Biophilic Interior Design: The Creation and Testing of an Interior Design Specific Language

Beth McGee (Georgia Southern University)
Nam-kyu Park (University of Florida)

Over the last fifty years there has been research exploring people’s need to connect with nature, known as biophilia, however many people spend most of their time inside, so interior design application of biophilia becomes important. The increasing impetus to use biophilia in the built environment is unfortunately still clouded by a sense of mystery in how best to integrate it. A new language specifically for interior design has been created to assist with just this problem. The Biophilic Interior Design list of design attributes aids with both the identification and the application of biophilic design. This concrete list brings the outdoors inside through fifty-four design attributes. Originally inspired by Stephen Kellert’s attributes, they were further developed through a series of cognitive interviews with interior design and architect practitioners. The refined language was further validated through a questionnaire and space assessment. The results showed the Biophilic Interior Design language to be reliable and valid for interior design assessments. The user driven application of attributes is not prescriptive but allows for thoughtful and unique application for the specific site, users and context. It was also noted as being a useful design tool throughout the entire design process. This was similarly found when working with design students during a studio project. The students saw the list as a helpful design tool that aided their biophilic integration from conceptual design through final presentation. Additional tools and linking the attributes with research is underway to aid in biophilic design integration for optimal evidence-based design.