This past Monday, the LIXIL Water Experience Center hosted Metropolis Magazine’s first Biophilia Breakfast Club discussion.
Following opening remarks by Metropolis editor-in-chief Avinash Rajagopal and Dr. Annan Chatterjee from the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, our group of architects, designers, and manufacturers engaged in a lively conversation about the impact of nature-inspired aesthetics—such as color, fractal-based patterns, water features, and natural materials—on human well-being.
We explored questions such as: When should actual wood versus wood-like, higher-performance materials be used? How do these choices influence sustainability? And how do our material and design decisions connect people emotionally to their environments?
The dialogue also extended to how we can design spaces that reflect their cultural and geographic context through the use of local materials, as well as the benefits of incorporating living green walls into interior environments.
These discussions offer a meaningful forum for sharing insights and experiences. They also serve as a valuable reminder that the environments we create directly affect our health, happiness, and overall well-being—an increasingly vital consideration in a time when wellness and mental health are top of mind.
We thank Avi and the Metropolis team for this inspiring initiative and look forward to welcoming them back soon!