As humans, our ancestors evolved in rich, multisensory natural environments, and while rapid urbanism has meant that many of us now reside in cities, we have retained a genetic inheritance that still draws us back to a desire to be around healthy, flourishing nature-filled spaces. Different biophilic design theories help explain the magnetism of natural environments. One of the most significant is ‘blue space’ theory.
Water played such a vital role in our survival and evolution, the thinking goes that the residual inheritance means that when we now see or even hear water in the built environment, it indicates to us that the space is thriving and able to support life. One study found that simply by looking at a tank of water, blood pressure and heart rates were lowered1.…
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Homebuilding & Renovating (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2023