Symbiosis between biophilic design and restorative healing environments: The impact on overall well-being of urban dwellers

On average, people spend ninety percent of their time in artificial built environments. Moreover, four-fifths of people in developed countries reside and/or work in dense urban cities: man-made environments that weaken the opportunity for humans to connect with their natural environment. These environments are filled with ecological and sensory deprivation resulting in a weakened human-nature connection (Kellert, 2012). This connectedness however could be strengthened by the design industry, as design possesses the ability to promote this relationship through built environment solutions that encourage interdependency between people and natural elements.;According to biologist Edward O. Wilson, humans are biologically interconnected with nature physically, psychologically, and spiritually. This deep affiliation with life is a complex process involving the promotion of mental health and well-being and has been defined as the "biophilia hypothesis" (1984). Stephen Kellert, Professor Emeritus of Social Ecology at Yale University, states that "[this] hypothesis proclaims a human dependence on nature that extends far beyond the simple issues of material and physical sustenance to encompass as well the human craving for aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive, and even spiritual meaning and satisfaction" (1993, p. 20). Therefore, biologically speaking, people's well-being remains highly dependent on the human-nature connection (Kellert, 2008), and many studies show how this connectedness often aids in the healing process.;Although a great deal of attention has been paid to optimizing healing environments, there is little published literature that directly integrates a healing environment with restorative environments -- environments intended to restore people from mental fatigue, ecotherapy -- nature-based methods of physical and psychological healing, and the application of biophilic design -- the integration of nature within the built environment.;Recognizing the need for restorative healing environments in urban settings where nature has been severely withdrawn from interiors and architecture and where mental fatigue is prominent, this project thesis proposes a design solution and environment that addresses that need. By integrating the two design models of biophilic design and restorative healing environments into one symbiotic framework and using this framework as a primary research filter, the thesis investigates biophilic design attributes and their perceived effectiveness as they pertain to the success of a theoretical restorative healing environment. Study results indeed indicate that the way in which biophilic attributes are integrated into the restorative healing environment influences their effectiveness. It showcases a design paradigm that promotes a symbiotic relationship between nature and the built environment while addressing humans' psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being and restore the human-nature connection that has been lost in the urban built environment.