ATLANTA BLAZING TRAILS IN RETAIL WITH BIOPHILIC DESIGN

“There’s a reason why you have the aquarium at the dentist’s office,” says William D. Browning, co­­author of Nature Inside: A Biophilic Design Guide, published in late 2020. Bill was fantastic to speak with on all things biophilic. A true thought leader in the well-built environment and founder of Terrapin. Bill has lead workshops with IIDA and is a passionate compadre for all things biophilia and he offers a wealth of information for designers and the client to understand the importance of the biophilic effect.

Biophilia, the name of the philosophy itself can be traced back to 1964, when German-​born thinker Erich Fromm coined the term bio (life) philia (lover) to describe mankind’s innate attraction to all things organic.

“Even just a picture of nature, like a Hudson Valley landscape, will lower blood pressure and heart rate,” Browning says. In October 2019, Browning and his co­author Catie Ryan Balagtas helped publish a striking study: In a sixth-grade Baltimore classroom, they installed a carpet resembling prairie grass, wallpapered the ceiling with a palm-leaf print, and dressed the windows with silkscreened shades. After a year, the students performed an average of 3.3 times higher on test scores and showed greater stress resilience.

Bringing these same biophilia principles into the retail space is a powerful force not only for the customer experience but for the bottom line.

“The average American spends $12,990 in retail settings per year. Biophilic design provides a way to tap into this $3.9 trillion market, to increase sales while providing a more enjoyable consumer experience (51. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 ). The psychologically soothing and calming effect of nature has been used to draw shoppers into stores and boost sales, significantly improving profit margins for stores with biophilic elements compared to those without.”

Did you know that retail customers judge businesses surrounded by nature and natural features to be worthy of prices up to 25% higher than business with no access to nature?

There is evidence that consumers are likely to buy more merchandise in stores with strategically situated natural vegetation. It is not a coincidence that store, and mall layouts are mapped to guide shoppers intentionally and meticulously through a maze of products surrounded by strategically placed plants, trees, and skylights; small yet powerful influences over consumers can lead retail stakeholders to enjoy greater profits if biophilic greening practices are employed.

Phipps Plaza

Atlanta’s own landmark shopping center Phipps Plaza, which is undergoing it’s on transformation, Eric Balough from Beck Architecture discussed the changes that would be made to this retail center. 

“The location of the previous Belk Store will flip it inside out, creating a new plaza space, referencing the gigantic canopy structure as you enter green event space. This is a covered design made from steel.

This retail center is more about the exterior plaza spaces. Connecting to nature and the outdoors. Using form and shapes found in nature to inform their design, there is the obvious tree canopy. We sat through about 15-20 iterations.

The final structure on this side is meant to be a shade tree in the open area. Organic shapes are nice to break up harder lines and catch your eye. It will be a new landmark on the property and Atlanta.

At Beck, we have a dedicated sustainability group that are consulted on all projects. They advise on design from the healthy building, nature materials, green elements. People live in the space.

Interestingly even through a difficult year, retail could use this as a positive, forcing an old design to rethink itself.”

More and more retail centers are moving into the future with open spaces being healthier. Interestingly Lenox use to be an open design, as was Peachtree Center. Money was spent to close them only to come back and open them back up and reintroduce these natural elements.

 A study entitled “Negative affect: The Dark Side of Retailing” reveals that approximately 10% of shoppers enter a store in a negative mood, which makes the act of shopping a stressful and potentially irritating one. This can impact overall consumer spend and center profitability. However, by consciously altering the store atmosphere through spatial layout, lighting, temperature, product placement, and integrating greenery it can greatly enhance the consumer experience. In case you need a quick refresher on all things biophilia in terms of design principles, here is a quick overview.  IIDA offers CE Credits for Biophilic Design

14 Patterns of Biophilic Design Refresher:

1.       Visual Connection with Nature

A view to elements of nature, living systems and natural processes.

2.       Non-Visual Connection with Nature

Auditory, haptic, olfactory, or gustatory stimuli that engender a deliberate and positive reference to nature, living systems or natural processes.

3.       Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli

Stochastic and ephemeral connections with nature that may be analyzed statistically but may not be predicted precisely.

4.       Thermal & Airflow Variability

Subtle changes in air temperature, relative humidity, airflow across the skin, and surface temperatures that mimic natural environments.

5.       Presence of Water

A condition that enhances the experience of a place through the seeing, hearing, or touching of water.

6.       Dynamic & Diffuse Light

Leveraging varying intensities of light and shadow that change over time to create conditions that occur in nature.

7.       Connection to Natural Systems

Awareness of natural processes, especially seasonal and temporal changes characteristic of a healthy ecosystem.

8.       Biomorphic Forms & Patterns

Symbolic references to contoured, patterned, textured or numerical arrangements that persist in nature.

9.       Material Connection with Nature

Material and elements from nature that, through minimal processing, reflect the local ecology or geology to create a distinct sense of place.

10.   Complexity & Order

Rich sensory information that adheres to a spatial hierarchy like those encountered in nature.

11.   Prospect

An unimpeded view over a distance for surveillance and planning.

12.    Refuge

A place for withdrawal, from environmental conditions or the main flow of activity, in which the individual is protected from behind and overhead.

13.   Mystery

The promise of more information achieved through partially obscured views or other sensory devices that entice the individual to travel deeper into the environment.

14.   Risk/Peril

An identifiable threat coupled with a reliable safeguard.

The economic implications cannot be ignored when it comes to retail and the reality of how biophilic principles draw dollars to the bottom line.

According to a report on The Economics of Biophilia by Bill Browning:

• The restorative and calming effect of nature helps draw shoppers into stores and creates positive emotions towards making a purchase.

• Shopper’s perceptions of the value and quality of goods increases in line with the amount of greenery and vegetation within the space.

• Shoppers are more likely to dwell longer within the store.

• Shoppers are more likely to accept higher prices.

• Stores lit by daylight can see significant sales boosts of 15 – 20%.

Ultimately, the goal in retail is repeat visits, with biophilic principles the highest one is to create spaces that are inspirational, restorative, and healthy, as well as integrative with the functionality of the place and the (urban) ecosystem to which it is applied. Above all, biophilic design must nurture a love of place.

Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown Properties, which includes Ponce City Market, Southern Dairies and Westside Provisions, was more than happy to share his thoughts to my questions regarding retail and biophilia.

What are the current design trends happening in the retail space?

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing the line between indoor and outdoor retail experiences continue to blur. The pandemic forced retailers to open their spaces to the outdoors—and to consider how their indoor and outdoor environments interact. Now, that consideration is driving store layouts from the onset of the design process.

Ecommerce and brick and mortar are becoming more integrated, and that shift is redefining the traditional model of a physical storefront. Today’s retail spaces are designed to be more agile and to include more digital intersections—from interactive, digital signage to dedicated space for in-store pickup. Retail stores have become a hub for brand experiences that bridge the gap between the digital and the physical.

Maximalism through bold colors and patterns is beginning to take hold, with retailers transitioning away from monochromatic aesthetics.

What elements do you see in the design request in the retail space?

Visibility and memorability are always top of mind. Retailers want spaces that drive people to be present in the moment and to where they are—to lift people from the digital realm and place them in the physical—to grab people’s attention and hold it.

We also see a lot of requests for curated experiences that allow the shopper to feel they are buying from a human rather than a brand.

Are you using biophilic design principals? 

Because of the pandemic, green and outdoor spaces have become an oasis in big cities. We now see a heightened focus on Biophilic design that will likely change how our cities and communities interact forever.

In addition to incorporating more natural elements, we are using natural structures to inform spatial layouts and patterns, favoring organic shapes over orthogonality, for instance.

What are the kinds of retail projects that you have worked on that you would like to share what you learned?

The pandemic forced a lot of pivoting, particularly in the food and beverage world. As regulators increased restrictions on certain aspects of life, they eased restrictions elsewhere. People were searching for ways to safely socialize, so understanding where and how to facilitate that within the boundaries set by municipalities and the CDC was crucial. 

In the early days of the pandemic, there was an amazing guerilla movement to design for social distancing, with a lot being done ad hoc. As time progressed, you began to see truly thoughtful work emerge from all around the world.

At Industry City, we had a unique advantage during the pandemic. The space was designed with large courtyards that feature multiple independent vendor storefronts. Many of these vendors were already equipped with POS counters facing the courtyards. This allowed them to quickly pivot how they operated. Indoor dining set-ups became grocery or prep spaces, allowing vendors to focus their attention on creating a safe outdoor brand experience.

If you could share one important element to working in retail, what would it be? 

While it can be easy to default to what is expected or readily available, don't underestimate the importance of the "smallest" design decisions. The seemingly most minor details can sometimes have the largest impact. Every detail is an extension of the brand.

It's also important that design promote the story and personality of the retailer—not just the products. People want to have a connection to the brands they buy from and the products they purchase. Giving context to products and brands—through design—gives people a point of entry to deeper, more authentic connections.

In short, biophilia in retail is an excellent practice and forward-thinking principle for our Atlanta retail experience. Practice biophilia and get your nature on!