In the wake of fresh demands for outdoor spaces prompted by forced closures over the past year, the world of outdoors is definitely in the spotlight. Aided by the 110% Superbonus tax credit introduced by Italy’s Recovery Plan, outdoor space renovation and regeneration is on the rise. According to data collected by habitissimo.it, a platform that connects customers with renovation and repairs professionals, requests increased by 30% in 2020 compared to 2019, particularly for sanitising and cleaning services, pool construction and awning installations. Plus, according to a survey conducted by the same platform, it's a growing trend: 61% of respondents are planning to take advantage of the Superbonus and make home improvements throughout 2021. 21% are planning to fully renovate their house and 20% want to redo their exterior.

So, changes triggered by the pandemic are reinforcing and expanding the trend of seeing outdoor spaces as an extension of indoor ones, not to mention the need to make them functional beyond the Summer. And, according to the 150+ trends featured in Pinterest Predicts 2021, "people are taking back control, taking back agency and taking action — for themselves, for their families, for their communities and for the world”.

This awakening interest in and rediscovery of our connection to nature, of “bringing the outdoors in” and “the indoors out”, is seen in Biophilic design which, when applied to architecture and design, is a chance for us to get back in touch with our surroundings. The term was defined in 1984 by Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson as “an innate tendency to seek connection with nature and other forms of life and lifelike processes and, in some circumstances, seek deep affiliations with them”.

When well designed, objects and architecture have the ability to optimise coexisting natural and built environments, with positive effects on our well-being. As Kengo Kuma affirms, the Japanese architect and designer of Welcome, feeling at work: the biophilic office of the future in Milan’s Parco Lambro district due to be completed in 2024: “natural elements in architecture; greenery, light, air, timber, that appeal to human senses make a difference in the workplace and in living culture, for better mental and physical health, as well as creativity and productivity. Sustainability is the future focus and the social responsibility of industries and enterprises”.