biophilia: inspired by nature

This month at the PBWS office, our staff have had multiple encounters with the local flora and fauna. Our Red Orchid Cactus has bloomed revealing a stunning magenta flower and signaling the start of a hot California summer. We also spotted a coyote on our patio, far from its regular stomping grounds. And parrots settled in our nearby trees, nibbling away at berries.

These joyful encounters remind us of how important it is to our mental well-being to have access to nature. Being witness to the ebbs and flows of a healthy ecosystem helps ground our own awareness in relation to that ecosystem. Just as the cherry blossoms in Japan signal the start of spring, they also represent a kind of ephemerality that only nature can teach us. Our blooms, coyotes, and parrots offered our PBWS staff a moment to reflect on beauty, balance, and discovery.

Biophilia is a key consideration in our designs. It seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of building occupants by strengthening the innate relationship between natural and built environments. Natural daylight, biomorphic forms, and material connections with nature all help to remind us that despite the walls that separate us, outside is all there is.

This week, we challenge you to stop and smell the flowers!

#biophilia #nature #thoughtfuldesign