After talking all about biophilia and biophilic design last week, I was thrilled to discover this beautiful bench on Freshome.
The Saturnia Bench is a creative piece of furniture that combines seating with nature. Made of natural stone, a central island of lush green grass flows down its length. And it is bordered by squares and rectangles of differing sizes which serve as seats. It’s a great example of biophilic design.
I like the way the design has deliberately been kept simple so as to highlight the grass centrepiece. Interest is added by the irregular geometric shape which mimics nature and makes it look like a lawn. You couldn’t help but feel more relaxed sitting there.
The bench was designed by Philippe Nigro for Piba Marmi. It was conceived as a place where passers-by could sit down for a break while enjoying nature – albeit on a small scale. It’s the perfect way to add public seating, while introducing some greenery to an urban environment.
But it would also work just as well for the interior of public spaces by bringing nature indoors. In addition to enhancing the decor, it would improve the air quality and bring a sense of calm to the interior. Imagine what a difference it could make to a waiting room, stuffy office or hectic shopping centre?
On a smaller scale it would be ideal for the home, especially one that has little or no outdoor space.
Furniture can be a great way to bring biophilic design into interiors. Not only does this bench bring the outside in – but also provides such a lovely place to take a seat!
What do you think?
I like the concept very much. Just wonder how you keep the grass in good shape?