User Perception of Biophilic Design Patterns Present in a Workplace Setting for Mental Well-Being

Biophilic design expedites healing, enhances creativity, and increases productivity, by restoring the connection between human and nature. Contemporary structures have lost their link with nature while trying to accommodate the growing population. Interior designs have become more about fitting than comfort, making them unsustainable. Spaces like offices suffer from less focus on human welfare, causing stress, anxiety, and other work-related health issues. Thus, suitable design patterns that improve the users’ psychological and physiological health need to be incorporated, to increase their potential at work. This paper addresses the patterns of biophilic design and how they articulate a relationship between nature, the built environment, and human biology. These patterns include different attributes or experiences through which biophilic design is implemented. Through a few case study documentations, the patterns used in Indian office interiors are recognised and the impacts of the design on mood and mental health are studied from the users’ perspective. Further, it focuses on awareness through the perception of these patterns, and how it has been incorporated into the workspace. Through an understanding of user perception and effectiveness of the patterns, the benefits of biophilic design patterns on the users’ mental health are analysed. The discussion thus revolves around the study of the application and benefits of the biophilic design pattern, put in the context of Indian office buildings. The paper thus concludes that biophilic practices help people re-connect with nature and decreases work-related mental health issue, producing a sustainable and healthy environment.