Biophilic fractal design
Biophilic design aims to promote health and well-being by integrating natural elements into the interior and exterior built environment. Biophilia—literally meaning “nature loving”—specifically refers to a deep love of nature. The term ‘biophilia’ was first coined by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm. As early as the 1960s, he observed that increasing alienation from nature as a result of industrialisation had a negative impact on mental health. In view of the ongoing urbanisation of the world's population, these characteristics are becoming increasingly important. Although scientists have been studying the healing properties of nature for more than fifty years, an important piece of the puzzle remained unsolved: what exactly in nature triggers these remarkable effects?
Fractal patterns
The answer lies in a fundamental characteristic of natural structures – so-called fractal patterns. These geometric shapes, also known as ‘nature's fingerprints’, can be found in a variety of natural scenes: in the branching of trees, the shape of clouds, river tributaries or mountain ranges. Over millions of years, our eyes have evolved to recognise the characteristic structures of nature. Fractal patterns contribute significantly to stress reduction because they lie within our visual comfort zone.
Fundamentals of science
Prof. Dr. Richard Taylor from the University of Oregon is one of the world’s leading fractal researchers. Over more than 25 years of studies—from eye-tracking to brain scans—he has shown that certain natural fractals can reduce our stress by up to 60%. How this works and why it all started with a NASA project can be seen in the following video.
FRACTAL CODE LIGHT
The combined lighting and acoustic solution supports a calm, pleasant working environment with an expected stress-reducing effect thanks to fractal patterns. The luminaire provides high visual comfort thanks to standard-compliant, glare-free light (UGR ≤ 19) and excellent colour rendering (CRI ≥ 90). FRACTAL CODE LIGHT is ideal for dual workstations, above meeting tables and reception areas.
FRACTAL CODE
The large-scale acoustic wall panels with fractal patterns represent a breakthrough in biophilic design. Discover an acoustic solution that aesthetically enriches spaces while also sustainably enhancing well-being.
Research origins
The starting point for Prof. Dr. Taylor’s research was a NASA-funded project aimed at enhancing astronauts’ well-being in space. His experiments showed that fractals found in nature affect the human visual system on multiple levels—from the movement of the eyes while taking in visual impressions to brain activity when processing the visual information.
In 2017, ScienceDesignLab was founded with the goal of developing scientifically grounded, human-centered fractal designs for application in the built environment. The lab operates through an international collaboration between Prof. Taylor’s scientific team at Fractals Research in Eugene, USA, and the design team of 13&9 Design in Graz, Austria. Together, they developed a unique software tool that creates designs based on precise scientific parameters determined over 25 years of neuroscience research. The science team uses the software to generate and analyze the fractal patterns, and the design team then refines these patterns.
Visual impact of fractals
Fractals consist of self-similar patterns that repeat at different scales, with varying levels of recursion (the number of repetitions across scales) and fractal dimensions, or “D-values” (the rate at which the pattern shrinks between repetitions). Since D represents the ratio of fine to coarse structure, it measures the visual complexity generated by the repeating patterns. Behavioral research confirms that perceived complexity increases with higher D. Our eyes are stimulated by this “fractal complexity.” Because fractals of medium complexity are most common in nature, our brain can easily process patterns with medium D-values due to their familiarity. This “fractal familiarity” places us in a visual comfort zone, which induces relaxation.
The importance of the D-value
Fractals with lower D-values promote cognitive skills and relaxation, making them better suited for performance-oriented tasks, while patterns with higher D-values in collaborative spaces enhance stimulation and engagement. Adjusting fractal complexity will therefore be a central element of future fractal designs, particularly for specific building functions such as healthcare, education, and sports. In some applications, the fractal pattern is divided into tiles. In these cases, the computer ensures that the pattern’s D-value is maintained across all tile arrangements. The pattern can then be further refined to match the product materials (e.g., carpet versus vinyl surfaces). These computational algorithms thus provide the flexibility to integrate both artistic and scientific design principles.
Further details
The fractal patterns are generated by a computer program developed by Prof. Dr. Richard Taylor and 13&9 Design. They provide architects and designers with a variety of patterns for both interior and exterior applications. This flexible artistic-scientific tool combines the designers’ artistic input with the scientists’ quantitative analysis.
The results published in a special issue on biophilic design rationale in the journal Frontiers in Psychology show that viewing fractal designs of medium complexity is particularly effective in reducing physiological stress levels by up to 60%, enhancing cognitive abilities, and improving concentration.
Experiments in Oregon (USA) and Sydney (Australia) show that the positive effects are not influenced by geographic location. The findings support earlier research indicating that a preference for fractal complexity develops before the age of three. Fractal patterns could have a positive impact on a wide range of building users and celebrate neurodiversity.
The goal is to generate additional patterns in the form of a Fractal Library, which can be used by architects, interior designers, and product manufacturers in various environments such as workplaces, public spaces, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities. We hope that through this commitment to fractal design, we can promote well-being and, by restoring concentration, improve performance across a variety of tasks.
Lighting and biophilic fractal design
Lighting plays a crucial role as a time cue for biological organisms, regulating the circadian rhythm and thereby influencing metabolism (melatonin, serotonin, cortisol, etc.), the immune system, brain activity, and cognitive or psychological functions such as mood, performance, concentration, and memory. XAL’s goal is to enhance well-being through light, increase productivity, and thereby minimize sick leave. Read more about it.
Fromm E. The heart of man. Evanston and London: Harper and Row Publishers; 1964