Loving Nature From the Inside Out: A Biophilia Matrix Identification Strategy for Designers

The development of the Biophilic Design Matrix (BDM) was to aid designers or other specialists in identifying and quantifying biophilic features through a visual inventory of interior spaces.

With mounting evidence to support the healing attributes of biophilic environments, we propose a method to identify biophilic content within interior spaces. Such a strategy offers much promise to the advancement of restorative environments.

The BDM was based on Stephen Kellert's biophilic design attribute list and modified to be appropriate for interior environments, specifically children's healthcare spaces. A photo-ethnographic documentation method of 24 child life play spaces within a South Atlantic state was used to determine whether the BDM could reliably reveal biophilic features (listed as attributes by Kellert in 2008).

This matrix appears useful in documenting biophilia within the pediatric healthcare context, attesting to the usability and functionality of the BDM for this special population. Specifically, the BDM revealed that biophilic attributes were constantly present in some spaces while others were completely absent. When a biophilic attribute was present, the BDM indicated that they varied considerably in type and occurrence. Thus, use of the BDM in the hospital areas designed for patient recreation and play successfully provided a visual inventory of biophilic features as well as the frequency of application.

Further use of the BDM as a tool for strategizing biophilic feature inclusion can thus increase the connections available with nature in the interior, beneficial for optimizing health and wellness.