Biophilic Design: The Power of Nature in Our Homes

How Biophilic Design Creates Restorative,

Human-Centered Homes

dSPACE Studio uses biophilic design to reconnect people to nature, transforming modern homes into restorative, life-enhancing environments

We feel better in nature because it is where humans evolved. The scent of wood, the rhythm of light and shadow, the sound of moving water—all speak to ancient parts of our brains that steady the body and focus the mind. Yet today, we spend nearly 90 percent of our lives indoors, apart from the natural systems that support well-being.

It’s a jarring shift—and our physiology has not kept pace.

Biophilic design serves as a bridge between these worlds—a paradigm that translates nature’s sensory language into contemporary architecture, activating innate healthy responses shaped over thousands of years of evolution. This approach intentionally integrates light, materiality, airflow, views, and spatial rhythm to restore connection, calm, and vitality.

At dSPACE Studio, these principles are explored through the design of contemporary homes shaped around human experience—demonstrating how thoughtfully designed spaces foster health and well-being and enhance everyday living. The result: homes that feel intuitive, supportive, and human.

Bringing Nature into Everyday Life

Biophilic design is about creating homes that feel restorative and uplifting, quietly enhancing everyday life. It works through three simple ideas: bringing nature directly into the home, echoing nature through materials and forms, and shaping spaces to make us feel the way we do when we’re in nature: at ease, focused, even in awe.

These ideas are backed by a set of fifteen research-based design patterns—think of them as a playbook architects can use to shape how a home feels, not just how it looks. Natural light, operable windows, framed views, layered textures, and thoughtful spatial flow work together to foster a subtle sense of ease and balance. dSPACE Studio draws on these principles to design warm modern homes that are beautiful, livable, and intuitively supportive of your health and well-being.

Direct Contact with Nature: Bringing the Outdoors In

Direct contact with nature includes views of landscape, light, and water—enriched through multisensory experience. Homes that invite breezes, birdsong, and the subtle scent of wood foster an unconscious sense of security and calm by engaging all five senses.

In residences such as Dunelands and Hollywood Hills Modern, dSPACE Studio integrates operable window walls, textured natural materials, and layered light to translate these principles into architecture that supports comfort, health, and well-being.

Indirect Contact: Echoing Nature Through Design

Indirect contact with nature brings the rhythms and patterns of the natural world indoors—especially in spaces or sites with limited access to landscape. Fractal geometry, organic forms, and layered materials subtly mirror nature’s enduring beauty, engaging the body in ways that feel familiar, calming, and restorative.

In Old Town Modern, dSPACE Studio expresses this idea through a wall of veined stone and artwork inspired by leaf structures, striking a careful balance between complexity and order—drawing on instinctive responses long associated with comfort and well-being.

The Nature of Space: Capturing the Feeling of Nature at Home

The nature of space—shaped through proportion and flow—speaks directly to our instincts. Biophilic homes are designed to evoke the same restorative responses we experience in nature.

Open prospect offers room to see, orient, and breathe, while moments of refuge provide a sense of protection and ease. Subtle mystery, such as partially obscured views, invites curiosity and exploration, while a measured sense of risk—like a stair suspended within a space—adds a quiet sense of exhilaration and vitality.

Awe, expressed through light, scale, or expansive views, shifts perspective and cultivates joy.

When these qualities are thoughtfully woven together, architecture becomes more than shelter. It restores attention, reduces stress, and brings the life-enhancing experiences of nature into daily living—quietly supporting a lasting sense of balance and well-being.

Wellness Architecture: A Natural Imperative

Designing with nature is fundamental to how we feel and function. A growing body of research in neuroarchitecture and environmental neuroscience demonstrates that meaningful connections to nature reduce stress, sharpen focus, and support a lasting sense of health and well-being.

dSPACE Studio’s restorative homes thoughtfully choreograph these experiences, allowing wellness to emerge as a natural expression of beauty. The result is modern living that feels both visually inviting and deeply grounded in the enduring power of nature.

Biophilic Design: FAQs

What does “biophilic design” mean?

Biophilic design is rooted in biophilia—the idea that humans are naturally drawn to nature and function best when our environments reflect the qualities of the natural world. Research shows that when nature is thoughtfully integrated into the built environment, the body responds with greater calm, focus, and restoration. This is the effect of biophilic design: it translates the language of nature—light, texture, pattern, materiality, and movement—into architecture that feels intuitive and grounding.

At dSPACE Studio, this principle comes to life in projects like Dunelands, where filtered daylight, natural wood, and framed views create a multisensory connection to place. Together, these elements support the body’s natural relaxation response, shaping homes that feel restorative and supportive of everyday well-being.

What are the benefits of biophilic design?

Biophilic design improves health and well-being by bringing the qualities of nature—light, air, views, materials, and movement—into the home. At a fundamental level, we feel better in nature, and biophilic design translates that innate connection into everyday living.

Research shows that environments connected to nature support the body’s natural ability to regulate stress and restore balance. In architecture, this means nature doesn’t just look good—it can actively support how we think and feel. Spaces that integrate natural light, views, organic materials, and gentle environmental rhythms tend to feel calmer, more uplifting, and easier to live in.

Over time, biophilic homes may offer benefits such as:

• Reduced stress and anxiety

• Improved mood and emotional resilience

• Better focus, memory, and mental clarity

• Support for cardiovascular health

• Improved sleep and recovery

• A stronger sense of connection and belonging

• Healthier daily habits and routines

At dSPACE Studio, biophilic design is thoughtfully integrated into warm modern homes. At Horizon House, rooms are oriented along the path of daylight and frame views of the water, creating a natural rhythm that encourages calm, focus, and rest. At Bel Air Vista, panoramic views and the gentle presence of water invite reflection, as light and shadow move across surfaces, quietly restoring attention and ease.

How can biophilic design enhance modern homes?

Biophilic design enhances modern homes by subtly integrating nature’s elements into everyday living—through light, materiality, airflow, and spatial rhythm. Design choices, such as how daylight moves through a room or how materials feel to the touch, can have a meaningful impact on mood, comfort, and well-being.

At Bel Air Vista, operable glass walls dissolve the boundary between indoors and out, allowing sunlight and ocean air to move freely through the home. Natural materials such as stone, wood, and water are layered alongside concrete and glass, creating a calm, organic balance. Even the sequencing of rooms—open, enclosed, bright, and shaded—supports natural circadian rhythms and emotional balance.

How can biophilic design be incorporated in a home in an urban environment?

Biophilic design can be beautifully integrated even in urban environments, where access to nature may be limited. The goal isn’t to literally recreate nature, but to foster a sense of connection—using light, materials, and spatial experience to offer subtle reminders of the natural world. Small moments matter: daylight reaching deep into a home, a view of greenery, or layered materials that feel warm and tactile can support calm and balance.

At Brickyard, dSPACE Studio introduced a secluded garden and sculptural light wells to bring daylight and fresh air into the heart of an urban residence. These subtle interventions transform the home’s atmosphere, creating spaces that feel grounded, centered, and quietly alive—illustrating how meaningful connections to nature can exist, even in the city.

How is biophilic design different from “green” design?

The two are related, and both are essential: green design supports the planet, while biophilic design supports the people who live on it. Green architecture focuses on protecting the natural environment through strategies such as energy efficiency, passive systems, and responsible resource use. Biophilic design, by contrast, focuses on human the experience within those sustainable spaces—supporting comfort, health, and everyday well-being through meaningful connections to nature.

At dSPACE Studio, the two are inseparable. Dunelands is carefully embedded within its beach topography to minimize impact, while a natural palette of wood and limestone nourishes the senses. Likewise, Silver Lake combines passive solar orientation and natural ventilation with abundant daylight, tactile materials, and a sense of calm.

Together, sustainability and biophilia shape wellness architecture—homes that are both responsible and restorative.

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Written by Gregory Brisson, MD

Internal Medicine Physician

Wellness Consultant to dSPACE Studio

Photography by Ty Cole and Tony Soluri

Styling by Cate Ragan