The New York Times: Cooped Up Indoors? There’s a Reason You Don’t Feel Well

Via The New York Times:

When you spend a lot of time indoors, as many of us are doing now, it’s easy to succumb to a sense of malaise.

Scientists, architects and others who study the concept of biophilic design — creating buildings and interiors with cues from the natural world — say there’s a reason for that.

“Humans have an affinity toward nature that’s biologically embedded,” said Bethany Borel, a senior associate at CookFox Architects, which has designed numerous offices with biophilic elements, including its own studio in Manhattan. If you don’t have enough contact with the natural world, Ms. Borel said, there can be emotional and physical costs.

Biophilic design attempts to counter this by connecting people with nature, which “can help reduce stress, improve cognitive performance, elevate our mood and have various physiological benefits,” said Bill Browning, a founder of Terrapin Bright Green, a New York-based sustainability consulting firm established in 2006 with the founders of CookFox.

Read the full piece here: Cooped Up Indoors? There’s a Reason You Don’t Feel Well