Examining the economic, psychological and physiological benefits of retrofitting holistic sustainable and biophilic design strategies, for the indoor environment.

The Biophilia hypothesis², proposes that humans share a deep-seated propensity to be surrounded by nature, and that exposure to the natural world is therefore important for human wellbeing. It is becoming increasingly clear that Biophilia has a real and measurable impact on human performance metrics such as productivity, emotional wellbeing, stress reduction, learning and healing according to Kellert et al³. Up to now there has been limited research that examines the benefits that the combined retrofitting of Biophilic design and sustainable nanotechnology could have, on enhancing the outcomes of commercial interior design practice. The need therefore, to understand more about the specific contribution of this holistic design strategy to the design process, is now paramount. Not only in terms of wellbeing but also in terms of sustainability, and a better understanding of what these combined strategies could provide, to optimise building performance.