This e-newsletter brings you the latest information and resources on biophilic design, the industry, and GPGB updates. 

Credits: Frontiers in Physiology, TYPE Systematic Review, PUBLISHED 08 December 2025, DOI 10.3389/fphys.2025.1700518

Photo Credits: Planterra, Hickory Hill Academy

Research Spotlight: Biophilic Design in Confined Environments

A systematic review of 124 studies published by researchers at the University of North Dakota and UC Davis examined how plants, natural light, and organic biophilic elements affect health and well-being in confined environments—including hospitals, eldercare facilities, isolation wards, and even space habitats.

The findings show strong evidence that biophilic interventions consistently reduce stress, improve mood, and support cognitive function in spaces where access to nature is limited. These benefits align with established frameworks such as Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) and Attention Restoration Theory (ART).

In healthcare settings, the presence of greenery is linked to lower anxiety, reduced pain perception, improved patient experience, and faster recovery. In extreme or isolated environments—such as polar research stations and space mission analogs—plant interaction helps combat cognitive fatigue, monotony, and psychological strain while enhancing team cohesion.

Notably, the review highlights the growing role of edible plant systems, which provide dual benefits: therapeutic exposure to nature and functional support through food production, oxygen generation, and air quality improvement. These systems have demonstrated value in both long-term care environments and bio-regenerative space habitats.

While challenges remain—such as infection control, space limitations, and operational constraints—the research points to modular, low-risk solutions including sealed plant systems, controlled lighting, and virtual nature exposure as effective, scalable strategies.

Key takeaway: Even in highly constrained environments, thoughtfully designed biophilic interventions can meaningfully enhance psychological resilience, health, and overall well-being—reinforcing the value of plants and nature-based design in the future of the built environment.

Credits: ArchDaily, Written by Olivia Poston

Photo Credits: ASI

A year-end article from ArchDaily highlights how health and wellbeing have become central design drivers in architecture, moving beyond niche healthcare projects to influence buildings of all types. In 2025, architects increasingly treated health as a core design ethic, responding to societal challenges like stress, social inequity, aging populations, and environmental instability. The piece showcases global built projects that demonstrate how design can actively shape physical, mental, social, and environmental health — not just meet functional requirements.

Key takeaways for designers:

• Social health: Projects like Hway Ka Loke School demonstrate how collaborative and community-led design promotes dignity, participation, and belonging, reinforcing that buildings can support social wellbeing.

• Planetary health: Initiatives such as the Floating Neighborhood of Las Balsas use ecological integration — including native vegetation and flood-adaptive systems — to support environmental resilience and community health.

• Mental wellbeing: Projects like Of Trees and Gods and Mud House embed cultural meaning, sensory continuity, and natural materials to nurture calm, rooted experience.

• Intergenerational health: A Home for Seniors prioritizes autonomy, social interaction, and passive environmental comfort through patios, operable façades, and vegetated roofs.

• Environmental comfort: Examples such as Zero-Carbon Eco Home show how integrated systems, natural light, and thermal performance directly affect occupant comfort and long-term wellbeing.

• Shared spaces: The David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard highlights how design can foster social connection, inclusivity, and intellectual exchange, expanding the definition of health to include community life.

Overall, the article illustrates that health-centric architecture is no longer optional — it’s an essential part of spatial design that influences how people live, work, and thrive.

At AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2025, biophilic design expert, Jennifer Walsh, delivered The Biophilic Brain™: Designing Awe into Every Square Foot—a neuroscience-infused look at how natural elements like daylight, wood, plants, and organic forms influence human performance and wellbeing in the built environment. Walsh’s session explored how neuroaesthetics—the science of how the brain responds to beauty and nature—can be harnessed to create spaces that do more than look good; they function better for occupants.

Walsh, a seasoned wellness and design thought leader with deep experience at the intersections of beauty, nature, and neuroscience, explained that the brain reacts powerfully to nature-based sensory input, shaping cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses. Her talk emphasized that elements such as natural light, tactile woods, and integrated greenery don’t just enhance aesthetics—they activate neural pathways associated with attention, stress reduction, creativity, and overall brain health, making them measurable drivers of human performance in commercial and institutional spaces.

Practical insights from her presentation encouraged designers to think beyond superficial use of natural motifs, instead embedding authentic biophilic strategies that align with neuroscience research to boost occupant wellbeing and productivity.

Credits: Planter Trends

By: Jean-Pierre Sijmons

Greenery is no longer just décor—it’s a strategic tool for healthier, more sustainable, and visually striking spaces. Key trends for architects and designers:

• Biophilic Design as Standard: Living walls, moss walls, and statement planters support wellness, reduce stress, and boost productivity.

• Sustainable & Stylish Materials: Recycled plastics, lightweight fiberglass, and sustainably sourced plants are in demand.

• Smart & Passive Watering: Reliable low-tech systems like sub-irrigation are rising alongside smart irrigation.

• Vertical Gardens & Space Optimization: Maximize greenery in offices, hotels, and high-density environments.

• Indoor-Outdoor Integration: Seamless transitions enhance mood, cohesion, and brand identity.

• Multi-Functional & Customizable Design: Planters and walls serve as dividers, acoustic panels, and branding elements.

Explore these trends at TPIE 2026 (Jan 22–24) and see how plants can transform the built environment.

Join GPGB’s live open forum at TPIE 2026 to explore strategies for growing a profitable interiorscape business. Connect with industry leaders, share insights, and learn actionable approaches to elevate your plant-based services.

At Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB), we know innovation blooms when the community comes together. Our Monthly Supporter Open Forum provides a dynamic space to exchange experiences, uncover new strategies, and explore the latest innovations shaping the interiorscape industry.

These aren’t just conversations—they’re a chance to learn from peers and industry leaders who know the unique challenges and opportunities of working with plants in the built environment.

Why Participate?

• Collaborate with fellow interiorscape professionals tackling similar challenges
• Discover practical solutions and creative ideas you can apply immediately
• Stay informed on trends driving interiorscape and green building designs

Grow with GPGB in 2026: Volunteer and Make an Impact

As we enter the new year, now is the perfect time to get involved with Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB). Volunteers are at the heart of our mission—advancing biophilic design, fostering education, and showcasing the vital role of plants in the built environment. Joining a GPGB committee or board is more than volunteer work; it’s your chance to shape the future of green building while expanding your skills and professional network.

We’re inviting passionate individuals to commit to a two-year volunteer term, gaining access to exclusive resources, collaborative projects, and a community of innovators influencing architecture and design.

Current Opportunities:

• Marketing & Communications

• Supporter Development

• Education & Professional Development

Each committee plays a critical role in GPGB’s Strategic Plan, ensuring your time and expertise create lasting impact.

Start the new year by helping transform spaces where people and plants thrive. Join a GPGB committee and grow with us in 2026!

Thank You for Growing With GPGB!

At Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB), your support truly makes everything possible. Every action you take helps bring plants into the spaces where we work, learn, and gather — enhancing the impact of biophilic design and creating healthier, more inspiring environments that benefit people and the planet.

This past year, GPGB’s mission reached even more professionals in architecture, design, facilities, and human resources through our presence at major national conferences. We exhibited and spoke at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (AIA25), where our lush booth and expert‑led sessions connected biophilic principles with real‑world design challenges. We shared insights with building owners and managers at BOMA25, demonstrating how nature‑integrated spaces boost tenant wellbeing and property value. And at SHRM25, we brought biophilic design into workplace wellness conversations, showing HR leaders how nature‑rich environments can reduce stress, enhance focus, and support organizational success.

We’re grateful to have you as part of our community. Together, we’re not just adding greenery — we are shaping spaces where people and nature thrive, influencing industry practice and helping professionals everywhere bring the benefits of plants indoors.

Thank you for growing with GPGB — and for helping us grow the movement that brings nature into the built environment.

Partner With Trusted Interiorscape Experts Through GPGB

Creating healthier, more sustainable indoor environments starts with the right professionals. The GPGB Provider Directory connects you with interiorscape experts experienced in biophilic design, helping bring nature indoors in ways that enhance well-being, productivity, and aesthetic appeal.

These specialists do far more than simply place plants—they craft living spaces that improve air quality, support occupant wellness, and align seamlessly with your design vision and organizational goals. From custom installations to ongoing care, GPGB’s network ensures lasting, measurable impact.

As we reflect on the year, explore the GPGB Provider Directory and see how you can integrate nature into your spaces—beautifully, strategically, and sustainably.

Credits: Botanical Designs

The living wall at Three Ravinia Drive, an office complex in Dunwoody, is the largest in the state, including more than 15,000 live plants and climbing more than 50 feet tall. The inspiration behind this particular living wall was to create a warm, inviting feel in Three Ravinia Drive’s lobby that appealed to tenants, employees, and visitors alike. In other words, the goal was creating an ecosystem where people want to live and work.

Credits: Osaka Info

Opened in October 2003 at the former site of Osaka Baseball Park, this enormous complex facility, Namba Parks, added their new T-terrace in April 2007, further expanding both its shopping and restaurant zones, as well as expanding its selection of workshops. Another new addition is its cinema complex, the largest in Osaka city, and various shops and restaurants that are opening their first branches in the Kansai region, turning this complex into a must-see spot of Minami district. Furthermore, the Parks Garden, a rooftop garden featuring a small river, is home to 500 species of 10,000 plants and trees, making this shopping mall an oasis in the city for visitors to come and enjoy its features.

Want to Help Keep Nature in the News?

Everything we accomplish happens because people like you are stepping forward and supporting GPGB’s focus on having conversations with the building professionals who can #BringNatureIndoors.

If the spirit moves you, please consider supporting our work by making a donation.