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Biophilic Kitchens
June 26, 2023
Mrinmoy Dey
To achieve the look and feel of a biophilic kitchen design, one must try to include as many natural elements as possible in the design to bring out that built environment-nature connection. Prominent architects and interior designers talk about how to approach the concept in different kitchen formats and sizes, to Mrinmoy Dey
Any design that is close to nature gives an instant sense of calm and helps soothe the senses. A good kitchen design approach should always be human-centric and focus more on how the space makes the user feel rather than how the space looks. Spaces in our homes, like the kitchen, must reflect as an environment of well-being in both physical as well as mental ways.
What is Biophilic Design?
A biophilic design approach can help in achieving this. Biophilia in general means the love towards nature, and biophilic design enhances this relationship with nature through means of architecture. “Biophilic design is much more than an art style, it encompasses how a person feels in the space they’re living in. Kitchens for most people are an essential space. Some enjoy the space, using cooking as an output while others do it out of necessity after a long day. It’s a space that should make you feel most comfortable in, to unwind and distress without too much of a hassle,” opines Seema Parulekar, Principal Design Director, Monad Designs.
However, biophilia isn’t a new concept in India. “Biophilia may be a new word but it was always an intrinsic part of the Indian kitchen. I still remember my great-grandmother’s kitchen and how the sheer aroma would draw me in. Food was always brewing or cooking! A large earthen Kalsi of water would be in the corner. In the centre was a mitti ka chulha, an angeethi and a tandoor. The stone chakki, dauri-danda, hamam dasta, okhli and musal, sil batta were the gadgets. The Indian kitchen has changed a lot in these last five decades, but freshly prepared home food is such an inherent part of Indian living that the nature connect is still maintained,” shares Monica Khosla Bhargava, Principal Architect, Kham Consultants.
The designer carved out the small garden which was actually a utility balcony adjacent to a duct and this made the kitchen much livelier with butterflies and birds visiting and chirping on the terrace plants while the kitchen was in use. Photo Courtesy: StudioSW
Connecting Kitchen with Nature
Biophilia is a concept that promotes the “well” factor. “One of the most popular ways of bringing nature into a kitchen is by creating a skylight. Natural light always creates a feeling of well-being. Besides this, opening up of the walls and integrating the surrounding spaces creating seamless movement from one area to another plays an important role,” shares Sonali Bhagwati, President, DPA.
Biophilic resting or working areas are always a welcome break and a sure-shot way for creating a stunning design. “For a truly biophilic kitchen, I would involve using natural materials, colours, patterns, forms and light that mimic or evoke a nature-like feel and largely by adding plants and greenery to bring life and freshness to the space. I would consider installing windows or skylights that allow natural light and views of the outdoors. I would choose organic shapes and textures for cabinets, countertops, backsplashes, and flooring or consider using natural elements such as wood, stone, metal, glass, cork or bamboo for furniture and accessories and incorporating natural colours such as greens, browns, blues or whites that reflect the landscape,” adds Santosh Wadekar, Design Director, studioSW.
The Benefits
Talking about the benefits of a biophilic kitchen design, Wadekar opines, “I think any type of kitchen or for that matter any dwelling space can benefit from biophilic design. Biophilic kitchen design can create a more inviting, relaxing, and healthy environment for cooking and eating. It can also reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance creativity.”
He further adds, “To quote some examples, we recently designed a kitchen in a high-rise apartment that overlooked a small pocket garden where the owners used to grow their own herbs. My design team very cleverly carved out the small garden which was actually a utility balcony adjacent to a duct. This addition of space suddenly made the kitchen much livelier with butterflies and birds visiting and chirping on the terrace plants while the kitchen was in use.”
Indoor kitchens tend to be closed up and defined. “The moment we open up the walls and provide a visual connect with other areas as well as outdoors, it completely changes its character,” opines Bhagwati.
Smaller footprints of kitchens might seem congested with sharp edges and multiple storage spaces. “But the addition of a window to the outdoors or a simple touch of greenery incorporated into the design of the space can lift its appeal. Adding biophilic design as a forethought rather than an afterthought to spaces makes them come alive and interesting in their true essence,” quips Parulekar.
“Natural elements as an addition do not limit themselves to greenery. Using materials themselves that imitate a natural look and feel would be an interesting choice, structures like panels and art pieces that mimic patterns from flora and fauna could be an interesting concept to explore."
Seema Parulekar
Principal Design Director,
Monad Designs
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Open kitchen & Nature Connect
An open kitchen design is one that has no partition walls between the kitchen and the adjoining room, such as the living room or dining room which creates a more spacious and airier feel and allows natural light and views to flow through the space. “The easiest ways to approach an open kitchen design with biophilic elements would be to use natural materials, adding a layer of plants and greenery to create a fresh atmosphere, by choosing natural colours and more importantly incorporating natural patterns and forms in the design,” shares Wadekar.
According to Bhagwati, open kitchens that hold centre stage in a house automatically become biophilic due to their connect with the outdoors through large openings of the surrounding spaces. “It benefits from all the biophilic interventions of the surrounding living areas.”
Kitchens have historically always been centre points in households and the open kitchen concept enhanced this knowledge. "It’s important to cater to a user’s specific requirements when designing a space and the same goes for the inclusion of nature and greenery within it. While some might find merit in maintaining kitchen gardens (focused on usability), others might find the addition as a purely aesthetic addition,” states Parulekar further adding that no two spaces can follow a tried and tested template as each space has its unique identity.
Talking about using natural materials in the open kitchen, Bhargava shares, “The island kitchen, of course, gives the best feel as you’re in the heart of the space but, even the smaller kitchens can incorporate stone look tiles, natural wood or wood-look finishes for cabinets, metal finishes like copper, brass or antique silver in the handles. It’s the vibe of the kitchen that’s most important. The open kitchen is an extension of the dining area and if the dried food items are well displayed in transparent jars, they look very attractive. I, of course also favour the use of ceramics and the irreplaceable martabaan!”
"Potted plants look good but the mud may contain mites and creatures, so I don’t recommend them for a kitchen. What one can do is arrange cut mint bunches in a bowl of water. One can also display micro greens or anything that you’re going to use for cooking and which can go without refrigeration."
Monica Khosla Bhargava
Principal Architect,
Kham Consultants
Will the concept work in Compact Kitchen?
Talking about the possibilities of a biophilic concept in a compact kitchen, Bhagwati opines, “The kitchen doesn’t have to be big. It needs to be open, well-designed for utility and should have materials that connect it to the surrounding living areas. It needs to look like an extension of the living space. Choice of materials, finishes and colour palette is thus very critical.”
Utilising a space efficiently is not designated for large sprawling properties only. “A compact space with a small footprint is still filled with a host of possibilities to incorporate biophilic elements –ranging from the addition of vertical herb gardens, hanging shrubbery or moss carpets as artistic spaces,” shares Parulekar.
She further adds, “Smaller spaces have a quaint quality that can truly be brought out by these additions. Oftentimes, bringing the outside indoors is an opportunity to make a space seem larger and less harsh or compact. The key is to maintain a balance between sufficient addition and over-the-top elements that cramp the space.”
"One of the most popular ways of bringing nature into a kitchen is by creating a skylight. Natural light always creates a feeling of well-being. Large glazings should not be interrupted by counters & storage. Earthy palette with soft pastel colours that are low contrast would be my preferred choice."
Sonali Bhagwati
President,
DPA
Explaining how to make the concept work in a compact space, Wadekar adds, “Some examples of how to do this would be to use nature mimicking colours for the walls, cabinets, appliances or accessories or incorporating natural patterns and forms. These can be found in textured small appliances, fluted or reeded glass in cabinetry, textured or 3D wall tiles or natural analogues that copy the patterns and forms commonly found in nature.”
Citing an example from an upcoming project, he shares, “For an upcoming project of ours in a tight Mumbai high-rise apartment block, we have designed a vertical green herb wall for one of the kitchens, which is flooded with nature mimicking artificial light, to help the plants synthesize. This gives a sense of a biophilic design to a tightly planned highly functional kitchen.”
Materials Selection – Ceilings & Walls
Ceilings and walls can play an important role in a biophilic kitchen design. “I would like a small skylight to bring in natural light if possible. Large glazings should not be interrupted by counters & storage. Earthy palette with soft pastel colours that are low contrast would be my preferred choice,” shares Bhagwati.
Ceilings and walls can create a sense of connection with nature. “Higher ceilings reflect better quality of light. Fabric ceilings remind one of an overcast sky. Installing windows or skylights that allow natural light and views of the outdoors is the way to go. If this is not possible, using artificial lighting that reflects natural light cycles and colours can also work. Walls can be in glass as it is a neutral material that can create a spacious and airy feel and allows natural light and views of nature to enter the space,” adds Wadekar.
Natural elements as an addition do not limit themselves to greenery, that addition of forms and patterns from nature is also a gateway to creating an interesting connection for the person living and interacting with a space. “Walls and ceiling are like a canvas for the designer to introduce these concepts, with endless possibilities. Using materials themselves that imitate a natural look and feel would be an interesting choice, structures like panels and art pieces that mimic patterns from flora and fauna could be an interesting concept to explore,” shares Parulekar.
Using materials themselves that imitate a natural look and feel would be an interesting choice. Photo Courtesy: Monad Designs
Incorporating plants in the design
Apt inclusion within the design from the commencement of conceptualisation would most definitely enhance a space. “But it doesn’t always have to be a tool to make a space look more rustic. While the addition of potted plants and earthy looking artifices would most definitely work, sleek and clean moss carpet artwork or an impressive hydroponic system would be more suited for a contemporary space,” opines Parulekar.
She further adds, “Large plants with wide leaves would deem a space boho chic while a trellis of ivy or money plants could lean towards a more cottage core aesthetic. A space moulds itself into a living space when it has been carefully designed, the addition of live plants will have to be something that is a thought-through process. It also brings to mind the question, how comfortable is the user maintaining this? Do they have a green thumb or would they like something for low maintenance?”
Talking about incorporating live plants in the kitchen, Wadekar shares, “I personally love using live plants in a kitchen. They add a touch of nature, colour, and freshness to a kitchen design. They can also purify the air and provide some fresh herbs for cooking. Some of the go-to plants I like to consider in my design are Herbs like oregano, baby tomato, basil, succulents, spider plants etc.”
Despite its many benefits, one needs to be very careful in selecting indoor plants as these areas are used at night as well. “Plants like the snake plant etc which improve air quality should be used. A horticulturist should be consulted,” opines Bhagwati.
Bhargava, however, is not in favour of using potted plants. “Potted plants look good but, the mud may contain mites and creatures, so I don’t recommend them for a kitchen. What one can do is arrange cut mint bunches in a bowl of water. One can also display micro greens or anything that you’re going to use for cooking and which can go without refrigeration. I’m deeply into floral décor. So, I use just about anything, from sarson and mooli flowers to cut sugarcane for my kitchen decor! Artificial plants are an absolute no-no for me.”
"I think any type of kitchen or for that matter, any dwelling space can benefit from biophilic design. Biophilic kitchen design can create a more inviting, relaxing, and healthy environment for cooking and eating. It can also reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance creativity."
Santosh Wadekar
Design Director,
StudioSW
Solutions for low-light and indoor kitchens
Artificial plants are an easy solution for indoor areas. “They work well for areas that are not easily accessible or maintainable. However, the beauty of natural plants cannot be captured in artificial plants,” opines Bhagwati. Talking about tackling the challenges of low or no natural light, Parulekar shares, “There are a host of plants that thrive in low or no natural light such as succulents and certain kinds of herbs that need a moderated exposure to the sun. But, if plants that need direct sunlight are to be incorporated, there are always ways to provide this. Using artificial lamps designed specifically to imitate natural sunlight, or the addition of skylights within the space could be a possible answer to this conundrum.”
Talking about plants for a lowly lit kitchen, Wadekar adds, “There are many live plants that can be incorporated in the kitchen design even in substandard natural light. There are some plants that can thrive in low-light conditions, such as pothos, philodendrons, money plants, snake plants etc. One can also consider artificial lighting to supplement the natural light and create a more favourable environment for plants.”
While artificial plants are always an easy option out of low or no natural light situations, they may or may not hit the mark by making a person feel like the space connects them to nature. “If the inclusion has to be an artificial one, a better option would be to incorporate design elements that emulate life in nature, rather than a mockery of a plastic plant that seems all too fake. Designers across the board constantly gain insight and inspiration from nature, the shape of an animal, the print of a leaf, and the colours of a sunset. These are all elements that can be artistically incorporated into a space using design as a tool to make these two worlds meet. After all, Biophilic design is the practice of connecting people and the natural world of which people are part – within our built environments and communities,” suggests Parulekar.
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