Bridging biophilic design and environmentally sustainable design: A critical review

Environmentally sustainable design (ESD) is widely recognised as a key strategy for the mitigation of the impact of buildings on the environment. ESD focuses on energy conservation and efficiency by improving the thermal performance of buildings and promoting the use of renewable sources. Recently, however, it has faced criticism for its quantitative emphasis and dependence on technological advancements, as opposed to focusing on the qualitative aspects of the human dimension and tendency to connect with nature. A switch in focus toward more human-centred approaches could pave the way for biophilic design (BD) to emerge as a potential strategy to bridge this gap. BD is based on the concept of health and well-being and it underpins the positive effect that enhanced human-nature connectedness can bring to both building occupants and the environment. As both ESD and BD address better the environmental response, a holistic approach to design that is based on both principles may lead to more sustainable outcomes. This study investigates the potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of adopting BD within the built environment through a systematic literature review on biophilia, BD and human-nature connectedness. The results revealed a wide range of benefits, from the improvement of thermal performance to the promotion of pro-environmental behaviour. However, the review also found weaknesses and threats associated with BD, such as biophobia and negative emotions towards nature, and becoming a design burden posing as a hazard for building operations. This study also identifies growing trends in BD, as well as research gaps; few studies in the literature, for example, have focused on education, and this lack of knowledge can be identified as a major threat for its wide use. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.