Should you design your next commercial restroom with biophilic elements?

Over the years, we’ve published annual articles reviewing top trends for commercial restroom architects and designers, and one trend keeps making the list: biophilic design.

We’d love to see this trend accelerate, because biophilic design can make almost any restroom feel more comfortable and inviting. Builders can generally incorporate biophilic elements without incurring significantly higher costs. And of course, biophilic design touches just look terrific.

Let’s take a closer look at this growing commercial design trend.

What is Biophilic Design?

The word “biophilic” comes from the Greek words "bio" (life) and "philia" (love). Biophilic design is based on the idea that people have a built-in love of nature, and that spending time in environments that evoke that love can improve our health and well-being.

If you’ve ever experienced feelings of peace and comfort when exploring a lush green forest—or a shimmering mountainside, or a windswept prairie, or a tranquil beach—you understand the appeal of biophilic design.

In architecture, biophilic design creates spaces that remind people how they feel in the natural environment. It’s become extremely common in many commercial settings, with elements including:

• Natural materials such as wood, bamboo, and stone
• Natural light and ventilation
• Views of the outdoors
• Outdoor spaces such as gardens or courtyards
• Plants 

It can be more challenging to incorporate some of those elements into a restroom, so they aren’t used as often. Here’s why they should be.

Why is Biophilic Design Such a Hot Design Trend?

There are several reasons why biophilic design is becoming more mainstream in offices, lobbies, retail settings, restaurants, and other commercial locations. These reasons can usually apply just as well to restrooms.

• Enhanced well-being: Studies have shown evidence for associations between nature exposure and improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity, and sleep.¹ So, biophilic design may reduce people’s stress, improve their mood, and help them think better. No wonder so many modern offices offer wide windows and lots of plants!
• Sustainability: Biophilic design can often go hand-in-hand with sustainable design practices. By maximizing natural light and ventilation, biophilic spaces can be more energy-efficient. And incorporating plants and natural materials can align with an organization’s sustainability mission.
• Aesthetics and ambiance:  Natural materials, light, and plants can add a touch of luxury and sophistication, along with a hard-to-define sense of peace and tranquility. Simply put, spaces with biophilic design look and feel wonderful.
• It’s no wonder you can see biophilic design just about anywhere. Why not commercial restrooms?
• What Biophilic Design Elements Work Best in Commercial Restrooms?
• Can you incorporate biophilic design into your next commercial restroom project? Yes—but it requires a little creativity. Let’s revisit the list of design elements above:
• Natural materials such as wood, bamboo, and stone. Many manufacturers offer restroom tiling and décor materials that mimic wood and stone. (You may find biophilic inspiration using the Sloan Sink Configurator.)
• Natural light and ventilation
• Views of the outdoors
• Outdoor spaces such as gardens or courtyards. Okay, these three are obviously more challenging, since many building designs place restrooms on the interior, away from windows. But if you’re designing a floor plan from scratch, you might consider placing a restroom against an exterior wall—with a window.
• Plants. Can plants survive without exterior light? Most can’t, but some—such as snake plants (Sansevieria), ZZ plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), cast iron plants (Aspidistra elatior) and many ferns—do well. These low-light plants appreciate humid environments, which restrooms tend to be. You can even consider installing grow lights that help nourish these plants while adding a natural light feel for the restroom’s human visitors.
• With creativity and the right resources, you can incorporate these biophilic elements into your next commercial restroom and give its users the peace and tranquility of connecting with nature.
• Your Source for Commercial Restroom Design Insights
• Sloan has helped thousands of architects and designers create stunning, innovative commercial restrooms with resources such as our Room Ideas and Collections.
• Contact Sloan to discover more ways to create the most beautiful restrooms possible!

1— National Center for Biotechnology Information, Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence, May 2021