Elevating Wellbeing Through Biophilic Design: Creating Nurturing Environments

media release: Elizabeth Holloway Schar Hall, 5th Floor | Nancy Nicholas Hall

Join us on Thursday, April 9 for a public lecture with Nicole Craanen, MFA, NCIDQ, WELL-AP, LEED-green associate, ANFT nature & forest therapy guide.

About the Lecture:

Discover how making small changes to your physical surroundings can promote wellness. This talk helps participants understand how identifying and addressing stressors can unlock the key to nurturing emotional well-being in designed spaces. We will explore how stress manifests in the body and its impact on emotional states. Attendees will learn the potential of incorporating biophilic design elements to enhance well-being, reduce stress, and improve the human experience. Gain practical techniques to integrate biophilic and nature-inspired elements, creating environments that foster emotional well-being.

About the Speaker:

Nicole’s passion for biophilic design is deeply rooted in her connection to nature and expertise in interior design and human ecology. As the founder and owner of The Biophilic Design Institute (formerly Rooted In Nature), she is committed to transforming our relationship with our environments, guiding architects and designers to integrate our innate connection with nature into core design principles.

Her roles on advisory boards for Living Future Europe and WELL Building Standard, along with her journey as a yoga instructor and Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, inform her philosophy of promoting health and well-being while mitigating human impact on the non-human world. She emphasizes curiosity, deep listening, and collaboration, and is passionate about advocating for a re-evaluation of current design principles, championing a future where human and environmental interdependence is at the forefront of creative innovation.

She loves exploring this world with her husband and young daughter (the cat stays home). She has been lucky enough to experience 24 countries, and has been brought to tears during moments of awe in her own backyard.

This lecture is part of the DS-CDMC Lecture Series, an annual program offered through the Design Studies Department in co-sponsorship with the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture. Twice each academic year, a scholar and/or maker in support of each of the three design studies majors is invited to campus to present a public lecture. In conjunction with their lecture, they visit classes within the Design Studies Department, meet with faculty and students, and may host workshops for students connected to their practice.