Airports are Going Biophilic!

A recent article in the New York Times (“The Trouble With Airports, and How to Fix Them,”) should brighten the day of anyone who has ever, or may ever need to spend time in airports.

The article highlights how airports are adopting principles of biophilic design.  Humans are more comfortable and relaxed in biophilic spaces (as discussed here, for example) and there are few sets of humans who need to be made comfortable and relaxed more than air travellers.

The article highlights changes in airports such as:

• Adding furniture that features more curving than straight lines. We’ve discussed how relaxing it is for humans to view curving lines here. 
• Working outdoor spaces into the airport complexes that passengers can access. We’ve talked about the benefits of being outdoors here, for example.
• Introducing plants to airport interiors. Nothing refreshes and de-stresses people faster than looking at plants, as discussed in this article.
• Natural materials are also finding their way into more airport areas; their benefits are discussed in this article.
• More natural light. When day light flows into an area (without glare!) there’s nothing better for our mood and cognitive performance, as discussed in this article.
• Better plan soundscapes.Some airports are cutting down on the number of announcements heard and conveying more information via visual signage.  This can help eliminate the stress of audio distractions blaring their way into people’s consciousness as they try to work or relax (or their conference calls with colleagues) and also make it easier for people who are hearing compromised to deal with airport situations.

[Featured image here is Singapore Airport, by Tiff Ng]