Thesis (MID) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Interior Design Department

Includes bibliography (sheets 81-91)

ABSTRACT
The innate desire and constant tendency of human beings towards nature, especially
the desire to synchronize their living and working environment with nature, has a very
long history. Biophilic design is a popular form of sustainable design because of its
potential to contribute to human health, wellbeing, and productivity. Therefore, in this
research, the effect of Biophilic design on users in the workplace will be examined.
This study demonstrates whether biophilic design and the use of green space in offices
can enhance workers' productivity by providing a high-quality, healthy, comfortable,
and practical environment. Thus, the main aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how
access to biophilic space can influence users' levels of productivity and improving their
mental health and well-being.
A mixed method is used, where a qualitative and quantitative method would ease in
achieving the overall goal. The procedure was divided into two sections. First, a
thorough examination of the history of biophilic design concepts and guidelines, as
well as how they affect the well-being and productivity of users, was conducted. The
second part concentrated on a cross-case comparison of the selected cases and how
they adhere to biophilic design concepts, as well as supporting conversations and
onsite random discussion with workplace users. Six construction office buildings were
selected for this study to ensure optimal results. Two were selected from Canada and
Indonesia due to the availability of complete and appropriate information, and the
remaining four cases were selected from North Cyprus. Six cases were compared to
one another and ranked according to their usage of biophilic patterns, revealing how
well they followed the guidelines. Further, several users were selected for onsite
random discussion from each selected local company.
Findings demonstrate that all the cases received an almost perfect score for the
biophilic design component, especially the international cases were the best example
of a biophilic building. In each section, exhaustive efforts had been made to analyze
and recover all patterns, and to properly articulate the merits and limitations of every
approach. By highlighting each project's successes, hope to inspire future iterations
that make better use of its unique features while addressing its flaws and maturing into
a model of biophilic workplace design. In addition, it is an appropriate workplace,
which improves users' well-being, imagination, and output. There are certain
directions this study can take that will be beneficial to both the academic and
professional communities.
Key words: Biophilic Design, Biophilic Offices, Health and Well-Being,
Productivity, Nature, Workplace.