Abstract:

Adopting sustainable approaches in interior design are crucial in higher education as there is an incredible amount of waste in construction which may be omitted or lessened with minor decisions taken throughout the design process. A main issue regarding biophilic design is that there are limited sources on how to practically include it in education, which directly influences whether or not sustainable approaches are adopted in professional interior design.

Combining this need with the transformation of interiors in recent years, a second-year university interior design project was given, that resulted in awareness regarding these issues. One of the main spaces that have transformed with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are work environments or offices. People were confined to their homes during the global lockdowns and managed their work from home. Once everyone returned, a variety of aspects regarding how the work environment operates had changed. Interiors have gained specific significance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Biophilic Design recognizes the tendency of human beings to be close to nature and proposes theoretical and practical tools to design accordingly. During the pandemic, people turned to nature for solace and healing, and the importance of Biophilic Design became even more obvious. Therefore, this interior design project required students to do research on both traditional and contemporary offices and how users might benefit from Biophilic Design. The project entailed students to think about; concept formation, location analysis of the project site in Izmir-Turkey, adaptive reuse, brand identity of the Chamber of Interior Architects in Turkey (CIAT), Izmir branch.

Within the project, certain issues regarding offices were discussed such as; the location and history of the building; the means by which interior space invites enjoyment of work, creativity, and production; furniture, colors, materials, lighting, fabrics, technologies that heighten the experiences of the interior; aspects of the work environment and spaces that might enhance users’ performance, collaboration, discussion, gathering spaces; how the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed work environments and how social distancing currently works; how to create the CIAT identity infused with biophilic principles within the work environment designed; and adapting the CIAT identity to the particular building site and location. Regarding Biophilic Design, the complex relationship between Biophilic effects (nature) and the interior from all anthropological, historical, geographical, political, and social points of view; how to work with a chosen Biophilic Design pattern as a guide to the project; and patterns of biophilic design were focused on.

At the completion of the project at the end of the academic year, students showed both a developed understanding of the biophilic interior design process and had gained a sense of professional belongingness through interaction with CIAT. The study aims to show the means by which biophilic decisions exerted themselves through examples of projects within the year. It is believed that, if seeds of biophilia are planted in the early stages of interior design education, the probability of conscious decisions embedded in the design process being sustainable are higher, which is of utmost significance for the health of the planet.

Keywords:

Undergraduate education, design learning, biophilic design, interior design, design process.