The building sector is leaning towards sustainability. Trends like sustainable energy, efficient building design and biophilic design can make substantial improvements to the industry’s historically large carbon footprint. Biophilic design also presents some unique pest control opportunities.

What Is Biophilic Design?

Biophilic design focuses on integrating the natural world into architecture and interior design. The practice originated in the early 1980s after research suggested that indoor spaces were interfering with people’s biological affinity for the natural world.

Biophilic spaces often include abundant plant life, wide open spaces, natural lighting and shapes that mimic nature. These design choices make human-made structures feel less artificial, which has a positive impact on mental health and productivity.

These design choices also have many environmental benefits. Since lighting accounts for 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions, using natural light can reduce buildings’ carbon footprint. Increasing plant life will also help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

How Biophilic Design Impacts Pest Control

While biophilic design’s environmental and social benefits are clear, it raises some questions about pest control. Pests love plants, too, and termites alone cause $5 billion in building damage annually. However, well-planned biophilic design can help provide natural pest control.

Here’s a closer look at how biophilic buildings and neighborhoods impact pest control.

Pest-Repellent Plant Life

While many plants attract pests like termites and mosquitos, others are natural repellents. Some studies have found that catnip can repel mosquitos more effectively than DEET, the active ingredient in most artificial mosquito sprays. Mint, basil, lemongrass and wormwood also contain oils that repel various pests, including some mice.

Incorporating these plants in a building can create a natural barrier to pests that could bother occupants or cause damage. While they may not be as effective as synthetic repellants in all circumstances, they could bolster pest control methods. Using these plants in tandem with traditional pest control may yield the best results.

Natural Predators

Biophilic design also applies to communal structures and neighborhoods, not just individual buildings. More open, natural spaces between artificial structures can provide some natural pest control by fostering complete ecosystems. Pests won’t be as much of a problem when their natural predators also live in the area.

Predators eat as much as 50% of wild rats, which is why rural areas often have less of an infestation problem than cities. Allowing for more natural space within a city can encourage reptiles and birds to move in to help control pest populations. While cities must also keep these populations in check, enabling a natural ecosystem can mitigate infestation problems.

Redirection

Just as biophilic design can repel pests from some areas, it can also attract them to others. Some plant life has the opposite effect of plants like catnip and wormwood, and city planners and designers can use these to their advantage.

Cities can redirect pests by planting natural repellents in some areas and attractive plants in others. This strategy can draw pests away from areas where they’d cause harm or irritation and to places where they’re safe. This is particularly important for controlling pests while maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

Potential Issues

While biophilic design has many advantages in pest control, it carries some complications, too. Pest-repellent plants do not grow in every environment and their effectiveness can vary. Many green spaces today report higher insect populations, but many of these problems come from poor design.

These insect-attracting green spaces overlooked repellent plant life in favor of simply creating more greenery. Many also went untended for extended periods, enabling more pest growth. If these areas considered their anti-pest strategy more thoughtfully and gardened more frequently, they could minimize pests.

Biophilic Design Can Help Control Pests With the Right Strategy

Pests are a part of nature, so bringing nature closer to living and working spaces will naturally raise some infestation questions. However, if planners and architects understand how design choices and ongoing care can repel pests, biophilic design can control pests more than it attracts them.

Author Bio:

Jane is the editor-in-chief of Environment.co where she covers green technology, sustainable building and environmental news.