International design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman announced the publication of its latest white paper, “Biophilic Design: An Alternative Perspective for Sustainable Design in Senior Living,” co-authored by Associate Hillary DeGroff, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, and Architect McCall Wood.
The white paper examines biophilic design, studies the ways by which it lends focus to the topic of sustainability, and revisits the firm’s most successful projects to promote an understanding of the potential benefits of applying BD principles in senior living environments. The white paper is available for free download.
“Biophilic design is a focused area of research that brings people to the center of the sustainability discussion,” notes DeGroff and McCall. “It attempts to scientifically understand how people interact with their environment and, consequently, how their environment can be designed to better support them.”
While this idea has existed for nearly three decades, its use within the field of architecture has not been common practice until now. Establishing BD as a guiding principle throughout the design process, especially as it concerns senior living environments, is to recognize the imperative role the built environment plays in resident health, well-being, and quality of life.
According to the authors, “As designers, we can better understand how our environments impact us psychologically and physiologically to create architecture that promotes positive and transformative interactions. This white paper presents knowledge of how the brain and body respond to their environment and how the application of this knowledge helps demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.”
Among the spotlight projects used as case studies for this white paper are Camphill Ghent, Chatham, N.Y.; Moorings Park, Naples, Fla.; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham, Mass.; North Chicago VA Community Living Centers, Chicago; Rockwood Retirement Community, Spokane, Wash.; Saint John’s on the Lake, Milwaukee; Sun City Park, Yokohama, Japan; and Westminster Village, Scottsdale, Ariz.
The white paper was produced and edited under Perkins Eastman’s Senior Living leadership team.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Sep 12, 2024
White paper on office-to-residential conversions released by IAPMO
IAPMO has published a new white paper titled “Adaptive Reuse: Converting Offices to Multi-Residential Family,” a comprehensive analysis of addressing housing shortages through the conversion of office spaces into residential units.
Mixed-Use | Sep 10, 2024
Centennial Yards, a $5 billion mixed-use development in downtown Atlanta, tops out its first residential tower
Centennial Yards Company has topped out The Mitchell, the first residential tower of Centennial Yards, a $5 billion mixed-use development in downtown Atlanta. Construction of the apartment building is expected to be complete by the middle of next year, with first move-ins slated for summer 2025.
Healthcare Facilities | Sep 9, 2024
Exploring the cutting edge of neuroscience facility design
BWBR Communications Specialist Amanda Fisher shares the unique considerations and challenges of designing neuroscience facilities.
Office Buildings | Sep 6, 2024
Fact sheet outlines benefits, challenges of thermal energy storage for commercial buildings
A U.S. Dept. of Energy document discusses the benefits and challenges of thermal energy storage for commercial buildings. The document explains how the various types of thermal energy storage technologies work, where their installation is most beneficial, and some practical considerations around installations.
Office Buildings | Sep 5, 2024
Office space downsizing trend appears to be past peak
The office downsizing trend may be past its peak, according to a CBRE survey of 225 companies with offices in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Just 37% of companies plan to shrink their office space this year compared to 57% last year, the survey found.
University Buildings | Sep 4, 2024
UC San Diego’s new Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building will support research and teaching in both health and biological sciences
The University of California San Diego has approved plans for a new Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building, with construction starting this fall. The 200,000-sf, six-level facility will be the first building on the UC San Diego campus to bridge health science research with biological science research and teaching.
Codes and Standards | Sep 3, 2024
Atlanta aims to crack down on blighted properties with new tax
A new Atlanta law is intended to crack down on absentee landlords including commercial property owners and clean up neglected properties. The “Blight Tax” allows city officials to put levies on blighted property owners up to 25 times higher than current millage rates.
Resiliency | Sep 3, 2024
Phius introduces retrofit standard for more resilient buildings
Phius recently released, REVIVE 2024, a retrofit standard for more resilient buildings. The standard focuses on resilience against grid outages by ensuring structures remain habitable for at least a week during extreme weather events.
Construction Costs | Sep 2, 2024
Construction material decreases level out, but some increases are expected to continue for the balance Q3 2024
The Q3 2024 Quarterly Construction Insights Report from Gordian examines the numerous variables that influence material pricing, including geography, global events and commodity volatility. Gordian and subject matter experts examine fluctuations in costs, their likely causes, and offer predictions about where pricing is likely to go from here. Here is a sampling of the report’s contents.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 29, 2024
More than 1.2 billion sf of office space have strong potential for residential conversion
More than 1.2 billion sf of U.S. office space—14.8% of the nation’s total—have strong potential for conversion to residential use, according to real estate software and services firm Yardi. Yardi’s new Conversion Feasibility Index scores office buildings on their suitability for multifamily conversion.
