Principle 3: Prioritise Access To Nature

State of health

By 2050, it is expected that 68% of the developed world will be urbanised¹. With advancing urbanisation, the human species is becoming increasingly distanced from nature. The incorporation of nature into the indoor environment is referred to as biophilic design, connecting people to nature both inside and outside buildings. Biophilic design is understood to reduce stress, enhance creativity and clarity of thought, improve our well-being and even progress healing².

Due to humans’ affinity to the natural world, interaction with nature in and around buildings enhances a sense of wellbeing by addressing our innate psychological need to be part of natural world. Biophilic design contributes to a wider nature-based sustainability in which we aspire for buildings and cities to progress in development in symbiosis with vegetation.

There have been numerous studies within recent decades on the benefits to the built environment through improving a connection to nature:

• Commercial buildings / Offices: productivity increases of 8%, wellbeing improvements up by 13%, with reports of heightened creativity, reduced absenteeism and presenteeism

• Hospitality:  rooms with views of biophilic elements command 23% higher value

• Education: reported improvements in learning by up to 25%, showing improved test results, concentration levels and reduced impacts of ADHD

• Healthcare: patient recovery times decreased by 8.5%, with 22% reduction in pain medication

• Retail: reports of customers willing to pay 8-12% higher prices for goods and services

• Homes: 7-8 % less crime attributed to areas with access to nature, can command an increase of 4-5% in property price, and create comfortable, restorative environments for the occupants³

Outcome:

Buildings to ensure occupant access to nature within the indoor environment, following principles of biophilic design to maximise mental and physical health and wellbeing benefits for occupant.

Strategies across the lifecycle

Design:

Biophilic design guidance includes:

• The incorporation of nature through environmental elements, lighting, and space layout – examples include terraces, indoor water features, green walls, and gardens

• The incorporation of nature’s patterns and natural materials in design

• Opportunities for human interaction with nature

• Consideration of sound isolation of buildings to protect surrounding nature and outdoor environment

Benchmarks:

Biophilic design patterns are flexible and replicable strategies for enhancing the user experience that can be implemented under a range of circumstances, and also require consideration of locally appropriate design⁴. Benchmarks to standardise good practice in achieving appropriate levels of biophilia are therefore infeasible to dictate on a global scale. Design teams are encouraged to research and replicate local good practice, in and outdoors.

State of health 

There is significant evidence demonstrating the positive impacts of green space and biodiversity on both human health and wellbeing and urban space⁵. The percentage of the global population living in urban areas is set to increase to 68% by 2050⁶ and biodiversity contributes to the liveability of our urban spaces. The human benefits of urban green space include reduced morbidity and improved physical health outcomes, improved mental well-being, increased social cohesion and the provision of ecosystem services that can offer human health co-benefits, such as air cooling and air quality⁷.

Access to good quality outdoor green space is associated with positive health outcomes⁸, including:

• improvements in mental health and wellbeing, such as depression, stress, dementia

• increased longevity in older people

• lower body mass index (BMI) scores, overweight and obesity levels and higher levels of physical activity better self-rated health

Access to green space is often impacted by socio-economic factors. People living in the most deprived areas are less likely to live near green spaces and will therefore have fewer opportunities to experience the health benefits of green space compared with people living in less deprived areas⁹. An inequitable distribution of parks and other green spaces could exacerbate health inequalities if people on lower incomes, who are already at greater risk of preventable diseases, have poorer access¹⁰.

Green infrastructure integrates the natural world into the physical fabric of buildings, and is frequently implemented with green walls, green roofs, and vertical gardens, particularly for high rise buildings. Green infrastructure offers benefits including; the removal of air pollutants, reduction of urban air temperatures and passive thermal benefits to buildings, improvement of local biodiversity through the provision of habitat for flora and fauna, rainwater attenuation, noise reduction and improved sense of wellbeing through biophilic connection for occupants¹¹. Additionally, blue infrastructure (water-focused) incorporated within urban design can further contribute to the expansion of biodiversity, as well as creating desirable habitats to encourage activity behaviours. Both green and blue infrastructure incorporated in the urban environment can support the mitigation of species loss.

Outcome:

Access to quality green space on building footprint, in addition to local community. Maximise biodiversity on site and encourage implementation of nature-based solutions at community level.

Strategies across the lifecycle

Design:

• Implementation of green infrastructure in building design, such as: shared landscaped courtyards and/or grounds, particularly in areas of social and economic deprivation; green roofs which can significantly reduce the cooling load of a building, resulting in reduced cooling requirements and therefore reduced energy consumption and associated output of atmospheric carbon dioxide¹²

• Incorporate endemic ecological planting. Ensure incorporation of native plant species to support local flora and fauna

• Incorporate ponds, waterways, and wetlands. Ponds and wetlands offer habitats to encourage biodiversity, plus function as Sustainable Drainage Systems and pollutant control resources¹³

• Rehabilitation of degraded land. Repair land degradation and protect from multiple forces of risk, including extreme weather conditions (particularly drought), and human activities that pollute or degrade the quality of soils and land utility

• Dedicated fauna underpasses at crossings to assist in avoiding collisions between vehicles and animals

• Consider and mitigate risk of introducing pathogens and pests into the environment when introducing flora and fauna

Benchmarks:

• Biodiversity Assessment: the impact on biodiversity of a project can be measured assessing the value of habitats including the quality and quantity of biodiversity gained and lost, comparing the ecological value pre, and post construction on a site by site basis.