Coming soon
Terrapin Report
The Economics of Biophilia, 2nd ed.
Why designing with nature in mind makes financial sense
Building the future through research and innovation
Drawing from the latest cross-disciplinary research, we are reimagining standard practices in the built environment. Collaborating with researchers in diverse fields ranging from psychology to materials science, we publish reports, white papers, and articles to engage the community and inform our clients’ projects. This work brings together human wellbeing, the built environment, and the life sciences to create innovative solutions for a changing world.
Reports
Coming soon
Terrapin Report
The Nature of Wood
An exploration of the science on biophilic responses to wood
Terrapin Report
Working with Fractals
A resource for practitioners of biophilic design
Terrapin Report
Nature Inside
A Biophilic Design Guide
Terrapin Report
Malibu Rebuilder Guide
Recommendations for a Fire-Resilient, Resource-Efficient and Affordable New Home
Terrapin Report
The Nature of Air
Economic & Bio-Inspired Perspectives on Indoor Air Quality Management
Terrapin Report
An Ear for Nature
Psychoacoustic Strategies for Workplace Distractions & The Bottom Line
Terrapin Report
14 Patterns of Biophilic Design
Improving Health and Well-Being in the Built Environment
Terrapin Report
The Economics of Biophilia, 1st ed.
Why designing with nature in mind makes financial sense
Terrapin Report
Midcentury (un)Modern
An environmental analysis of the 1958-1973 Manhattan Office Building
Terrapin Report
Tapping into Nature
The Future of Energy, Innovation, and Business
Terrapin Report
Biophilic Design Case Studies
Terrapin Report
Biophilia & Healing Environments
Healthy Principles For Designing the Built World
Terrapin Report
Bioinspired Innovation Case Studies
Terrapin Report
14 דפוסי תכנון ביופיליים
שיפור הבריאות ותחושת הרווחה בסביבה הבנויה
Terrapin Report
14 Patrones de diseño biofílico (en español)
Mejorar la salud y el bienestar en el entorno construido
Terrapin Report
14 Modèles de conception biophilique (en française)
Améliorer la santé et le bien-être dans l’environnement bâti
Terrapin Report
Économie de la biophilie (en français)
Concevoir avec la Nature : un atout économique
Report
Human Spaces 2.0
Biophilic Design in Hospitality
Report
Green Rowhouse Manual
Greening NYC’s Historic Buildings
Report
Cultivating Clean Energy
The promise of algae biofuels
Report
Battery Park City Authority Guidelines
Improving the urban experience
Report
Guide to Green Embassies
Eco-Diplomacy in Operation (2nd Ed.)
Report
Greening the Building and the Bottom Line
Increasing productivity through energy-efficient design
New
Contribution
Biophilic Design and Climate Change
Performance Parameters for Health
Contribution
Environments for Aging – Digging Deeper
Taking a holistic approach to biophilic design can help support seniors' specific health issues
Contribution
The Impact of Biophilic Learning Spaces on Student Success
Contribution
Springer Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology
Sustainability in the Built Environment: Biophilic Design
Contribution
HR People + Strategy
Linking Theory + Practice: Healthier Workplaces, Happier Employees
Contribution
Landscape Architecture Frontiers
The Role of Biophilic Design in Landscape Architecture for Health and Well-being
Contribution
IJAR Special Issue: Complexity, Patterns and Biophilia
Biophilic Design Patterns: Emerging Nature-Based Parameters for Health and Well-Being in the Built Environment
Contribution
Midcentury (un)Modern
CTBUH Journal, 2014 Issue 1
Contribution
Knowledge from Data in the Built Environment
Implications for sustainable design
Contribution
The Tall Buildings Reference Book
Chapter 12: Sustainability and Energy Considerations
Contribution
Biophilic Design
The theory, science, and practice of bringing buildings to life, Chapters 22 & 23
Blog Features
Recent articles from our blog that describe our work and ideas
The Evolution of Agrihoods
Agrihoods, neighborhoods that incorporate food production into their design, have been getting more attention in the residential development world. In many cases, these projects are conventional sprawl with a tiny community garden or orchard. Whereas, in their truest form, agrihoods weave food production into the design and experiential fabric of their communities in much more […]
Ed Wilson, Our Naturalist and Half-Earth Hero
A man to whom Terrapin owes much of our passion and focus passed away last month. Edward O. Wilson made multiple contributions to science and society. His focus on ants and their behaviors led to a sometimes controversial exploration of innate vs learned behavior in other species—sociobiology, a field in which he was a pioneer. […]
Munger Hall Meets Hans Christian Anderson
Over the years I have noticed that while good ideas come and go, truly bad ideas take on a life of their own. Some ideas even move into the realm of what Amory Lovins calls ‘spherically stupid’—stupid from any direction you look. Billionaire Charlie Munger is giving the University of California Santa Barbara $200 million […]
How We Got Here
This feature is a follow up to Bill’s previous post on The Journey of Sustainability. 1 September 2021 Thirty years ago today, Amory and Hunter Lovins, over the objections of some of the Rocky Mountain Institute’s board of directors, allowed a 29-year-old to launch a new program to work with real estate developers to make […]