WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL WITH BIOPHILIC DESIGN AND HOW IT MEETS WITH MARBLE?

Here is the answer...

Last September, we have been at Marmomac 2019, the world's most significant show committed to marble, granite, processing technologies, applied design and training. We were at Turkish Pavilion at Hall 10 and exhibited our very best marble slabs and other natural stones during 4 days.

What impressed us the most at Marmomac 2019 was to witness the biophilic design concept’s official entrance into marble world. Marmomac was the best place to publicize the reunion of biophilic principles and marble because the show has already proved itself to be more than an ordinary stone exhibition thanks to its fundamental aspects about innovation, design and art.

In this edition, at Hall 1, The Italian Stone Theatre gathered several major artists, furniture and design brands to create specific projects for companies in the natural stone sector. The theme was Naturality, in other words, to meet marble with green scenario and plants, to rediscover the relationship between humankind and nature.

The word of biophilia derives from the Greek meaning of love of life. It dates back to the early 1980s when biologist Edward O. Wilson announced his new approach about humans' inevitable need to form a close rapport with nature. Biophilic design comes out as a reflection of that idea. Recently this green architecture movement has risen again and begun to change our affiliation with nature.

It changed our way of thinking about the places where we live, we work, and learn. So far we designed our homes, offices, hospitals, cities, suburbs in a way to detract us from the nature. But this new inclination encourages us to become more connected with nature by including natural materials in our modern day built environment like natural lights, woods, living plant walls, water features, nature views and flooring with natural stones like marble, travertine etc...

At the end of the day we expect to profit from decreased stress level, boosted creativity and improved health. Researches also prove that human beings work more efficiently, heal faster and learn more easily in structures intertwined with nature.

A biophilic plan interacts with nature patterns. That is why biophilic floorings are taking polished marbles or honed travertines more into their concepts. Biophilic hotel bathrooms prefer marble bath tubes especially the white marbles to show the natural flow of a rock pool. The office spaces also get its share from the new concept. Companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Airbnb, and Etsy are deeply into that green office design stuff. The Martini offices in Milan uses plenty of marble with wood elements to create a living wall. Airbnb office in San Francisco has stone floors and pillars.

What is more, Zaha Hadid Architects and COX Architecture teams were selected to design The Western Sdyney International Airport. They will create a new greenfield in the airport combining natural daylight and natural landscape. "The design is an evolution of Australian architecture past, present, and future." said Cristiano Ceccato, ZHA Project Director, in a release. "It draws inspiration from both traditional architectural features such as the veranda, as well as the natural beauty of the surrounding bushland."

We hope that content could give you all a small idea why we do really need biophilic design at our places and how we can achieve it with natural materials. We heavily recommend you to check our materials, especially the white ones because they absolutely go perfect with green scenario!

You can check our White Marble collection or you can go deeper about biophilic design with Kasey Riley's work out.

Cover photo credits to Can YALMAN

YESIM YILMAZ
Interior Desing and Natural Stone Enthusiast