Dr. Shimeng Hao

School of Architecture and Urban Planning

Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture

Title

Performance-based Biophilic Quality Evaluation on Outdoor Spaces: BUCEA Campus as a Case Study

Abstract

Biophilia is humans innate biological connection with nature. The study of biophilic design is an interdisciplinary field of biology, psychology, neuroscience, architecture and beyond. Research and empirical evidences show that proper biophilic design can effectively enhance occupant’s health and well-being in the built environment. This research evaluated biophilic design qualities of five outdoor spaces in a university campus categorized by the 14 biophilic design patterns suggested by Browning et al. Both subjective assessments by 120 university students and on-situ measurements of thermal, visual and acoustic environments variability were conducted simultaneously, to reveal impact of dynamic environmental parameters on individual’s satisfaction. The results demonstrated that the design responses of biophilia are crucial factors to promote the quality of the outdoor space. A significant correlation has been shown between the visual connection with nature and the biophilia overall score of a outdoor space, while the impacts of biomorphic patterns and prospect were quite weak. Additionally, it was revealed that the state of biophilia feelings is not time-sensitive.