​​WAN’s top 10 biophilic projects

Photography by Nicole Franzen

10. Alda Ly Architecture designs holistic HealthQuarters in NoHo, Manhattan

The flagship health and wellness centre spans 15,000 sq ft over three storeys.

The design gives an overarching atmosphere of brightness, openness, and navigability. Its first-floor entryway and adjacent welcoming lounge were envisioned as a luminous, cosy foyer for visitors.

Photography by Niveditaa Gupta

9. GroupDCA designs maximalist restaurant for New Delhi

Founded by Alekh Vardhan, Navdeep Singh Sethi, and chef Gurmehar Sethi, Klap brings contemporary global cuisine to the capital’s historic Khan Market, with the design reflecting the nostalgia that the neighbourhood evokes.

Custom terrazzo floors, an array of bespoke furniture, and a plethora of mirrors bring in a playfulness to the restaurant’s slender profile and add a mosaic effect, creating an illusory depth of space.

Photography by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel

8. Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel’s design brings new energy to Enel’s Rome HQ

The architectural firm plans to renovate the Italian energy company’s office, located on the Viale Regina Margherita, focusing on corporate welfare, urban redevelopment, innovation and sustainability.

The building will also feature additional employee wellness facilities, with the existing crèche, canteen and auditorium, all complemented by a new gym. 

Photography by GWWO Architects

7. GWWO Architects design new lodging experience

River Mountain combines modern accommodation with access to nature, outdoor adventure and wellness experiences in Pennsylvania.

Each pod features windows that open to the sound of Sweet Root Creek, skylights for stargazing, custom shelving, computer desk space, secured lockers and ample space to stow extra large luggage.

Photography by PLP Architecture

6. PLP Architecture’s first Asian residential development wrapped in a vertical garden

Park Nova's revealed designs show a biophilia inspired site on Singapore's Orchard Boulevard.

Drawing on the form of a butterfly, the building is elevated above the tree canopy on slender columns and features gently undulating floor plates arranged into three wings to maximise the potential for natural shading and ventilation. 

Photography by Forbes Massie

5. Tallhouse: new urban housing model for cities in the 21st century

An adaptable catalogue of integrated design systems for carbon-conscious, high-density urban housing, focused on the structural use of mass timber.

The Tallhouse catalogue will serve to de-risk the deployment of sustainable systems, aiding policy makers in the difficult decisions regarding use of building materials, through precise and pre-vetted data on different, code-compliant systems.

Photography by HOK

4. HOK design new cancer pavilion for New Jersey’s health institute

As New Jersey’s first comprehensive cancer centre, the HOK designed cancer pavilion will include laboratory services, an outpatient clinic, an infusion and chemotherapy suite, radiation oncology, imaging and interventional radiology.

By housing research in the cancer pavilion, physician-scientists will be able to rapidly translate scientific findings from lab bench to patient bedside.

Renderings by ZAS Architects

3. ZAS Architects' Net Zero Carbon wooden office design in Toronto

In a joint venture with Bucholz McEvoy Architects, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s new administrative office building sits delicately on the ravine’s edge, encouraging occupants to be active participants in energy conservation.

From the elevator core to the exterior cladding, the building uses a mass timber structure and will be built almost entirely out of wood, a significant change from the typical steel and concrete used in most commercial builds. 

Photography by Foster + Partners

2. Foster + Partners transform Madrid’s former gas plant into eco friendly office

Located inside Madrid’s Calle 30, orbital motorway, construction on Acciona’s new sustainable office building is underway.

The new proposals will conserve more than 10,000 tonnes of brick, rehabilitating the building envelope and the soaring interior volume. 

Photography by Studio MK27

Most read: Patina Maldives: Studio MK27’s radical biophilic redesign in the Fari Islands 

Throughout the interiors, earthy colour palettes, subtle textures and matte surfaces are complemented by arcadian materials to create a dialogue with nature.

Uniquely for the Maldives, floor-to-ceiling sliding window systems allow the villas to be opened to the elements on all three sides.