Creative New Design Trend: Biophilic Design

Two pocketing MultiGlide™ Doors in the living room make this home the ultimate example of indoor/outdoor living.

An appealing new trend in home construction is biophilic design, its goal to create an environment where the home connects the homeowner to nature. Biophilic design appeals to the senses: the feel of the breeze, the aroma of plants, views of the sky and the landscape, natural lighting, the sounds of birds and other creatures. Scientific research reveals that biophilic design reduces anxiety and promotes improved emotional well-being.

Several techniques are used to design this type of comfortable and homey — yet nonconfining — living space. By extending the span of the home through large windows and doors that open onto outdoor spaces, it broadens the floorplan beyond the four walls of the structure. In addition, energy efficiency and sustainability are important features that contribute to this design concept, making a home not only expansive and supremely livable, but also environmentally friendly.

Sparked by a world reshaped by the pandemic, this new style appeals to those who have come to enjoy being at home and are looking for ways to customize their dwellings in nontraditional ways. Let’s explore some of the features that make for optimized biophilic design.

Bringing the Outdoors Inside

One of the fundamental principles of this new design trend is that quality of life is important. Rather than constructing a large traditional home with many walled-off rooms, the spaces that tend to be utilized in biophilic homes are innovative and more open. Optimized use of the available space allows for people to truly settle in and interact, feeling comfortable while also being connected to the world around them. 

One of the ways this is accomplished is by managing light and space to integrate the outdoors with the interior of the home. Whether surrounded by expansive desert views, mountain vistas, or even a cityscape, the home should provide synergy with the land it occupies rather than shutting it out. 

“Large expanses of windows and patio doors make this possible, but in order to be energy efficient, these need to be quality-built and specifically made to insulate against the Arizona heat and UV rays. And of course, APBS can help fulfill this design necessity with Andersen® products,” says Paul Burla, General Manager of Andersen Professional Building Services.

Laurie March added a second level to what was formerly a single-story home because she loved her neighborhood. Her remodeled home emphasizes indoor/outdoor living, biophilic design, and her passion for growing and cooking food.

More Space, Less Square Footage

An important technique for creating the feel of an expansive space without excessive square footage is through “indoor/outdoor living,” where interiors are built to blend with the outside environment, bringing in fresh air and sunlight. This creates a greater emotional and aesthetic connection with nature. 

Andersen MultiGlide™ and Liftslide doors, for example, provide expansive views, and their considerable width allows for real architectural innovation. MultiGlide™ doors slide into the walls of the home, providing an unobstructed opening as much as 50 feet wide. Liftslide moving glass wall systems can create an entire 60-foot expanse of glass that can be built to articulate at a corner with another one like it. These door systems can be opened onto a patio, providing a much larger, more open space beyond the home’s interior.

Another innovation that allows for maximum light and views of the outdoors are large-scale corner windows. Andersen’s E-Series windows provide panoramic views and offer interesting design opportunities to create unique spaces that provide healthy, mood-enhancing natural light.

When used in combination, Andersen® windows and doors offer limitless opportunities to customize a space to suit the homeowner’s taste and desire for a connection to the environment.

Settling In

It’s not surprising that homeowners are looking to builders and architects to do more than simply create cookie-cutter houses these days. With many people considering the long-term livability of their homes — some with an eye to spending their days in a location they have come to connect with and then passing it down to the next generation — creative and sustainable construction without excessive unused space or waste is of primary importance.

Biophilic design isn’t a flash in the pan. It’s likely a long-term trend that reflects a greater connection to our families, our environment, our world. Take a look at Andersen’s Home Design Trends 2024 for more inspiration (just a quick registration is required).