When it comes to biophilic design, it’s often easier to start with what it’s not before explaining what it is — and why it matters more than ever.

“There are a couple of really common misconceptions I always clear up first,” says Sam Smith, Sustainability Manager at Development Victoria. “Biophilic design isn’t about adding a few pot plants at the end of a project, and it’s not an expensive add-on that drives up costs.”

“It’s a practical, evidence-based framework designed to reconnect people with nature through the built environment. It can shape how we live, work and feel for the better — improving health and wellbeing, strengthening communities, and delivering long-term value for people, projects and places.”

At the upcoming Melbourne Build Expo 2025, Sam is set to join the Biophilic Design: Bringing Nature into the Built Environment panel to unpack why this approach matters now — and how professionals across the industry can apply it to projects today.

 

What is Biophilia and Why Is It So Vital

“Biophilia is more than a love of nature,” Sam explains. “First coined by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in the 1960s, it’s all about our innate need to connect with the natural world. This instinctive and biological need for connection to nature is exactly what biophilic design seeks to restore.”

And as Sam points out, it couldn’t be more relevant in a world under threat from climate change, rapid urbanisation, and our growing disconnection from the natural systems that sustain us.

“We know many people are now spending up to 90% of their time indoors and we’re all more immersed in the digital world than ever before,” she says. “But our wiring and biological need to connect with nature hasn’t changed. In a nutshell, that’s why biophilic design plays such a critical role in our built environments.” 

“Resources from the Living Future Institute show how seemingly simple elements like views to green space, access to fresh air, daylight and circadian lighting directly improve mental health, productivity, and even create more connected communities. These are the key ingredients of biophilic design.”

“Think about some of the offices you’ve worked in that probably had a lot of fluorescent lights, windows that don’t open, recycled air, white-on-white interiors. That’s the antithesis of biophilic design. What we’re aiming for is surfaces, materials, patterns, colours, spaces, lighting and ventilation that mimics or reflects nature — and in doing so, make us feel healthier, calmer, and more connected to nature.”

 

From Frameworks to Real Projects: Biophilic Design in Action

For industry professionals, the Expo panel promises to go beyond theory to share practical strategies and tools that can be applied in private and public sector projects – from schools and hospitals to housing and commercial developments. 

Sam also brings a uniquely cross-disciplinary perspective to the sustainability conversation. From building straw bale housing and teaching Permaculture with CARE International post the Kosovo-crisis as part of a Permaculture Research Institute team, to training with Al Gore as part of his Inconvenient Truth climate initiative, she’s always focused on contributing to local and global projects that support people, place and our planet. Sam’s work as an architect, design tutor, consultant, and sustainability leader has given her both a unique and realistic perspective on how to balance ambitions and ideals with the practical realities of construction budgets, policy constraints and community needs.

 

And What About Cost?

“Sometimes people automatically equate sustainability with extra costs,” Sam says. “But biophilic design doesn't have to be about big-budget or high-tech solutions, or increasing building costs, often they are sensible changes and solutions that if they are incorporated early in the briefing and design stages, the capital costs are minimal but provide long term operational savings.”

“While Living Building Challenge projects are showing the way when it comes to  best practice and ‘what good looks like’, exploring biophilic design is often the first step. It is flexible and adaptable – offering a range of principles and practices that can be applied to projects of all kinds.”

“It can be as simple as choosing natural materials, using patterns that reflect nature, or ensuring access to daylight and fresh air. These things don’t necessarily cost more, but they make a huge difference to occupant satisfaction.”

This accessible, “apply anywhere” approach makes biophilic design a powerful tool across the industry — from young architects exploring regenerative practices to builders and developers creating spaces that perform better for both occupants and communities.

Sam also points to the importance of learning from First Peoples’ perspectives. 

“For First Nations communities, connection to nature and stewardship isn’t a design principle — it’s a cultural imperative,” she says. “Biophilic design gives those of us outside that tradition a language to build that connection back in. And the most authentic projects are the ones that begin with a conversation with Traditional Owners, honouring their knowledge and weaving stories of Country into the design itself.”

 

Join the Conversation And Turn Principles Into Practice 

Ultimately, biophilic design is more than a framework. It’s also a mindset that challenges us to design and deliver buildings that not only serve their occupants but also give back to communities and steward the planet we all share.

“Biophilia isn’t a trend,” Sam concludes. “It’s about recognising and supporting our innate need for natural light, fresh air, and a view to green space. We feel calmer, safer, more productive when those things are part of our daily lives. Ultimately, biophilic design offers a practical way to build those essential connections back in — and I’m looking forward to sharing the latest thinking on how we do that in our Melbourne Build Expo session in just a few weeks’ time.”

📅 Biophilic Design: Bringing Nature into the Built Environment

📍 Melbourne Build Expo 2025

Join Samantha Smith and other leading voices to discover how biophilic principles are being applied in built environment projects of all types, from residential, education, health and commercial — and how you can apply them in your own work.

 

About The Author

Shauna Hurley is a freelance writer and podcast producer who’s never short of questions when it comes to construction, tech and the built environment. She specialises in 1:1 interviews with industry insiders that uncover the insights, emerging trends and tech tools shaping the way we design, connect and build today.

For more of Shauna’s work visit shaunahurley.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.