During Design Week Portland the TerraMai showroom hosted a panel discussion on Biophilic Design with designers and architects. ‘Biophilic’ but just what does that mean? It is incorporating design with natural elements and materials to improve human well-being. Humans want to interact with spaces and seeing natural elements brings us back to that interaction. This approach improves human health and wellbeing through stress reduction by focusing on the micro level impact an individual has to a space. Biophilic design is becoming more popular in retail and hospitality and even hospitals that transform the interior space to connect human sensors to the natural world. For instance ‘Daylight Responsive Design’ is indoor light that mimics the outdoor daylight so that people are absorbing the natural light we crave. Also there is digital design in large scale spaces that connect people with the environment through airflow, smells, sounds and projections. Current interior trends that use natural elements are wool and reclaimed wood, which stand the test of time. What is so valuable about natural materials is that they can be refinished over time and will only get better and better!
“Humans need natural elements in this man-made world that we live in.”
said Alex Shapleigh, senior vice president and retail sector leader with Callison RTKL in Seattle. Shapleigh believes Biophilic Design will continue to evolve because, “there is so much foundation of thought behind it. It blends art and science and connects people through tactile.” With minimal access to resources in the forefront of our communities, Biophilia is rising.
Shapleigh believes Biophilic Design will continue to evolve because,
“there is so much foundation of thought behind it. It blends art and science and connects people through tactile.”
With minimal access to resources in the forefront of our communities, Biophilia is rising.
TerraMai Portland is “style with soul and conscience” as advertised on their homepage. Responsibly sourced reclaimed wood is the focus at TerraMai. It is a beautiful showroom with translucent natural lighting that emanates through the East-facing storefront windows and radiant spotlights that accentuate furniture and decor made from reclaimed wood. Lining the walls are alluring and generous slabs of reclaimed wood that are stunning as wall decor but with the fine live-edge would make exquisite countertops or bar tops. For the last 25 years the ‘meat and potatoes’ of TerraMai has been the charming line of flooring and paneling in a variety of reclaimed wood and finishes. You can explore this handsome showroom on SE Yamhill.