Why More Offices Are Taking Up An Ecological Approach To Design

Sure, the Nature Conservancy state office in Brunswick might look like it’s right at home in Maine, but there’s a well-designed reason for its seamless integration into the landscape. After all, the curvilinear walls are made from yellow birch sustainably harvested from the St. John River Valley, and the carpets are made from recycled fishing nets. In other words, the Brunswick Nature Conservancy lives and breathes Maine. Buildings that are consciously designed to be a product of their place are known as biophilic, a practice that is becoming increasingly common in architecture, especially of work and commercial spaces, according to Amanda Sturgeon, CEO of International Living Future Institute and author of the book, “Creating Biophilic Buildings.” [See all Bangor Metro stories] “The opportunity of biophilic design is to connect to the particular ecology of the place, to its culture, history and beauty and to create a building that will regenerate life,” Sturgeon said. There are more than just touchy-feely reasons to focus on biophilic design.