i+D - September/October 2019 - 48

In Support of Wellness - By Michele Keith

The Benefits of Biophilia
Another company "doing the right thing" is Designtex, a manufacturer
of applied materials for the built environment-upholstery, wallcoverings,
panel fabrics, window coverings, and 3M Di-NOC architectural finishes.
"The foundation of our work," says Sara Balderi, principal designer, "is
centered around the idea of the psychology of a space: how what surrounds
us influences how we experience that space on a multisensory level,
especially important in healthcare environments where the goal is to make
people feel better, and to bring a sense of calm, clarity, and connectedness;
and in the built environment, where it's about creating spaces that satisfy
our innate need for contact with nature."
Designtex's new Biophilia 2.0 Collection is composed of eight woven
and coated textile healthcare upholstery designs incorporating biophilic
design principles, which include the use of natural materials, natural light,
vegetation, nature views, and other experiences of the natural world.
Biophilia, according to Balderi, literally means "love of nature. We, as
humans, through evolutionary adaption, are drawn to nature and reap benefits
through our interaction with it. It's this primitive, intrinsic connection that
we at Designtex continue to explore. There is a growing body of research
focusing on how and why our brains are hardwired to react to nature's
different elements and principles. As neuroscientist Thomas D. Albright
of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, with whom we've worked, cited,
'...we have one notable tool that promises a new perspective on how
buildings influence our mental states: the modern field of neuroscience.'"

Throughout a year-and-a-half, Designtex's team developed
the Biophilia 2.0 Collection by exploring the algorithms,
textures, colors, shapes, and mathematical arrangements,
along with the chaos theory and the Fibonacci sequence, that
affect nature's patterns. Their findings inspired the density,
arrangements, and variations seen in each of the patterns
created for the collection. "In the built environment," Balderi
explains, "it's about creating spaces that satisfy our innate
need for contact with nature."
Balderi adds that as long ago as 1859, when Florence
Nightingale spoke of the benefits of light and color on healing
and illness, evidence has suggested that nature elements or
views can be effective as stress-reducing, positive distractions
that promote wellness in healthcare environments. "Now, what
was once design 'instinct,' has the benefit of proven research.
"I'm very hopeful that material selection continues to follow
this thoughtful and comprehensive process," says Balderi.

"We, as humans, through
evolutionary adaption,
are drawn to nature and
reap benefits through our
interaction with it."
-SARA BALDERI, DESIGNTEX
Air, rain water, and
rock striations are
among the inspirations
behind Designtex's new
Biophilia 2.0 Collection
of applied materials
for healthcare spaces.
(Image: Designtex)

48

i+D - September/October 2019
i+D - September/October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i+D - September/October 2019
