Add dynamic movement

A static space is alien to us and, over time, makes us tense. Have you ever been in a meadow on a lovely spring day when there wasn’t even the tiniest current of moving air or water.

Exactly.

Case closed.

An important principle of biophilic design is including gently moving something or others into the areas where we’re spending time.

From a psychological perspective it doesn’t matter too much to us what’s moving as long as its fundamentally benign. Yes to swaying grasses and burbling streams, no to tigers sneaking through bushes, for instance.

This means people will be calmed, de-stressed, and refreshed if a wall hanging or the sheer curtains move a little bit in the streams of the HVAC, water bubbles up from the floor of a fish tank, a mobile suspended overhead sways slightly as people walk nearby, a fern front bobs around for a while after a person or a pet pushes past it, the shadow of a branch blowing in the wind outside dances across the carpet—you get the idea.

It’s really important that the motion you add is peaceful and pleasant. Anything reminiscent of hurricanes (for example, shadows that are whipping wildly back and forth) or other undesirable conditions will degrade wellbeing, and with that drop in wellbeing will come worse moods and poorer cognitive performance.

So, swing into a sway or bring in a bob—create spaces with movement, they’ll flow and bring good feelings to all.