THE ROOTS OF BIOPHILIA

by Joelle Steele

In the 21st century, the term that’s been trending in the interior landscape industry is “biophilia,” from “bio” meaning “life” and “philia” meaning “friendly.” Dictionaries define it as the human desire to commune with nature. There is no single connection that is specific to plants. But plants are indeed living things, and it’s a fact that most humans do tend to feel relaxed and at peace in gardens and forests where plants proliferate.

While biophilia may be a relatively new term as applied to our industry, it’s a term that’s been around long before the 1960s when plantscapers first began to make their mark on indoor environments. So where did the word “biophilia” originate, and what does it really mean?

To find the answer, you have to go back to the 1920s and 1930s when “organic design” was the trend. It wasn’t called biophilia back then, but organic design was defined as the use of the aesthetics of nature to create an energizing and restorative environment. It was a design movement pioneered by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, known as the father of organic architecture, which was characterized by the use of small indoor plantings in conjunction with large windows designed to showcase views of the outdoor landscape. While buildings and furnishings took on biomorphic shapes and forms, Wright believed it was their relationship to the environment that was of the utmost importance.

Fast-forward to the late 1960s, and the term “biophilia” was coined by German psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, who later wrote about it in “The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness” (1973), in which he defined it as “the passionate love of life and of all that is alive” and “a thorough love of living things.” Once again, not specifically mentioning plants … but plants are living things.

The term didn’t catch on, however, until it was popularized in the 1970s by American biologist Edward O. Wilson, who extended the word’s meaning to “the rich, natural pleasure that comes from being surrounded by living organisms.” In Wilson’s book “Biophilia” (1984), he described it as “essential to the biological drive toward self-preservation.” He defined biophilic as “anything that interacts closely with nature.” He also stated, “Biophilia, if it exists, and I believe it exists, is the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms.

The desire for humans to interact with nature was driven home as a scientific fact in the 1980s by former NASA scientist Dr. Bill Wolverton in his clean air studies. He has been quoted as saying “Just being in close proximity to plants can ease stress, relax and speed healing of the body.” But he is most famous for calling plants “the lungs of the earth,” after his discovery that some indoor plants worked as air purifiers and that not only did the plants purify the air, but the soil removed air pollutants as well. In 1984, Wolverton published his research, and then went on to write several books, including “How to Grow Fresh Air” (1997) and “Plants: Why You Can’t Live Without Them” (2010). In 2010, he was inducted into the Plant Industry Alliance Hall of Fame.

In 2016, a one-hour film was released, “Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life.” The film recognized the ways in which “green architecture” has connected people and nature to produce healthy environments. It received excellent reviews from the design and horticultural communities alike who appreciated its positive nod to modern human- and plant-centered environments.