ARE Breathing

ARE BEAUTIFUL

ARE BioPHILIC

The Sacatella Creek biolibrary

& acoustic sanctuary

is one of them...

Clay sensors tucked away in the plants trigger recordings of animals when touched 

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The BioLibrary may help mitigate issues such as ADD/ADHD, stress, depression, and anxiety by allowing children to be free play in a natural setting.  

Plants from a Madagascan Rainforest create a lush, healthy environment, while native plants on the exterior of the dome provide habitat for the endangered migratory Monarch butterflies and other pollinators

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Designed and built by Mileece in 2013, her inspiration for the BioLibrary is rooted in renowned acoustic ecologist, R. Murray Schafer's vision of what he called 'acoustic playgrounds'. These were essentially environments where children in urban areas would be protected from the negative effects of industrial noise. The BioLibrary takes this a step further by fusing its own acoustic environment with interactive bioacoustic soundscapes, masking much of the sounds of traffic, machinery, and other noises from the urban environment.

Equipped with a surround-audio system, in-situ elements such as a stream and a pond within the dome, complement an array of rainforest sounds, each played back as children sit in the ergonomic sitting pods, group-sized seating areas dug out of the earth. 

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This renders the Biolibrary a sort of reverse playground where sitting still activates the environment and produces a calming and restorative acoustic sanctuary. With natural light, the increased levels of oxygen from the plants and the

water along with their contribution to filtering the air from common pollutants in the area, the BioLibrary formulates 

a new and vital interpretation of a learning environment. It also creates a space for wonder-driven exploration

as children find a natural curiosity in the soil, insects, plants, and pond creatures that drives them to learn about our biosphere.

The Biolibrary quickly proved to act as a hands-on earth-sciences laboratory not only within the

dome, but also outside in the butterfly way station native plant garden. A habitat for monarch butterflies

and other native pollinating insects, children experience the life cycles and patterns of the local biome.

Serving as a retreat for kids both in groups and individuals, the BioLibrary has become a regular place

for meditation and wellness, as well as concentrated reading and studying. In sum, it offers the key

ingredients Richard Louvre and other notable researchers in childhood development deem essential

to healthy growth mentally, socially and physiologically.