In the realm of modern interior design, a paradigm shift is occurring—one that recognizes the profound interconnection between our physical spaces, mental well-being, and bodily health. This holistic approach to design goes beyond aesthetics to create environments that nurture the whole person, integrating mind, body, and environment through the principles of biophilia, neuroaesthetics, and sustainability.

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The Foundation: Understanding Holistic Design

Holistic design considers the entire ecosystem of a space—how it affects occupants psychologically, physically, and emotionally. It recognizes that the environments we inhabit don't just house our activities; they actively shape our experiences, influence our health, and impact on our cognitive functions.

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This approach draws from several interconnected fields:

Biophilic Design: Incorporating natural elements to satisfy our innate connection to nature
‍Neuroaesthetics: Understanding how our brains respond to beauty and art
‍Neuroarchitecture: Exploring how built environments affect brain function and behavior
‍Biomimicry: Learning from and emulating nature's designs and processes
‍Salutogenic Design: Focusing on factors that support human health rather than those that cause disease

Together, these disciplines create a comprehensive framework for designing spaces that truly support human flourishing.

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The Science Behind the Approach

Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience has revealed fascinating insights into how our surroundings affect us. Studies by Anjan Chatterjee and his colleagues at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics have identified three key psychological dimensions that determine our response to environments:

Coherence: The degree of organization in a space—how easily we can visually and mentally process a setting
‍Fascination: The curiosity a space arouses—its composition, complexity, and visual interest
‍Hominess: The sense of comfort, security, and belonging a space provides

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These dimensions serve as a scientific foundation for creating spaces that resonate with our cognitive and emotional needs.

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Further research by Alexander Coburn emphasizes that the environments we inhabit "envelopes our mind and body and influence how we feel and behave." The design of our built environment can modulate how comfortable or focused we feel and can influence hormonal patterns, recovery rates, and even long-term health outcomes.

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Biophilia: The Core of Holistic Design

At the heart of holistic design lies biophilia—our innate affinity for nature. The biophilic design philosophy is derived from our inherent need to connect with natural elements to maintain physical and mental balance.

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This connection manifests through:

Direct experiences of nature: Natural light, water features, plants, and landscapes
‍Indirect experiences: Images of nature, natural materials, and organic patterns
‍Experience of space and place: Prospect and refuge, organized complexity, and mobility
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By incorporating these elements, designers can create spaces that feel both stimulating and restorative—environments that support both productivity and relaxation.

Preserved Gardens & Moss Walls: The Ideal Holistic Solution

While living plants exemplify biophilic design, they present maintenance challenges in many commercial settings, thus owners and facilities teams refrain using the living wall systems, or even potted plants. This is where preserved gardens and moss walls from providers like Garden on the Wall^® (GOTW) offer an ideal solution for holistic design.

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These installations bring several unique advantages as long as a trusted and tested supplier like Garden on the Wall^® is used as provider:

Longevity and Sustainability: Like in any other interior design element, quality of work always shine. While some moss walls and preserved gardens might not survive or last even a couple of years, when a reliable provider used, the owners and occupants can enjoy 10 plus years of lifespan. With a lifespan of 10-12 years (extendable to 20+ years through GOTW's unique rejuvenation program), preserved gardens and moss walls by Garden on the Wall^® offer the lowest cost of ownership in the industry while delivering sustained biophilic benefits. Using the longest lifespan offering provider for moss walls and preserved gardens not only offers the economical benefits in the long run, it also offer the most sustainable future, since there will be no waste, no additional use of natural materials, and there is no frequent substitution needed for the same interior design element.

Material Health: The natural look of the preserved gardens and moss walls could be deceiving - making design professionals think all moss walls and preserved gardens are created equal. In brief, these natural botanical elements are treated with some chemicals to retain their form, their color for years at a time. In the case that the moss wall / preserved garden provider does not offer any 3rd party testing to assure the transparency and safety of these chemicals, the end result could always be increased VOC in the environment that can only be caught after post occupancy testing.

Garden on the Wall^®'s preserved garden, moss wall and planter installations are backed by comprehensive third-party testing, including Health Product Declaration (HPD v2.3), compliance with California Department of Public Health's VOC standards, and 100% Bio-based carbon content verification per ASTM 6866, ensuring they contribute positively to indoor environmental quality. The company is known with its unmatched numbers of 3rd party testing, compliance and the recognition from the industry for it's transparency.

Multi-Sensory Experience: Preserved gardens, moss walls and planter inserts crafted with preserved foliage engage multiple senses through varied textures, natural colors, and organic forms, creating a richer, more immersive connection to nature. Especially when these gardens and planters are used in the artful, biodiverse and in some cases accessorized with preserved flowers with added color and texture by Garden on the Wall^®, these gardens and planters offer the immediate Biophilia connection with occupants.

Acoustic Benefits: Moss walls and preserved gardens naturally absorb sound, contributing to more peaceful acoustic environments—a crucial but often overlooked aspect of holistic design, which is crucially important for Neurodivergent folks. Garden on the Wall^®'s preserved gardens and moss walls have 0.45 NRC which can be increased up to 0.80 with the use of additional cork backing. When choosing the preserved garden / moss wall provider, it is important for design professionals to ask the NRC test results, so they know what they're getting.

Economical Benefits: Moss walls, preserved gardens, preserved planter inserts, and draping greenery crafted with preserved foliage do not require any maintenance over their lifecycle. The lack of maintenance means no frequent gardener visits, or no additional labor from facilities teams that would save the owners time, and money. With that, the proven lifecycle of the moss wall, preserved garden, planter insert and draping greenery supplier gains importance, as the savings are directly related with the lifecycle of the product. With that, Garden on the Wall^®'s moss walls, preserved gardens and planter applications have the highest longevity, making the company the lowest total cost of ownership (the actual parameter of budget) for their indoor gardens.

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Designing for Neurological Diversity

A truly holistic approach recognizes the neurological diversity of occupants, as it offers more inclusive and empathetic approach for interior design. Research indicates that between 30% and 40% of the population is neurodiverse, with conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and Tourette's syndrome.

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A survey conducted by Tarkett and HOK found that 77% of neurodiverse respondents reported hypersensitivity to noise in the workplace, while 62% were hypersensitive to visual distractions.

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The judicial use of preserved gardens, moss walls, and planter inserts in the designed space can help create more inclusive environments by:

‍Providing acoustic dampening: Reducing auditory triggers for those with sensory sensitivities
‍Creating visual calm: Offering a visually coherent yet naturally complex focal point
‍Establishing defined spaces: Helping to create distinct areas for different work styles and needs
Reducing anxiety: Providing a connection to nature that has been shown to lower stress levels

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By addressing these needs, holistic design creates spaces that support all occupants, regardless of their neurological makeup., creating "design empathy" for all.

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Practical Applications of Holistic Design

The principles of holistic design through biophilic elements, neuroaesthetics, neuroarchitecture, biomimicry and salutogenic design can be applied across various settings:

Corporate Spaces: Creating environments that boost productivity, reduce stress, and foster creativity through strategically placed preserved gardens, moss walls, and natural elements

Healthcare Facilities: Enhancing healing environments with preserved nature installations that support both patient recovery and staff well-being, as exemplified by the award-winning Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center installation

Educational Institutions: Designing learning spaces that improve concentration, reduce anxiety, and support cognitive development

Hospitality Venues: Creating memorable, restorative experiences for guests through immersive natural environments

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And many more building types where people lounge, play, entertain, learn, stay, heal and spend time in.

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Conclusion: The Sustainable and Empatic Future of Interior Design

As we continue to understand the profound impact our environments have on our well-being, holistic design approaches will become increasingly important. By integrating mind, body, and environment through biophilic design principles and preserved nature elements, we can create spaces that actively contribute to health, happiness, and productivity.

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Garden on the Wall^® stands at the forefront of this movement, offering preserved garden and moss wall installations that combine aesthetic beauty with scientific understanding of human needs, with unparalleled number of 3rd party testing to assure the materiality. Their commitment to quality, sustainability, and longevity -evidenced by their industry-leading 10-12 year lifespan (extendable to 20+ years) - ensures that investments in holistic design will continue to nurture occupants for years to come.

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By embracing this comprehensive approach to design, we can create environments that don't just house our activities but actively support our whole being - mind, body, and spirit. The result is inclusive, mindful spaces where people don't merely exist but truly flourish, connecting with nature and experiencing the full benefits of thoughtfully designed environments.

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For more information on this subject and other related information, please visit our website: www.gardenonthewall.com

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