HOW CAN WE BRING CERAMIC TILES IN BIOPHILIC DESIGN?

Biophilic design is an innovative concept that consists of connecting with nature the buildings where we live in, work and learn in a direct or indirect way. This way of designing does not seek only aesthetics, but it aims to bring people and nature together in order to improve the health and productivity of those inside the building.

Kooh Teck Puat Hospital in Singapur is a good example of implementation of biophilic design in the health architecture.– Photo bygoodnewsnetwork

Different studies have demonstrated that in workplaces employees surrounded by natural elements are much more efficient and have lower stress levels. At hospitals, patients heal faster and need less medication. At school, teachers’ and student’s absenteeism cuts down and at the same time their performance increases. And personal relations thrive between neighbours. Thus, by implementing biophilic design, architects and designers look for bringing into focus people’s well-being.

Biophilic design increases productivity and reduces work absenteeism as well as benefits personal well-being.

The most traditional way of connecting our building with nature until now has been by placing vegetation, in the form of plants and gardens, and water elements,such as fountains or fish tanks. They make us feel free and surrounded by nature, instead of feeling overwhelmed by computers typing and telephones ringing. Some architects and designers even go a step further by adapting floors with carpets that simulate grass or ceilings with sound clouds that at the same time serve as noise reducers.

Biophilic design can be applied to every corner in many different ways

But, if indeed we want to evoke nature and be brought to places that will make us feel free and isolated from or usual bustling rooms, why not use ceramic tiles?

If there is something that can help us connect with nature is that surrounded floor and walls make us feel part of a unique and incomparable habitat. To get that, there is no better way than resorting to porcelain ceramic with designs that imitate different elements in the biosphere taking advantage of the endless possibilities of digital printing. Moreover, Gres Aragón tiles need no maintenance and are perfectly compatible with multiple special pieces, such as steps, skirtings, corners, pool edges…

ROCKS porcelain series by Gres Aragón is perfect to implement biophilic design thanks to digital print technology

Those who want to get a feeling of rest typical of the forests of the Pyrenees, the French Brittany or the Giant Forest in California will find in the charming ORDESA series by Gres Aragón their perfect choice. These porcelain floor tiles have some spectacular designs that simulate natural woods in beige, grey and brown colours and, at the same time, keep the attributes and qualities of the ceramic. Moreover, this model is available in 15x60 and 20x120 sized strips with smooth and anti-slip finish and ready to be used both indoor and outdoor.

Porcelain ORDESA series ORDESAperfectly simulates the looks of woods material without losing the characteristics and virtues of the ceramic tiles

In turn, those who prefer travelling to calm, pure and unique spaces such as the Rocky Mountains in North America, the Turkish Cappadocia or the Kjerag mountain in Norway have at their disposal several porcelain series with designs and graphics typical of natural stones, rocks and sandstones. For them, Gres Aragon has launched TIBET, ROCKS e ITACA en gres porcelánico en distintos formatos modulares que van desde el 30×30 hasta el 60×120 en acabados liso y antideslizante, y que cuentan a su vez con toda una gama de piezas especiales para poder ser utilizados en escaleras y piscinas.

What’s more, in extruded klinker, ORIÓN and COLUMBIA series by Gres Aragon ORIÓN y COLUMBIA, pensadas para ser utilizadas en terrazas exteriores en formatos de 16×33, 33×33 y 33×50, y en paredes en tiras de 6×33.

ITACA ceramic model by Gres Aragón presents a high-detoned appearance to represent the large diversity of tones of natural sandstone.

There is also a place for those who wish to include in their rooms some water elements that instil the peaceful feeling of the Adriatic Sea, the Yucatán Peninsula or the bays of the Java Sea. OCEAN are their best ally. In 15x15 and 30x30 formats, this outstanding ceramic collection by Gres Aragon presents different tones of blue sea that will bring us to paradises where water is the main focus and help us in winding down, through any of their glossy and matt choices.

The most ambitious ones can even opt for a combination of several of these collections in order to create a unique and unrepeatable environment that will help us escape from the routine and the rush of the city.It allows us to awake our personal creativity and stay focused on our work or study places. This is also a very suitable alternative for places dedicated to relax and rest such as hospitals, waiting rooms or spas and wellness centres.

OCEAN porcelain series is inspired by the feeling and peaceful calm of crystal waters

The best of the best is that the use of ceramic tiles to achieve a biophilic design, either porcelain or klinker, does not mean to place it just on floors and walls. Now, thanks to ventilated façades by Faveker® we can bring nature to the very outer skin of our building, since those same digital designs of woods or natural stone can be printed on our ventilated façade.

Incorporating the ventilated façade into our architecture FavekerAdding Faveker® ventilated façade to our architecture and taking advantage of digital printing, we won’t just incorporate a valuable element to our biophilic design, but we’ll also be installing a sustainable, eco-friendly and energy-saving material that works at the same time as thermal and acoustic insulation.

The façade of the Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona combines vegetable elements with limestone motives with the purpose of improving the well-being and quality of life of its visitors

Thus, Gres Aragon ceramics are the perfect solution if we want to implement biophilic design in our building and, what’s best, this is a sustainable product that can be brought to almost everywhere (floors, walls, terraces, stairs, pools, façades…) with unique and long-lasting features.

Guillermo Villanueva Lop

Contract Sales Dept. Faveker