Designer Rob Ryan’s fresh take for Gaggenau’s ‘Art of the Kitchen’ series
With our increasingly urban lifestyle, biophilic design is becoming ever more urgent ? in fact our happiness and wellbeing depend on it. Mark C. O?Flaherty speaks to three visionaries in the field, on why reconnection with nature not only induces calm, but is the only sustainable solution
There?s nothing new about the principles of biophilic design. As a philosophy for living, it was the status quo before the industrial revolution, and in many cultures it?s still the norm. But we have literally built walls around ourselves to create a distance from the natural world. In Japan, hinoki wood is one of the most popular materials for construction, not for its impervious and practical qualities, but for the intense aroma it gives off. To live in a room furnished in panels of hinoki is to have your olfactory senses transport you to the most fragrant wilderness. In many Nordic countries, city dwellers customarily have a rural cabin to escape to, to reconnect with nature. Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine
As our ecosystem continues to face what increasingly feels like insurmountable challenges, and urbanisation becomes the default, biophilic principles are growing in importance in design. Though they aren?t radical or new, we?ve lost sight of how crucial they are to our wellbeing. This isn?t about recycling, sustainability, or alternative ways to generate energy (although...