Biophilic design

Love of life: Marianna Popejoy

Sunlight, colour, lush green plants, natural materials, wide open views and “non rhythmic sensory stimuli”, like grasses blowing in the wind… Welcome to the world of biophilia – which means ‘love of life’, and happens to come in abundance at Watergate Bay, says the author of a new book about biophilic design, Marianna Popejoy.

Fresh from a stay at Watergate Bay with her family in December, Marianna shares their experiences through a biophilic lens. From watching a storm from a place of ‘refuge’ to racing down to the beach for coffee in that all-important 30 minutes of daily sunlight...

Listen to what she discovered… 

Watergate Bay · At Home with Nature: Marianna Popejoy

Marianna’s beautiful book At Home with Nature digs deep into biophilic design – an approach based on drawing elements of nature into interior spaces to mimic our relationship with the outside world and enrich our daily lives.

From views and vistas that calm us (and have even been shown to speed up recovery times in a hospital environment), to the influence of natural light on our circadian rhythms to energise us and help us sleep, once you learn about biophilia it makes so much instinctive sense.

12 chapters

Want to learn more about biophilic design, and how to use it in your own home? At Home with Nature takes the six biophilic principles and divides them into 12 easy-to-follow chapters, packed with beautiful photography and practical tips to help us all invite more nature in…

1. Colour Psychology

2. Sunlight & Our Circadian Rhythm

3. Views & Vistas

4. Air Quality

5. Plants

6. Natural Materials

7. Shapes & Forms

8. Patterns & Processes

9. Light & Space

10. A Sense of Place

11. Seasonal Changes

12. Awaken the Senses

What is biophilic design?

Biophilic design gives connection to the natural world and creates places where people and communities thrive, it takes on six recognised principles:

1. Environmental features

2. Natural shapes and forms

3. Restorative patterns and processes

4. Light and space

5. Place-based relationships

6. Evolved human-nature relationships

Order your copy

Order your copy from her website, and follow Marianna on Instagram for more inspiration.

Discover more

Arts on the Beach 2024

Arts on the Beach is back for 2024, packed with some of last year's favourites and a whole raft of fresh new acts. 15&16 June.

Read more

Walking for wellness

Find out how walking by the ocean, whether alone or side by side with a colleague, can improve the way we work.

Read more

Cornwall's wild coast

Cornwall Wildlife Trust introduces us to some of the visitors you might spot in our waters and along our coastline.

Read more

Newquay Wild Activities

Experience Newquay in a green light, learn about the varied wildlife that share our coastline and species that share our shores. Selected dates throughout the year with transport included.

Read more

Love of life: Marianna Popejoy

Biopic design gives a connection to the natural world and creates places where people and communities thrive, it takes on six recognised principles.

Read more

Round-up: Arts on the Beach

Children bounced to the beat, air-borne dancers soared and towering puppets stopped revellers in their tracks. Crowds came, crafted, sang and danced as the sun went down on our first creative festival, Arts on the Beach.

Read more