Design Strategies for Integrating Biophilic Design to Enhance the Students’ Performance in Existing Primary Schools in Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Architectural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, British University in Egypt

Abstract

Schools are the most important buildings that affect the generation’s way of thinking and way of living. Egypt is one of the countries that experience many problems in its current design practices in their school building’s design strategies. Most of the schools are neglecting the impact of linking classrooms with outdoor spaces on the student’s behavior and way of learning. Students need to feel free, relaxed and motivated in order to be more effective and productive. There are various types of interior designs that could enhance the classroom’s interior space, so that it can be more comfort and interesting to students. Biophilic design is one of the sustainable design solutions that could maintain the ability of having indoor spaces linked with the outdoor space through the use of plants, daylighting, textures, materials and colors. The aim of this research is to propose a set of strategies for integrating Biophilic design to enhance students’ performance in exiting primary schools in Egypt. The methodology adopted is divided to three parts. The first part will define the Biophilic design and its impact on the student’s health and performance. The second part will clarify the Biophilic design elements and frameworks to identify the suitable elements for the classroom’s interior design. The third part will discuss the design considerations to implement these elements in the classroom’s interior design. According to the three parts the final conclusion will specify a matrix linking between the Biophilic design strategies and the student’s health and performance. The result expected from the matrix will identify the suitable Biophilic design strategies to be implemented in the school’s classrooms to enhance the student’s health and performance. Keywords: biophilic design, indoor green spaces, education in Egypt, design strategies, student’s performance

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