By Flavio Lucas
The other day, Amy Hinds was on a site visit for one of our projects in Arlington, Virginia. A few contractors asked why I wasn’t there, and when she explained that I live and work remotely from Colombia, she said they all looked a little stunned. Some were skeptical, others just flat-out amazed, like this setup belonged more to a digital nomad’s magazine than to real life.
However, the truth is that working from Medellín feels remarkably natural. Especially during this time of year, when the Northern Hemisphere is finally catching up to what we experience year-round here: perfect spring weather, flowers in bloom, and the kind of greenery that spills out from every window, rooftop, and sidewalk crack. For once, our seasons seem in sync. In a place known in Spanish as La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera, The City of Eternal Spring, it’s no wonder that nature is not just a backdrop but a central part of how the city lives and breathes.
Design inspiration: How Medellín’s green DNA inspires interiors from homes to public spaces
One of the most striking things about Medellín is how it blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Walk into a hotel lobby, a mall, or a bar, and a green wall or a corner jungle of ferns, palms, and orchids will likely greet you. These green companions don’t merely decorate; they define the atmosphere. They soften the hard lines of modern architecture and reintroduce the slow pulse of nature into our daily routines.
That same feeling carries into private homes. It’s not unusual to see an entire wall of trailing pothos in someone’s kitchen or an areca palm holding court in the living room. Here, plants aren’t afterthoughts; they’re centerpieces. They remind us that no matter how urban our surroundings are, we’re still very much part of a tropical ecosystem.
What I love most is how this relationship with greenery transcends social boundaries. People make space for nature, whether it’s a carefully curated patio or a single potted plant on a windowsill. It’s a quiet form of design democracy and perhaps the city’s greatest interior design lesson: biophilia doesn’t need to be extravagant to be powerful.
A personal note: The Barranquero’s visit
Some mornings, if I’m lucky, a Barranquero bird stops by the tree outside my window. With its turquoise and green feathers and long, pendulum-like tail, it’s a small reminder of how closely we live with nature here. It never stays long, just enough time to sip some coffee and enjoy a few minutes of calm before the day begins.
There’s something about those quiet encounters that captures the essence of living in the City of Eternal Spring. It’s not just the flowers or the perfect climate; it’s how nature seamlessly integrates into everyday life. In Medellín, biophilia isn’t a design trend; it’s a way of life. A gentle continuity exists between the built environment and the natural world. It serves as a reminder that, no matter how quickly life moves, something is always growing nearby.
A lasting impression
Spring in Medellín isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you experience. It shapes the city’s rhythm, colors, and how people connect with their environment. From the grand spectacle of the Flower Festival to the quiet presence of plants in a hallway corner, this continual relationship with nature infuses both public and private life with a sense of ease and joy.
For designers, it’s an ongoing source of inspiration: a reminder that comfort, beauty, and greenery aren’t luxuries; they’re part of how people feel at home. And a lesson from the City of Eternal Spring: good design doesn’t need to draw attention to itself. Like a flowering vine that finds its way through concrete, it simply grows where it’s needed most.
Inspired by Medellín’s greenery? Contact SR/A to see how our international perspective and commitment to sustainable design can transform your space. Call or email us today to start the conversation!
Flavio Lucas is the Architectural Specialist at SR/A