Is it important to understand the cultural context of a place? And how can landscape architects help us feel more connected to the natural world? This week, we’re revisiting our most popular episode ever, a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation with Alfie Vick on Native American ethnobotany, environmental ethics, and the delicate balance between wildness and order.

Alfie is the Georgia Power Professor of Environmental Ethics at the University of Georgia and the Director of its Environmental Ethics Certificate Program. A licensed landscape architect and LEED Fellow, his work focuses on preserving and strengthening natural systems while thoughtfully weaving in human use. Alongside his academic role, he continues to practice professionally, contributing to a range of LEED-certified projects, including the LEED Platinum headquarters of the Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta.

With Alfie as our guide, we explore the intersection of landscape architecture and Native American studies, reflect on how design and biophilia have evolved over time, and even share a memorable tip for naturally managing poison ivy.

As conversations around land stewardship, belonging, and ecological responsibility continue to grow, it’s no surprise this episode continues to resonate with listeners around the world.

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Today, we’re revisiting a favorite from the Biophilic Solutions archive: a thoughtful conversation on beauty, the brain, and our relationship to nature with Anjan Chatterjee. In this episode, we explore whether our aesthetic preferences are culturally shaped or more universal, why nature brings deep calm to some people while evoking unease in others, and how researchers are beginning to measure the real cognitive and emotional impacts of biophilic design.

Dr. Chatterjee is a Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and a leading voice in the emerging field of neuroaesthetics, the science of how the brain perceives and responds to beauty. His insights help unpack what’s actually happening neurologically when we encounter inspiring spaces, art, and landscapes.

As conversations around mental health, neurodiversity, and the built environment continue to evolve, this episode feels as relevant as ever. Whether you’re listening for the first time or returning with fresh ears, it’s a rich exploration of why beauty matters—and how it shapes the way we feel, think, and live.

Show Notes

• Anjan Chatterjee, M.D.
• Neuroaesthetics
• Biophilia as Evolutionary Adaptation: An Onto- and Phylogenetic Framework for Biophilic Design (Frontiers in Psychology)
• Biophilia by Edward O. Wilson
• Buildings, Beauty and the Brain: Q&A with Anjan Chatterjee (CNS: Cognitive Neuroscience Society)
• What We Like About Built and Natural Spaces (Psychology Today)
• How Our Brains Decide What Is Beautiful (TED)

Key Words: Neuroscience, Neurology, Neuroaesthetics, Neuroarchitecture, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Brain Health, Beauty, Art History, Architecture, Aesthetics, Nature, Psychology, Science, Research, Research and Development

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website.

#NatureHasTheAnswers

We’re excited to bring back a favorite conversation from 2021 with the incomparable Florence Williams. Florence is, of course, the acclaimed author of The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, a book that beautifully explores the science behind nature’s profound effect on our minds, bodies, and sense of connection. It’s biophilia in its purest form.

In this episode, we dive into the experience of awe in nature and how it can make us more open, generous, and connected to one another. We explore the often-overlooked impact of our soundscape on health and well-being, and why spending time outdoors (yes, even right now in the depths of winter) can be one of the most restorative choices we make.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the headlines or simply craving a reset, this conversation is a gentle reminder that nature is always there for us, offering grounding, perspective, and a way back to ourselves.

Shownotes

• The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, by Florence Williams (2017)
• Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv (2006)
• To Fight the Winter Blues, Try a Dose of Nature, by Florence Williams (Wall Street Journal)
• Is Your Noisy Neighborhood Slowly Killing You? by Florence Williams (Mother Jones)
• The 3-Day Effect (Audible)
• Florence Williams Podcasts
• Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williams (2022)

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website.

#NatureHasTheAnswers