Reconnecting with Nature: Biophilic Interior Design Strategies in Izmir-Turkey
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Abstract
As urban environments become increasingly detached from nature, interior spaces must be reimagined to restore human-nature connections for the sake of individual well-being, ecological responsibility, and cultural continuity. Biophilic Design, which is an approach that integrates natural elements into built environments, has emerged as a critical strategy to address this disconnection. This international workshop hosted by the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Izmir University of Economics and with the joining of faculty and students from the Department of Architecture in Chiba University, Japan, explores how biophilic principles can be contextually embedded into interior architecture within Izmir, a city known for its biodiversity and culturally layered identity. Focusing on the design of a biophilic library at the Izmir Culture and Arts Factory, participants engage with interdisciplinary themes such as material tactility, sensory engagement, passive lighting and ventilation, native flora integration, and cultural sustainability. Bringing together Turkish and Japanese students and faculty, the workshop also fosters cross-cultural collaboration and shared design knowledge. This work positions biophilic design not merely as an aesthetic and sustainable strategy, but as a guiding philosophy that cultivates multisensory well-being, ecological literacy, and a design ethos attuned to the challenges of an ecologically precarious future.
Keywords: Biophilic design, interior architecture, sustainable design, cultural context, Izmir
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