Biophilic Design in Interior Architecture: Enhancing Well-being and Sustainability

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-535-5_12How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Biophilic Design; Interior Architecture; Human Well-being; Sustainable Design; Nature Integration

Abstract

With urban life increasingly estranged from nature, the incorporation of biophilic design in indoor environments has evolved from a design trend to an essential requirement. Biophilic design, previously regarded as a creative trend, has increasingly become a vital necessity in interior architecture due to its considerable impact on human beings and their surroundings. This paper meticulously examines the transformation regarding the use of natural elements concerning indoor spaces, merging interdisciplinary research that emphasizes the cognitive, psychological, and physiological benefits derived from integrating natural elements into built environments. It highlights the urgent requirement to implement biophilic concepts because of swift urban growth, increasing stress levels, and environmental challenges. Studying recent research in environmental psychology, architecture, and wellness design, the paper explores the concrete advantages of biophilic interiors, such as decreased stress, enhanced cognitive performance, and better emotional health. It also highlights particular design strategies that interior experts can adopt, including maximizing natural light, integrating organic materials, utilizing natural color schemes, adding living systems such as green walls and indoor plants, and employing biomorphic shapes. This study investigates how biophilic concepts rooted in the human desire for a connection with the natural world can be effectively utilized by interior designers to enhance wellness, productivity, and sustainability in constructed spaces. Additionally, the paper explores the increasing importance of integrating natural elements in the environments where humans live, work and interact amid the realities of post-pandemic life, blended work environments, and eco-friendly design. It contends that interior designers are specially equipped to spearhead this change, both by adopting aesthetic biophilia and by incorporating nature-inspired design as a core component of their work. Emphasis is given to the significance of interior architects in bridging the gap between nature and built environments through deliberate design approaches and key biophilic design strategies like using natural materials, increasing light exposure, incorporating greenery, designing layouts that enhance visual and physical ties to nature, and offering multisensory experiences that are analyzed for their effectiveness and practical application in various interior settings. This review advocates for the incorporation of biophilic design as a core principle rather than just a decorative fad, encouraging its integration as a vital element in interior architecture education and professional practice. Ultimately, it requires a shift in thinking to develop restorative, resilient settings that address current human and ecological needs.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Ar. Sakshi Pathak
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/16
TI  - Biophilic Design in Interior Architecture: Enhancing Well-being and Sustainability
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Creativity, Innovation & Design (ICCID 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 135
EP  - 146
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-535-5_12
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-535-5_12
ID  - Pathak2026
ER  -