The health of humankind is a complex and fragile thing – a fact highlighted by our current world pandemic. 我们是谁，我们需要什么，这些都深深植根于我们的DNA中，以及我们代代相传的特质.
For millennia, people have lived outside. We hunted, we gathered, we cultivated. Even a hundred years ago, the masses relied upon the natural cycles of the sun and moon for light. 我父亲还记得，他小学教室里的“热舒适”是由任何一天的相对湿度和风速决定的. As people settled and cities grew, we first built structures that worked in harmony with nature. Large windows illuminated our time indoors and provided fresh air. High ceilings promoted passive ventilation. Transoms opened onto corridors to promote cross breezes and to light interior spaces.
在20世纪，许多直观的建筑设计原则首先被电力改变，后来被空调系统的发明改变. Our workplaces and homes were no longer tied to natural cycles of light and dark, day and night. Lofty spaces were retrofitted with drop-ceilings and ductwork. Expansive windows (once needed for light and air) became a threat to our thermal comfort. Little by little, humankind has left the great outdoors for a life completely sheltered within the great indoors. But this transition occurred rapidly and has taken a toll on our wellbeing. In fact, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, we have only begun to spend 90% of our time indoors in the last 100 years.
So, WHAT next? What do we do when we, as a people, are not built to spend all our waking (and sleeping) moments inside? It turns out our inner caveman already knows what he/she needs. Enter biophilia. Biophilia is the notion that people are inherently drawn to nature – that we recognize, appreciate, and seek out balance with natural cycles and rhythms. For example, imagine your feelings when waking with the rising sun, resting by a body of water, or pausing in a mature stand of trees – the feeling of a cool breeze, the sound of wind, or the warmth of the sun on your skin. It turns out there is a science behind why these things make us feel so good.
So, WHY is this important? Our autonomic nervous response is composed of both a parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. 你可能会意识到交感神经系统(SNS)，因为它负责“战斗或逃跑”反应. 这是我们身体对危险的进化反应，表现为肾上腺素和皮质醇水平的增加, increased heart rate, elevated blood glucose, dilated pupils, and slowed digestive function. Left unchecked, too much stress, too much stimulation of the SNS, can wreak havoc on one’s mental and physical health. On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) restores calm. It is often called the “rest and digest” response. This response is marked by a slowed heart rate, contracted pupils, restricted airways, relaxed muscles, and increased digestive function.
So, HOW do we apply this knowledge? How can we help manage stress and the “fight or flight” response of building inhabitants, especially in an often-stressful healthcare setting? It turns out our inner caveman can answer that too. We crave exposure to nature. Studies support that exposure to nature and nature-inspired elements can promote health and wellbeing. 当我们身处大自然或回忆与大自然的邂逅时，我们的PNS会受到刺激(这就是为什么你甚至想起上面两段话中初升的太阳和凉爽的微风也感觉“更好”的原因)!). The stimulation of our PNS comes with a suppression of the SNS. 这意味着我们让用户接触的刺激越多，就越能触发“休息和消化”反应，我们就越能有效地减少“战斗或逃跑”反应. 这可以提高压力事件发生后的恢复速度，或者可以在事件发生之前缓冲压力水平. For example, 俄勒冈州的一家医院发现，孕妇在私人花园分娩时疼痛减轻(压力缓冲)。, while staff reported less fatigue and burnout when given breaks in the same garden setting (stress recovery).
As we continue to live, work, play, 并在内部环境中治愈——支持我们对住所和安全的基本需求——我们必须保持对自然的内在渴望. Design strategies or “fixes” for the built world are wide-ranging. First, NATURAL interventions such as full-scale gardens, building forms that take advantage of natural views, 通过充足的玻璃和光/反射室内材料捕获/分散自然光，为支持性的室内体验奠定了基础. (Incidentally, lack of natural light is considered the No. 1 workplace health hazard by 36% of psychologists and psychiatrists.) Secondly, 以自然为灵感的干预措施，如循环照明(模仿一天中太阳的色温变化), patterned and textured textiles, natural finishes like wood and stone, 除了以数字和印刷媒体的形式自然呈现外，我们还可以将室内环境融入我们渴望的外部世界.
有一天(我希望是在遥远的未来)，我们人类可能会发现，我们有能力在没有与自然互动的情况下生存和繁荣. For now, our physiology and our inner caveman dictate we remain in close communion with the beautiful world around us.
