REVIEW OF BIOPHILIC DESIGN IMPACTS ON OCCUPANT'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

The need to connect with nature is a basic human one, similar to the need for fresh air, clean water and healthy food. This innate affinity has been defined as Biophilia. It has been recognized that being able to see nature or its natural indoor substitutions or just being in nature like spaces can reduce stress, improve creativity and productivity as well as increase the possibility of healing faster. Therefore, connection to nature for building occupants is being increasingly acknowledged as a critical component in the occupant's health, well-being and overall satisfaction. The quest for an exact identification of the components that affect human satisfaction, health and well-being within the built environment has driven extensive research. Access to daylight, view out and nature emerge as the most influential factors. Hence, natural light, vegetation and fresh air are the most studied aspects of biophilic design through psychological theories and applied sciences. The aim of this paper is to explore the status of knowledge on the multidimensional biophilia factors and unveil their effect on human health and well-being in different built environment scenarios. The paper also discusses the various ways to provide people with their daily connection with nature to ensure a sustainable community. The most dominant finding from the literature review is that; no matter how much the world population continues to urbanize, people will always tend to prefer being connected to nature and natural like elements on urban spaces. Another important finding is the multiplicity of options, other than direct access to daylight, air and greenery, to incorporate nature compensation into the built environment such as; space and place orientation that elicit sense of refuge, mystery and prospect, the flow of water bodies and the reflection on its surface, as well as details, fabric and form of indoor elements.