Biophilic design: Building for well-being
How Our Environment Affects Us
How does the place where you spend most of your day feel?Does it give you energy?
Or are you already tired by midday without really knowing why?
We rarely think about it, but the spaces in which we work, learn, care, and live have a direct impact on how we feel and function. How we build therefore contributes to our well-being. And that is precisely where biophilic design begins.
At OKRI design & build, we therefore do not only look at how a building looks or how efficient it is. We start from a different question: how can a building help people function better?
Nature as a fixed part of the design
Biophilic design starts with a simple idea: humans have an innate need for nature. Yet today we spend most of our time indoors, often far from daylight, greenery, fresh air, and natural materials. Our brains process artificial light, noise, and visual stimuli all day, which takes energy.
And you feel it.
Nature does the opposite. It engages us effortlessly, allowing the brain to recover and recharge.
This isn’t just a feeling. It’s measurable.
People who work daily in environments where indoor greenery and natural elements are present experience up to 30% less fatigue, 20% less headache and concentration loss, and up to 40% fewer respiratory complaints such as dry throat, coughing, and skin irritation.
Indoor greenery purifies the air, increases humidity through evaporation, and literally makes the indoor environment healthier.
Green is therefore not decoration. It is a charger.
Yet in many buildings, plants and natural elements are only added at the end of the project. If there is budget left. As decoration. Within biophilic design, it is exactly the opposite.
That is why at OKRI we work from the design phase with a well-thought-out zoning plan for greenery. This way, nature gets a fixed place in the building, even before finishing or styling. It becomes an integral part of the design, not something to be “fitted in” afterwards.
And that makes a big difference, even in existing or older buildings.
The impact also goes beyond comfort or health alone.
Design & Build: Well-being from the first sketch
In environments where tension is often present, such as schools, care facilities, or busy workplaces, natural elements reduce baseline tension in people. They are de-escalating. The experience shifts from feeling trapped to a sense of protection and calm.
That is the silent power of biophilic design.
Concretely, you see this in different ways: abundant daylight and views of greenery; materials such as wood and stone; earthy colors and tactile textures. Spaces that offer openness and visibility where needed, but also sheltered places to retreat. Variation and rhythm rather than monotone boxes.
All together, this ensures a building not only functions well but also feels good.
That is why biophilic design works so well within a design & build approach.
Because design and execution are aligned from the start, we can consider orientation, daylight, material choices, and user experience from the first sketch. Well-being becomes a full-fledged design criterion, not an afterthought.
The result? Buildings that are aesthetically, technically, and humanly coherent.
Biophilic design is not a trend. It is a return to the essence: building for people, in balance with their environment.
And that is exactly what we work on every day at OKRI design & build.
👉 In our next blog, we’ll show how this works in practice, through our project at Uitgeverij Van In.