Towards the Application of Biophilic Parameters in Local Buildings: a Case Study of Bilkent School, Erbil City- Iraq

Abstract

As the world progresses towards a greener and healthier environment, with the design of cities and buildings responding to human requirements and having less impact on the natural world, biophilic design is used as a tool by architects to connect people inside buildings with the nature outside them through relevant design patterns and parameters. These patterns have a wide range of applications in both internal and external environments, bringing physiological, cognitive and psychological benefits. This study aims to examine the availability of these patterns in Bilkent School in Erbil city, which was selected as a case study. A quantitative approach based on a survey questionnaire was used to achieve the objectives. The results show that 13 out of 14 biophilic design patterns were available in the building. Eight patterns achieved availability of more than 75%, while five other patterns ranged between 50 and 75%. Three main categories of biophilic patterns, namely “Nature in Space”, “Natural Analogues” and “Nature of Space”, achieved 75%, 68.33% and 61.25%, respectively. Therefore, the school can be considered as a biophilic design building. Based on the findings, modifications or arrangements can be made in other local schools by applying these patterns. Moreover, this particular building can be used as a model to evaluate biophilic design criteria in other types of building. Finally, the study serves as a useful survey which may assist in designing future pilot studies in Erbil city.  

Keywords

• Biophilic design
• Bilkent school
• Building design
• Erbil city
• Nature
• Patterns