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A critical review of Biophilic design and its design framework
conference contribution
posted on 2023-02-15, 00:08 authored by Akari Nakai KiddAkari Nakai Kidd, Archie Patel, Astrid Roetzel, Mark DeKaySince the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in the 1960s, the architecture realm has
witnessed a surge in sustainable design approaches. These have primarily focused on developing solutions
that reduce negative environmental impacts. A growing body of research has identified that merely
reducing the destructive impacts may not suffice to fight the global environmental crisis. In response, a
number of architectural design approaches, such as biophilic design, restorative design and emotion-based nature-oriented architecture, have been developed to not only overcome the destructive
environmental impacts of design and planning but also to improve human-nature interactions in the built
environment. This paper critically reviews one of the most recognized approaches in the literature among
the three: biophilic design. It discusses its relation to sustainability and the strengths and potentials for
fostering pro-environmental behaviour. An in-depth analysis of biophilic design's emerging design
frameworks follows, explicitly considering their applicability in informing the process of designing nature
experiences in architecture. The paper concludes with two main shortcomings of biophilic design and
outlines an area for future research.