In a world that is becoming increasingly urbanized, the connection between humans and nature is becoming a central theme in architecture and design. Biophilia, a concept rooted in the past, offers a key to understanding how to integrate natural elements into our daily spaces, improving well-being and quality of life. Today we are joined by Bettina Bolton, an expert in biophilia and biophilic design, to delve deeper into this fascinating topic and discover how nature can positively influence our lives and environments.
Alessandra Parolini: Good morning everyone, welcome to this new podcast! We are at the Verde Profiro location, this beautiful natural setting, to talk about the connection between humans, nature, and architecture. I am Alessandra Parolini, an architect, and today I am here with Bettina Bolton to discuss biophilia. Thank you, Bettina, for being here with us.
Bettina Bolton: Thank you, Alessandra. I am very happy to be here today in this beautiful setting and to talk about some topics that are very dear to me.
Bettina Bolton: Certainly. My name is Bettina Bolton, and I am an expert in biophilia and a biophilic design consultant. For over ten years, I have been working on these themes, providing consultations for architects, building professionals, and real estate experts. I come from an interior design background and have been working in this field for 25 years.
Bettina Bolton: I hope so!
Bettina Bolton: Biophilia is a term that derives from ancient Greek: "bios" means life and "philia" means love, so we can translate it as love for life or nature. For 99.9% of our evolutionary history, we have lived in natural environments. This allowed our ancestors to develop a set of adaptive responses to these environments, responses that have integrated into our DNA and behaviors. Even though we live in urban environments today, we still carry this heritage with us.
Bettina Bolton: Many people think that biophilia is a recent term, but it has a long history. It was coined in 1964 by the psychologist Erich Fromm, who defined it as the passionate love of life and all that is alive. About twenty years later, biologist Edward Wilson spoke about it independently, expanding the concept and emphasizing our innate tendency to focus on and emotionally affiliate with life forms.
Bettina Bolton: Exactly. It's essential to understand that biophilia lies at the intersection of these two disciplines. Wilson's definition is particularly useful for biophilic design, as it allows us to create spaces that respond to our innate needs for connection with nature.
Alessandra Parolini: Thank you, Bettina. That was really enlightening.
Bettina Bolton: Thank you, Alessandra. It's always a pleasure to share my passion for biophilia and biophilic design.
The interview with Bettina Bolton allowed us to understand the importance of biophilia and biophilic design in creating spaces that promote well-being and connection with nature. As Bettina explained, our innate bond with the natural environment can be harnessed to improve not only the quality of the spaces we inhabit but also our mental and emotional health. By integrating these principles into architectural design, we can build a more harmonious and sustainable future.
Thanks to Bettina for sharing her experience and knowledge with us, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in the world of biophilia.
