What is biophilia?

Beverly Bayes, creative director of Sparcstudio Design London: Biophilia is a concept, originated in the 1970s, that suggests that humans have an innate sense of connection with nature and other forms of life. Biophilic design is where an architect or designer ensures that a building or design concept embraces nature in form, motifs, color, sound and touch. It has developed over time to represent the way humans interact with nature, something that came into sharp focus during the pandemic, when that need and desire was amplified.

What are the top biophilic design elements for spas?

Michael Simonato, project manager at Raison d’Etre: The most common biophilic design element in spas is water features that mimic natural waterfalls and streams both visually and through sounds. Rock formations, plants and wood elements are also very popular. Using natural light with large windows and skylights is another common trend.

Jon Contino, founder and CCO of CONTINO Studio: You see a lot of calming textures in spa design, like lighter color tones being used as a backdrop in conjunction with natural, local elements like plants and stones. You’ll also see design elements that are “natural-adjacent,” like handmade tile or masonry and some stringed lights, so as to not feel like an overwhelming artificial presence. The best way to design a spa is so that it almost disappears. It’s biophilia to an extreme in a lot of cases, in that the connection with nature almost overrules the fact that you’re at a resort.

Bayes: Water is probably the most important natural element found in spas. What we have seen over the past few years is the emergence of natural outdoor pools that are chemical-free and feature naturally filtered reed beds. These enable guests to enjoy wild swimming and truly immerse themselves in nature.

Spa gardens, which take the spa journey into the great outdoors, are another way in which biophilic design is being used. Guests can enjoy connecting with nature pre- and post-treatment, enjoying the sound of the wind and birds in the trees. Views of the natural world are vital, so any opportunity to create a beautiful vista can truly elevate the spa experience. Taking this to another level, thermal suites can be designed to take in the beauty of nature. Curved wall designs in the spa give that biophilic element, but technology now allows us to offer a wall-to-ceiling glass side to a sauna, allowing guests to look out across the spas grounds into nature.

How can biophilic design promote wellness in spa spaces?

Simonato: Working with natural light integrated in the design means to embrace the variations within the light spectrum. It creates a harmonic space in tune with the circadian rhythm. Morning and evening will naturally flood the interior space with light from the warmer red spectrum, while midday brings a light within the blue spectrum. This also means that the energy or ambiance inside the spa feels a little different according to the time of day and it makes the transition between indoors and outside much smoother.

As the natural light reflects on the surfaces inside, white features become brighter during the day and softer during evenings. A successful biophilic design takes all these factors into account. Natural materials such as rocks, pebbles and wood can add an earthy and more rustic touch, enhanced by live plants to make people feel safe and in touch with nature.

Another benefit of biophilic design is that it can be more environmentally friendly. Using natural materials and fast-growing plants, such as bamboo, will reduce the use of processed building materials. By utilizing daylight and natural air circulation, we can reduce energy consumption from lighting, heating and air conditioning.

Bayes: Connecting with nature has many wellness benefits, from lowering blood pressure to promoting relaxation, improving mood, reducing feelings of stress or anger and improving confidence and self-esteem. So, being surrounded by biophilic design and being able to access nature also helps promote these health benefits. When used correctly, it can also offer the same benefits to staff. Many team members spend long hours in dark rooms, and their well-being can be greatly improved if the spa has been designed to allow natural light in where possible, offers glimpses of green spaces, and features natural wood and plant motifs.

Contino: Outside of the obvious benefits, like their calming sensation, natural design elements really help ground the spa in a very permanent reality. When you bring in a biophilic style, it gives the space an immediate sense of comfort. It allows guests to focus more on their choices and less about how they feel about being somewhere new. Even the most outgoing person can feel hesitancy being in a new place from time to time, so that addition of natural elements slowly alleviates the stress of your brain trying to process so much information at once.

How can spas start implementing biophilia?

Bayes: If there are options to extend the spa area outside, this should be the first step. Exterior spa experiences can also include a yoga deck, a dedicated area for forest bathing, curved seating around a firepit, a circular walk through an herb garden or bathing in a natural pool.

Plants can instantly bring the outside indoors, and they cleanse and oxygenate the air. You could install a living wall, or line a wall with shelving and install a series of potted plants.

To create a sense of privacy in a spa, you could install screens that have natural designs (tree leaves or plants) embedded into the fabric or material, but that also allow light to pass through. Natural light, plants, fire and water are key elements to incorporate into a biophilic wellness interior.

Surprisingly, aroma as a key part of the spa treatment experience itself can be overlooked in the physical design of the spaces. As spa designers, we like to be mindful of aroma as an integral part of the sensual experience, imbedded in the spa materials and finishes. Thermal and heat experiences offer an opportunity to create little micro climates of aroma.

Contino: Biophilic design works best when it integrates local natural elements. You’ve got less of a disconnect from walking from one place into another if the ecological transition is fairly seamless. Especially if the spa’s location is in a naturally beautiful part of the world, your goal is to basically make the walls disappear.

In conjunction with things like local plant life, stones, clay and so on, the next best thing any spa can do is find ways to integrate additional design elements like sculpture or flat artwork into the space. With a clear mind, some beautiful artwork can really help stimulate guests’ imagination and allow them to think about things beyond their day-to-day stresses. Another fun way to enhance this style is to integrate some stark contrast into the space. Bring in some decidedly un-biophilic elements and allow the natural presence to pop against things like technology or human-made objects and furniture.

Simonato: First study the natural environment. Are there forests or mountains, and how can you incorporate these elements and build a bridge between the interior and the exterior experience? From which direction does the light shine in, and how will the position of the sun be affected during the times of the day and over the year?

Most spas could benefit from drawing inspiration from biophilic design. It could be anything from bringing in live plants and some natural materials to designing the spa in flowing organic shapes, with inspiration and material from the surrounding environment.