Last week, Emma Greenland and Eduardo Manzano Fontecha attended the 2nd Biophilic Design Conference held at the Westminster Central Hall organised by the Journal of Biophilic Design. An event that brought together designers, researchers, and practitioners who share a common belief: that the environments we create should support human wellbeing, not compete with it, and that nature in the built environment isn’t a nice-to-have, but a necessity.
As acousticians, we found the discussions especially resonant. Biophilic design often gets talked about in terms of greenery, natural materials, or daylight – but sound is just as fundamental to how we experience “nature-connectedness” and how we create purpose with our surroundings.
A few reflections we are reinforcing and bringing home:
🌿 Restorative spaces require intentional soundscapes, not just attempts at quiet.
🎧 Individual perception matters – natural sounds can be restorative, but the same sound can soothe one person and stress another, therefore careful design and engagement is needed.
🔄 Biophilic principles and acoustic design have more overlap than we acknowledge, especially around wellbeing, cognitive recovery, and emotional comfort.
🤝 There is huge potential for collaboration between acoustics, psychology, landscape and biophilic design teams.
We left the conference energized, not only by the ideas shared, but by the growing recognition that sound is a core part of the biophilic conversation. Looking forward to contributing more to this intersection of acoustics, nature, and human wellbeing.
Learn more about the conference here:- https://lnkd.in/eEg8DEbX
