Biophilic Design in the Built Environment to Improve Well-Being: A Systematic Review of Practices

Abstract

The built environment is the man-made space including our cities, neighbourhoods, offices, and homes where people live, work and recreate on a daily basis. Several recent research studies have devoted considerable attention to how our built environment affects our health, well-being, and quality of life. The idea of this paper stemmed from a conversation with architecture students after a lecture on healing landscapes. They have been asked to take a photo of the view out of the windows of their rooms for to the following week discussion. The discussion mainly focused on why viewing nature is more favourable and advantageous than viewing buildings. The answer to this question is ‘biophilia’, defined as the inherent human inclination to affiliate with nature. Biophilic design -an extension of biophilia- is an innovative way of design that strives to foster a deep connection with nature in places where we live, work, and learn to induce well-being effect. The present paper seeks to systematically review and address the current practices of biophilic design in interior spaces where people spend most of their time. This paper situates the emerging concept of biophilic interior design and concludes by reflecting upon a conceptual model that enriches and sustains the human-nature connection.