{"id":3087,"date":"2025-05-12T20:24:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T20:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?p=3087"},"modified":"2025-05-12T20:24:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T20:24:09","slug":"bringing-the-outdoors-in-architecture-that-nurtures-our-connection-with-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3087\/bringing-the-outdoors-in-architecture-that-nurtures-our-connection-with-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing the outdoors in: architecture that nurtures our connection with nature"},"content":{"rendered":"

EU-funded researchers are exploring the role of architecture in designing living spaces that harness the healing power of nature to improve the health and well-being of urban populations.<\/p>\n

By<\/em> B\u00e1rbara Pinho<\/p>\n

Dr Carmen Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez likes to ride her bike in the Danish countryside. That is how she first discovered how closely post-war Danish architecture is linked to nature.<\/p>\n

A practising architect, she was inspired to dive into the study of biophilic architecture, which allows people to enjoy the everyday benefits of being closer to nature from the comfort of their own homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiophilia means love of life. It relates to our innate need to be in contact with nature. There\u2019s a restoring effect that comes from being connected to the natural world,\u201d said Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez, who was also a postdoctoral researcher at\u00a0the Royal Danish Academy \u2013 Architecture, Design, Conservation, in Copenhagen and is currently an assistant professor at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid.<\/p>\n

Inside-outside<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks to funding from the EU, she has been able to build a bridge between architectural practice and academic research through her Nature-In project, which ran from 2020 to 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cArchitects have always been interested in improving people\u2019s lives, but this connection to nature is underexplored. I felt I could bring something innovative to my practice and also that of other European architects,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez hopes that her research could inform governments and architects alike on how to better integrate nature into the design of indoor spaces, particularly in urban environments.<\/p>\n

A visit to Japan brought another revelation. Travelling across the country, Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez came to appreciate how the Japanese have lived and built their houses for centuries with an \u201cinside-outside\u201d vision, designing functional buildings that allow their inhabitants to experience nature from the inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an ancestral need to connect to nature,\u201d said Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez, who explains that the more people are trained to enjoy nature, the more benefits they get.<\/p>\n

She explains that biophilic design is not only about placing plants everywhere. It is about being aware of nature in all its manifestations, such as daylight, water, materials, the passing of time and the forces of nature.<\/p>\n

Nature-based design<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now a recognised expert in the field, Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez has been invited to share her knowledge at this year\u2019s World Expo being held in Osaka, Japan, from 13 April to 13 October 2025.<\/p>\n

Nature-based design features prominently at Expo 2025, which has been organised around the theme \u2018Designing future society for our lives\u2019.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0EU\u2019s \u2018Nurturing Tomorrow\u2019 pavilion was designed to embody the principles of the\u00a0New European Bauhaus \u2013 an initiative that seeks to transform our living spaces by merging sustainability, aesthetics and inclusivity. Those principles also align nicely with Nature-In\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n

Along with\u00a0Japanese architect and researcher\u00a0\u200bDr Ryo Murata, an associate professor in the Department of Architecture and Building Engineering at the Institute of Science Tokyo,\u00a0Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez will introduce visitors to the\u00a0traditional connection with nature in Japanese and Danish architecture.<\/p>\n

Together, they will explore how to make cities and buildings more liveable through closer contact with nature and discuss how people can improve their health and well-being by designing their homes with nature in mind.<\/p>\n

Natural connection<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are not trivial questions. It is estimated that most people spend 80% to 90% of their time indoors. In densely populated cities, people have lost contact with the healing power of nature.<\/p>\n

Transforming our indoor environments could increase our well-being and also strengthen our relationship with nature and, therefore, our willingness to preserve it. The closer we are to the natural world, the more we can appreciate it and want to protect it.<\/p>\n

For Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez, it is important that the brain can perceive nature\u2019s natural rhythms: light and dark, for example, through exposure to natural light.<\/p>\n

She points out that we experience nature through all our senses, so small details matter. This might be leaves outside casting shadows in a flat, the feel of wooden floors under bare feet, or even the smell of stones in a courtyard after the rain.<\/p>\n

\u201cNature is constantly telling us: \u2018I\u2019m here. You forgot it, but I\u2019m in the cities too. I\u2019m everywhere,\u2019\u201d she said. With climate change and extreme events such as floods, fires and earthquakes becoming more frequent, she believes that the need to reconnect with the natural world is becoming more urgent.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven the most extreme phenomena, such as earthquakes, are Mother Nature\u2019s way of reminding us that she\u2019s there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The old anthropocentric approach that sees nature as something humans have to harness for their own benefit has become obsolete. To make a difference, we have to bring nature back into our lives. We need to live in it and with it.<\/p>\n

Research in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. <\/em><\/p>\n

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