Nature in space; principles for creating beautiful sensory experiences

In my last blog, I spoke about my obsession with biophilia; our shared, human instinct to seek connection with nature. My latest work has been inspired by the ideals of biophilic design; the Nyetimber Secret Garden at The Rosewood brought an English summer idyll to central London which I then drew on to inspire the brand’s winter boutique at Burlington Arcade. 

Much to my delight, the brands I am working with right now are equally bought into biophilic strategy; there are stunning plans afoot for winter and spring experiences that make my inner biophile sing! It's leading me to further deep dive into the possibilities of environments that integrate a full sensory-experience and why it's so powerful to bring nature into our build spaces.

So much more than the visual delight of flowers or foliage, true biophilic design embraces all the senses. Terrapin’s amazing whitepaper (download it now!) explores this in fantastic detail , highlighting just how many aspects of nature can, and should, be brought into brilliant experiential design. 

I’ve chosen a couple of their ‘7 principles of Nature in Space’ to explore a little more… 

1.  Visual Connection and Non-Visual Connection with Nature

It’s easy to focus on obvious visual cues; greenery, foliage, plants and leaves. However, the use of natural materials; wood, stone, water must all be considered, as should the use of pattern. In a Japanese study looking at the effects of building materials on occupants, wood panels were associated with decreased blood pressure, while steel was associated with increased blood pressure. Check out Green Architecture on Pinterest for a vast array of visual inspiration.  

However, as architect Patrick Burke, AIA says, “biophilic design... is more than a room with a view. It covers all the senses. Scents introduced into spaces are known to create an emotional reaction, even subliminally… smell is one of the most sensitive human reactions.” 

When designing brand experiences it takes creative thinking to subtly weave in sound, touch, smell and taste in surprising ways. The wooded grain of tables, the spring of foot steps on moss, or the taste of a waterfall’s mist… it’s not about lighting as many Forest Fruits Yankee Candles as you can muster! 

For example, when we built the Walnut Supper Club in the heart of Shoreditch, London for California Walnuts, we replicated a walnut grove that went from day to night. Diners were able to experience the bright Californian sunshine of a summer's day, setting into the glow of a West-Coast evening. 

2.  Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli and Thermal & Airflow Variability

These two aspects of nature in space design are perhaps the most evocative and, maybe the most subtle. They hark to the predictable unpredictability of nature - we know a breeze will blow, we just don’t know when. We can imagine the flicker of a fire but cannot predict its precise pattern. It’s the unscheduled birdsong that interrupts the silence or the dancing sway of grasses in the wind. As Catie Ryan of Terrapin writes:

“Nature is never static; it’s always moving, growing, adapting. We notice when a room is visually monotonous, when the air is stale, and when the same sound, or lack thereof, persists beyond what’s pleasant. We are not static beings, yet the spaces we live, study and work in are too often just that – static and predictable.”

Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli evokes the little surprises nature gifts us that make us stop for a moment. In design these can be replicated cleverly, for example Diffusion Choir is an amazing sculpture inspired by birds flocking. Or, the increasingly popular use of kinetic facades; thousands of tiles that shimmer in the wind. 

Thermal and airflow variability is similar - it’s the subtle changes in air temperature on the skin that evokes summer days or winter setting in. It's not the sterile experience of continuous aircon! 

3.  Presence of Water. A condition that enhances the experience of a place through seeing, hearing or touching water.

There’s a reason so many people dream of coastal living. There are rafts of research that show “multisensory experience of clean water is very good for our psycho-physiological wellbeing”.

Water for Life, from Mona Kim is a celebration of water and is still an inspiration over a decade later, while Pinterest provides plenty of examples of water cleverly incorporated in office and public spaces. For Keeping up with the Jones’ for Whirlpool we wanted a space of calm, with water fountains centreing a Zen garden complete with sixth sense meditation zones. Water has always been an inspiration for me, with its ability to conjure such a range of emotions. From the calm of gently flowing streams to the exhilaration of crashing waves, the romance of gently lapping waves to the immediate promise of childhood fun at the seaside.

4.  Connection with Natural Systems. Awareness of natural processes, especially seasonal and temporal changes characteristic of a healthy ecosystem.

One of my favourite activations of last year was Canada Goose’s ‘The Journey’, which I wrote about for Creative Moment. They created a four-part journey where guests could walk across cracking ice, travel to places untouched, and witness unique stories inside a -12°C cold room. The experience was rooted in the seasonal; it’s hard to convince someone of the need for a thermal jacket when the sun’s beating down outside. But, more than that the entirety of the experience was about the brand narrative; 

“Upon entering, visitors step into a narrow mountain pass. An interactive floor reacts to their footsteps, creating the sensation of cracking ice with every step. From the crevasse, guests pass into a room surrounded by projections putting them at the centre of original footage shot in British Columbia. At the centerpiece of the experience, guests have the opportunity to test out Canada Goose's most popular parka in thermal -12°C temperatures. Projections inside this room craft a poetic narrative around key brand ambassadors known as 'Goose People'. “

We took a similar approach when creating an immersive winter forest for the fantastically popular Nordic Yulefest. Creating a vodka snowstorm might not be an entirely natural process, but the focus on seasonality blended with natural firs brought attention to traditional festivities connected in nature.

The projects I am currently working on are rooted in biophilicly-inspired experiences, which more than ever will provide a welcome opportunity to ground ourselves in nature. 

About the author

Meredith O'Shaughnessy is an award winning experience and innovation consultant. She has dedicated her life to the world of experiences. From working in the heady world of 90's nightclubs to advising multinationals on how to benefit from changing consumer trends she inherently understands what makes people tick. Described as an experiential wizard, she is a creative powerhouse who delights in helping brands emotionally engage with their target markets whilst gaining market share in original and bold ways.

Her work is regularly featured in the global media from Vogue to The Independent, BBC to CBS. Whilst brands such as Whirlpool, Manolo Blahnik and Warner Bros leverage her original thinking and strategic approach across their channels. www.meredithcollective.co

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