Urban Nature: Designing Apartment Unites with Nature Based on Biophilic Relationships

Abstract

The living environment surrounding humans has shifted from natural settings to man-made urban cities. This has inhibited a biophilic relationship between humans and nature that affects the physical and mental well-being of residents. The research documentation indicates positive psychological and physiological effects of nature's presence on human beings. The growing trend of interior landscaping demonstrates a need for greenery within the increasingly urban fabric. A comprehensive analysis of case studies creates composite ideals of how flora and fauna is integrated into contemporary urban environments. A set of design guideline matrices are used to compare the relationship between the way humans experience, attributes of nature, biophilic relationships, and the urban environment. The conceptual design proposal explores a way to conceive nature as a component that is integral to enhancing unit and building design. Currently, architecture does not consider nature as a vital factor in the design of living units. Attributes of nature must be considered concurrently during programming and conceptual design to achieve a synthesis between urban and natural environments indoors. This document provides guidelines to integrate nature into apartment units and contributes to potential future research on the integration of nature into multi-story residential buildings.