Beyond the Healing Garden: Biophilic Design in Modern Japanese Architecture

This post includes excerpts from the proposal I wrote for the Anshen+Allen John M. Patterson, AIA Travel Study Fellowship, titled "Beyond the Healing Garden: Biophilic Design in Modern Japanese Architecture."

Over the past few years, the concept of “sustainable,” “high performance design” and “green building” have gained momentum in the architectural profession. Some designers and ecologists challenge these further, suggesting that “sustainable” is not enough; design should be about doing “more good” instead of just “less bad” – to be regenerative instead of just efficient or sustainable.1 While many people view this as an ecological issue – addressing problems like water shortages or global warming – it is also an issue of human health and well being. A growing group of designers and researchers suggest that biophilia should play a greater role in the way we approach the design of our built environments.

In simplest form, biophilia is the “innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms.”2 In more complex terms, however, biophilia can refer to those relationships or phenomena that came about through our species’ evolution in very different physical environments than those we typically occupy today. Though we now view ourselves separate from, and often superior to, nature, Homo sapiens evolved in symbiosis with the rest of the natural world, resulting in our biophilic tendencies. Biophilia helps to explain why we like trees on our streets, why we have pets, why houses near parks have higher property values and why some people like to “escape” to natural environments. Buildings and cities designed with biophilia in mind support the health and well being of their occupants and as such biophilic design is a critical component of regenerative design.

The three most common tenets of elements of biophilic design – access to nature (views and healing gardens), sun (daylighting) and wind (natural ventilation) – have been researched and discussed in academic and professional forums. These may be the most obvious or straight forward tenets of biophilic design, but they are not the only ones. For the John M. Patterson, AIA Travel Study Fellowship, I propose to study biophilic principals in Japanese architecture, with a focus on facets of biophilia beyond gardens, daylight and natural ventilation. Aspects of Japanese architecture support a unique approach to biophilia, including:

• The use of local, natural materials
• A connection between interior and exterior surfaces, including a blurring of the exterior edge and interpenetration of indoor and outdoor spaces
• Visual and/or physical access to bodies of water
• Duality of prospect/openness and refuge/shelter
• Use of dynamic and diffuse daylight
• A sense of whimsy and mystery

Modern Japanese architects create unique balance of the biophilic elements listed above, while also often providing access to sun, wind and the surrounding natural environment. Some designers, such as Nikken Sekkei, address biophilia through an ecological framework – these architects' biophilic elements are, at least in part, tied in to sustainability, and other aspects of their work are also green. Other Japanese architects’ biophilia stems from historic trends in architecture, culture and religion. While other architects around the world have also been influenced by such issues – Frank Lloyd Wright is among the most famous – Japanese architects/firms, including Tadao Ando, Kisho Kurokawa, Nikken Sekkei, Kengo Kuma, and Shiguro Ban, are worth further attention as biophilic concepts begin to enter mainstream green building in the United States.