Smart Biophilic Framework to Improve Productivity of Existing Office Buildings in Egypt

Abstract

We spend most of our lives indoors. For the majority of us, the time is spent at work, often in buildings that were not designed to facilitate well-being or any natural elements. Yet we prefer to be around fresh air, greenery and natural elements. Architects have improved the places we live and work, but they have paid little attention to physiological needs. ''Smart Biophilic design'' could be a tool for a more relaxed workplace, where nature is brought into the environment either physically or digitally, to relieve stress and improve an individual's well-being by bringing the outside in. Consequently, this study proposes a framework for developing the existing office buildings in Egypt into smart biophilic ones. Such a development will serve the society by improving productivity of employees which will lead to more financial revenues to companies as well as an improvement to the economy of the country. The study used a quantitative method to develop the framework, by applying a questionnaire to arrange the smart biophilic systems/materials according to specific criteria, then analyzing the questionnaire results to reach an action plan of arranged smart biophilic systems/materials as inputs to formulate existing workplaces framework. The results demonstrated a positive correlation between the physical environmental factors and productivity. Hence, this study recommends smart biophilic developments to the existing office buildings in Egypt to maintain healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving productive buildings..