Welcome to the sixth of a lecture series, “Form, Language, Complexity: Unified Architectural Theory”. This is Lecture 6: “Biophilic design influences human health”, by Nikos A. Salingaros, Professor of Mathematics and Architecture at The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Included: Biophilia, our evolved kinship to the structure of biological forms. The nourishment human beings experience from natural forms. Hospital design and healing environments.

Unified Architectural Theory, Lecture 6: “Biophilic design influences human health”

Readings for Lecture 6: “Biophilic design influences human health”

  1. Alexander, The Phenomenon of Life, Chapter 10. 
  2. Salingaros, Nikos A.. "ch. 10 (16). Biophilia: Our Evolved Kinship To Biological Forms." In Unified Architectural Theory: Form, Language, Complexity—a Companion to Christopher Alexander's "The Phenomenon of Life : the Nature of Order, Book 1", 93-98. Portland, Oregon and Kathmandu, Nepal: Sustasis Foundation and Vajra Books, 2013.
  3. Mehaffy, Michael W., and Nikos A. Salingaros. "Ch 12. Biophilia." In Design for a Living Planet: Settlement, Science, & the Human Future, 131-137. DFLAP. Levellers/Sustasis Press and Vajra Publications, 2015.
  4. Salingaros & Masden, extract from “Neuroscience, the Natural Environment, and Building Design”, Chapter 5 of: Biophilic Design: the Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life, edited by Stephen R. Kellert, Judith Heerwagen, and Martin Mador (John Wiley, New York, 2008), pages 59-83 (Chapter 18 of Unified Architectural Theory). 
  5. Salingaros, Nikos. Biophilia and Healing Environments: Healthy Principles For Designing the Built World. Terrapin and Metropolis, 2015.
  6. Salingaros, Nikos A.. "The Biophilic Index Predicts Healing Effects of the Built Environment." Journal of Biourbanism 8, no. 1 (2019): 13-34. (Download and compute the Biophilic Healing Index: https://patterns.architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-218729)

Texts discussed:

  1. Christopher Alexander (2001) The Nature of Order, Book 1: The Phenomenon of Life, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, California. Buy in the USA from: oxbowbooks.com and internationally from: eurospanbookstore.com or from any online bookstore.                     
  2. Nikos Salingaros (2013) Unified Architectural Theory: Form, Language, Complexity, Sustasis Press, Portland, Oregon. Buy the paper book from the publisher in the USA levellerspress.com, European edition mijnbestseller.nl, and Asian Edition vajrabookshop.com.1