Biophilic Design

Ellen Rabaey
Dec 2
4 min read

We know it intuitively: being in nature is good for us. Our bodies relax, our thoughts quiet, our breathing softens.

In Japan, they've been using a "green prescription" for years: instead of immediately prescribing medication, people are encouraged to spend time in nature. This practice is called Shinrin-Yoku, or forest bathing. It's not about walking as an exercise, but about being consciously present with all your senses: smell, listening, seeing, feeling. No screen, no agenda, just you and nature.

Close your eyes for a moment and think of a place in nature you love.

See the colors around you.

Hear the sounds.

Feel the temperature on your skin.

What's happening in your body right now?

Is your breathing calming?

Is your shoulder tension decreasing?

Are your thoughts softening?

What you're feeling isn't your imagination—it's biology.

120 minutes of nature per week: a tipping point for your health

Large-scale research by British researcher Mathew White (University of Exeter) shows that people who spend at least 120 minutes a week in nature report significantly greater well-being and better mental health. The striking thing is that the effect isn't necessarily due to long vacations, but rather to regular, short contact with nature spread throughout the week.

Less stress, better sleep, greater life satisfaction, fewer gloomy thoughts—the body recognizes nature as its natural habitat.

And yet we live indoors…

Today we spend about 90% of our time indoors: in homes, cars, offices, shops. Our living environment has become increasingly distant from the natural context in which our bodies evolved.

And that's where something starts to go wrong.

If our nervous system calms down in nature, but we live almost always indoors… doesn't it make sense that we bring nature indoors?

What is biophilic design?

That's where biophilic design comes in.

The term biophilic design was introduced in the 1980s by Edward O. Wilson, a biologist and Pulitzer Prize winner. He argued that humans have an innate need for contact with nature—the so-called biophilia hypothesis.

Biophilic design translates this insight to our living environment: how do we design spaces that allow our bodies to feel rest, safety, and restoration, thus reflecting nature?

It's not just about plants, but about:

daylight and fresh air
natural materials such as wood, stone, and linen
organic shapes and soft lines
colors from nature
views of the outdoors
natural patterns and textures

In other words: designing a home that speaks the language of the body and stimulates our senses naturally.

Why it works

The effectiveness of biophilic design is now well documented.

In hospitals, patients recover faster when they have a view of greenery (Roger Ulrich, 1984).

In schools, children's concentration increases with natural daylight and a view of trees.

In offices, stress is reduced and absenteeism decreases when plants and natural materials are integrated (Human Spaces Report, 2015).

Physiologically, this is explained by the autonomic nervous system: nature and natural stimuli activate the parasympathetic system—the part responsible for rest, recovery, and digestion. Simultaneously, the activity of the amygdala, our stress center in the brain, decreases.

How to bring nature indoors

Biophilic design isn't a style, but a way of seeing things. Some accessible principles:

Light and air – maximize daylight, open windows regularly, and use light curtains.
Living nature – integrate plants that purify the air and evoke a sense of the seasons.
Natural materials – choose wood, stone, linen, or clay over synthetic materials.
Natural colors and patterns – work with shades from nature: sand, moss, terracotta, water blue.
Organic shapes – avoid excessive rigidity; curves and irregularities create tranquility.
Views to the outdoors – arrange furniture so that you connect with daylight and the view.
Sensory layers – add scent (essential oil, wood), sound (birds, wind), and touch (soft textures).

Health outcomes

The effects of biophilic design are increasingly well-established:

Stress reduction: decreased cortisol and heart rate.
Better cognitive performance: improved concentration, memory, and creativity.
Emotional recovery: increased feelings of connection and well-being.
Physiological recovery: lower blood pressure, better sleep quality, faster healing.

In short: biophilic design helps your body remember what is natural. It makes your home not just a place to live, but an environment that contributes to your health.

Nature as medicine

Biophilic design isn't a trend or an interior design style. It's an invitation to live in harmony with our bodies' needs.

Your home doesn't have to be a showroom.

It should be a place where your nervous system can relax.

Because when the environment is right, your body can relax. And when your body relaxes, there's room for life.

And so I brought nature inside…

Because we spend so much time indoors these days, and because I see daily what nature does to a body in recovery, I consciously chose the principles of biophilic design at Vitaflow Logies. Not as an aesthetic, but as care for the nervous system.

The design is geared towards tranquility, simplicity, and natural stimuli: light materials, soft colors, daylight, greenery, and textures that reflect nature. Everything was chosen with one intention: that your body can relax here. That you don't have to 'do' here, but can simply be.

Vitaflow Logies is no ordinary place to stay. It is an environment that contributes to your relaxation and recovery. A place where nature doesn't begin outside, but becomes tangible inside.

Welcome to experience it for yourself

At Vitaflow Logies, biophilic design isn't a theory, but something you feel from the moment you step inside. Each space is designed with one intention: to bring peace to body and mind, and to invite you to slow down and recover.

You don't have to do anything here.

You can simply be.

In a space that works with you.

Welcome.