of bamboo and cotton, these materials have a huge impact on the feel of a space. In a spa environment, this tactile connection to nature can be incredibly soothing. One time, I walked into a spa set in the mountains of Switzerland, and every surface in that space felt perfectly aligned with the surrounding landscape. The floors were laid with local stone, smooth and cool beneath my feet; the walls were lined with reclaimed wood, warm and textured.
Instead of the cold, sterile finishes found in many traditional spas, this work of architecture seemed an extension of the outdoors. One could easily commune with the materials that make up its enclosed spaces. The biophilic spa at the “amenity island” of the JW Marriott in Los Cabos, Mexico, for example, employs natural stone, wood, and incredibly soft armchairs that form a sort of retreat at the edge of the sea.
What I especially appreciate about this outlook is that it frequently highlights materials with healing properties, such as stone. For centuries, people have marveled at the healing attributes of nature and have turned to it for solace and comfort. Modern medicine has even acknowledged the benefits of certain natural materials, with many doctors now advising their patients to spend more time outdoors in a natural setting, where they can breathe fresh air, soak up sufficient sunlight, and have a break from the stressors of daily life. As a result, one mainstay of biophilic spa design is the clever use of natural light, which many of its practitioners deem essential to the spaces they create.
One of my favorite examples comes from a spa perched high in the Italian Alps. The architects faced the living spaces directly toward the mountains, using enormous windows to let the sunlight—and the guest’s gaze—pour in. Even while receiving a treatment, you could watch the clouds drift by, the snow tumble down, or alternatively, take in the stunning view of the peaks. As if the user was in the moment of personal care but also part of a much larger world. And it’s not just about large windows. Natural light—when filtered or diffused in just the right way—can create a sense of intimacy too, as I experienced in another treatment facility in Japan.
Bamboo screens filtered the light entering the room so that you could still see and feel the presence of the light, but the way it was presented felt much more friendly and calming than the straight shot of light entering the room next door.
Relaxation and Water: The Vital Connection
The presence of water in a spa elevates the experience to something else entirely. Think of biophilic design in a spa, and you might first picture an elaborate swimming pool or a series of tranquil fountains. Yet at its best, spa water is more than just an inviting space in which to float or sit. It becomes an interactive and immersive element that engages the body and the senses. One such space that comes to mind is the Blue Lagoon, in Iceland. There, the geothermal pools spill into the rough-hewn landscape—that fusion of indoor and outdoor spaces is practically effortless.
Stepping into the warm waters while surrounded by the coarse volcanic rock felt like a direct connection to the Earth’s own restorative properties.
In more urban environments, the use of water in spa settings can still create a natural connection. One spa experience that particularly stands out for me was in Singapore, dominated by a large, indoor waterfall. Overall, the sense of serenity was very much like what you’d find in the heart of a forest. The sound of the falling water was so peaceful, creating almost a white noise that completely absorbed and held my attention. I could also tell that the steam room next to the waterfall was imbued with a subtle “thunder” that made me appreciate the design work that went into crafting an experience of relaxation.
Even the tiniest water feature should make a meaningful impact, carrying potent vibes that affect the customer experience. Beyond aesthetics, water connects humans to one of the most primal, potent, and calming elements of the natural world. In biophilic spas, sound therapy is an important component, and water plays a lead role. Bathers might lie in a wet acupuncture treatment, a soaking tub, or a water-walled private pool while listening to the sound of water. Whether you’re sitting next to a boudoir with a water-walled private pool or inside a quiet waterfall space, the sound of trickling, torrential, or plashing water may help bathe the bather’s brain in meditative calm.
Flora as Living, Breathing Components
No discussion of biophilic spa design would fail to mention plants. Because I have been to so very many spas where a lone potted plant sits in a corner, almost as if to check a box indicating that the designers had fulfilled some basic requirement, I can confidently state that the integration of flora into a spa is not merely the placing of plants. A few well-placed ferns or succulents do not make a biophilic spa. It is more the enveloping presence of an ecosystem that can form part of the spa experience, as I experienced myself when receiving treatment at a spa in Costa Rica.
In urban settings, where it may not be possible to create the kind of dramatic nature immersion found in rural or wilderness spas, it is still very much possible to create interiors filled with plant life. Vertical gardens can and do work in many settings, and they provide a way to have a living wall that does the job of purifying the air and visual appeal quite well. Even in places where vertical gardens aren’t useable, having a kind of small-scale living wall is not so far-fetched. Planters filled with herbs and flowering plants not only ground the space more in nature but contribute to the air quality.
The qualification I put onto that last statement is because many plants naturally filter out toxins and do far more for the air quality than the handful of plants that one might find in a typical house. Air filtering aside, I’ve often found that the very act of placing oneself near plants of any kind can and does lower one’s heart rate and lead one to feel calmer and more centered.
Holistic Wellness Through Multi-Sensory Experiences
Designing a space that connects humans to their natural environment—a spa experience, for instance—engages all the senses in ways that can evoke memories and feelings. These moments experienced in the space lead to better retention of the experience itself and a deeper connection to the treatment. While the sight of the natural elements is a big part of this connection, the other senses play just as big a role, if not bigger, in biophilic spa design. An example I often use when discussing this is scent. I once visited a spa on the Mediterranean, where the air was filled with the wonderful, calming scents of rosemary and lavender—both of which were growing in the garden surrounding the spa.
An equally important element of the biophilic spa experience is sound. The noise of nature—be it the wind through trees, trickling water, or sweet birdsong—makes the spa environment infinitely more exquisite. I once had a treatment in a spa that mimicked nature’s symphonies, playing a soundscape that featured an orchestra of just those elements—while I overlooked a meticulously tended garden. At that moment, I was miles from the nearest city, enveloped in a space that felt truly wild, even if it was just a couple of feet from a well-worn path.
—Ariel G. Shapiro, “A Case for Spa Environments Inspired by the Natural World”
The lasting effects of wellness that you experience in a biophilic spa are something I really admire. Sure, the treatments you receive there are just as valuable as those received in a traditional day spa, but there is something about a biophilic spa that offers a transcendent, almost spiritual experience that cleaves to you in memory long after you’ve left. I often tell people that if they really want to take the spa experience to the next level, they should visit a biophilic spa. So, what is a biophilic spa? And why is it an experience that I consider to be so far above and beyond the average spa day?
Profound and life-changing experiences can happen at a biophilic spa. To me, the best biophilic spas embody a guiding ethos. Their environments are not just natural backdrops; they rely on nature’s active participation in the healing process. The experience of arriving and being in the space envelops you. The materials used in the structure and decor connect you to the earth. The spa’s sensory experiences—from sight to sound, touch to taste, and even smell—engage you in a way that makes you feel whole, as if every bit of you and your experience has been taken into account.
Following one’s senses leads a person along a path toward relaxation and rejuvenation of not just the body, but the spirit, as well.
