A Natural Wood Look
Contributing to Sustainable Architecture with Natural Materials
With the trend toward biophilic design on the rise with architects, it should come as no surprise that sustainability has also become a top priority in the last five years. After all, if we are designing more green, natural looks for urban spaces, then it would be ridiculous to design them in a way that has negative effects on the nature those looks were inspired by. Even without a focus on greenery, it has become important for architects to prioritize a certain degree of environmental awareness when it comes to their designs.
One of the interesting effects that this has had on design is the uptick in favoring natural materials as core components. While this may feel like going backward for some architects, it has caused a fascinating shift in designs away from sleek metal and glass, to more traditional and cozy looks. Wood has become particularly popular, though other natural materials like bamboo, marble, clay, and stone can also contribute to sustainable architecture trends.
It helps, of course, that we have made massive strides forward in making wood a versatile and strong material for design. Cross-laminated timber, made with large pieces of lumber that have been bonded together by glue, has recently hit its own peak of popularity with architects after the creation of the United State’s first wooden skyscraper was built in Portland, Oregon.
As well as being a material that can be used nearly everywhere, wood has a long list of other advantages. Research has indicated that having wood as a part of indoor design can help reduce stress and anxiety levels, which is easy to try to pair with biophilic design because it also tends to have many of the same calming effects on the mind. In some aspects, incorporating natural design can have similar effects to having a houseplant, your mood is improved by adding a piece of the outside to an indoor space. Most of this can likely be connected with the way the presence of nature has been proven to make people happier in urban areas.
As always, there is no right or wrong way to design a space. There is still a certain appeal in the stark grey lines that more industrial modernism has given us, and we should not feel pressured into changing our designs in every aspect. It is just important to know that our more modern designs and the newer biophilic approach are not mutually exclusive. Natural materials like wood are a great way to start incorporating touches of sustainable material to our spaces.
Marcus Dodson
Editor & Publisher
