An Assessment of Biophilic Design Strategies Application in Selected Hostels in a Typical Tertiary Institution, Nigeria.

Designing spaces that incorporate the principles of biophilic design enhances the buildings occupants closeness to nature while also enhancing spaces connectivity and place conditions. It has environmental, health and other important benefits not only for the environment but also for the human beings that domicile around them. Firstly, this study was carried out using quantitative data obtained from 120 female students of two selected hostel facilities in a typical private University in South-West Nigeria. Secondly, observation is in identifying the actual applications where these strategies have been applied within these hostels through photographic images. This was done by identifying different biophilic design strategies present, the current applications of the different biophilic design strategies, the critical success factors that influence integrating the different biophilic design strategies, and the levels of student comfort within the two selected female hostel facilities. The data that was collected from the field study was computed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. The results revealed that 16 biophilic design strategies were currently present in the two female hostels, with natural ventilation and green roofs having high-value levels with Mean scores of (3.57) and (3.30) respectively. It was further established that budget constraint and maintenance factors were also at high levels regarding critical success factors that influence their integration with Mean scores of (3.63), (3.48), respectively and natural ventilation and provision of natural lighting with mean scores of (4.00) and (3.93) respectively were ways users could attain comfort within the hostel facilities where there was application of biophilic design strategies. The study further highlighted the key focus areas in biophilic design strategies in female students' hostel facilities and the extent to which research has progressed. It also recommended possible future directions for using the strategy in building design.