biophilic design room-by-room: the children’s bedroom
in biophilic room-by-room
Every room in a home has its own specificities, that guide the design in the combination of function, aesthetics, and a deeper value.
Let’s explore how to apply biophilic design to children’s bedrooms…
not just rest
Clear enough, children’s bedrooms should – like any bedroom – be a space to sleep. But the bedroom is so much more for children: it’s their universe, the one space they have to themselves, a space to play, study, dream, and sleep.
From a design perspective, this means that kids’ bedrooms should be approached as multi-functional spaces, creating different conceptual areas. This visual separation also helps transition between different activities with the best state of mind: fun for playtime, concentration for homework, and relaxation for sleep.
designing different areas
Fun, concentration, relaxation… the states of mind associated with different activities also suggest what the design should be like.
The bed area will be designed as a refuge to support winding down and good sleep. The study area may also embrace a sense of refuge, but in a way that helps focus and concentration rather than rest. Finally, the play area is where we can have fun, incorporating elements of apparent risk and playful features like climbing walls, hammock floors, and slides. After all, life is a game for children and so should be their space!
closer to nature
Designing a biophilic kids’ bedroom also opens another challenge: using the space as a way to bring children closer to nature. This can be done is a number of different ways that include nature-inspired shapes and patterns, tactile natural materials, immersive wallpapers, and more. What’s out of the window is also something we can work on, valuing an existing natural view or creating one. Something like a window seat or a hanging chair by the window would then invite to spend time close to that view, admiring visual and non-visual clues of outdoor life.
Last but not least, how can we invite children to spend more time outdoors? Despite going beyond bedroom design, this is an essential aspect. We have become an indoor generation, and that’s something we should try and fix for our own physical and mental health. For children, this might look like organizing entertaining and adventurous activities outdoors, spending time in nature as a family or – why not – even designing an outdoor play space!
Designing a biophilic space is not a one-fits-all approach. Depending on the space at hand the challenge is slightly different, yet with a common aim: bringing people closer to the natural world.
