الملخص الإنجليزي
Abstract :
Exposure to nature within hospital settings creates healing environments that
effectively reduce patients’ stress and enhance their well-being, leading to shorter
hospital stays. This connectivity with nature also benefits visitors, families, and
healthcare workers. However, establishing a direct connection with nature can be
challenging within sterilized environments. Biophilic design serves as an approach that
reflects the characteristics of nature, both directly and indirectly, within built
environments, positively impacting health and well-being. Nevertheless, only few
studies discuss biophilic design implementation within hospitals in Bahrain. This thesis
aims to examine the incorporation of biophilic design in Bahraini hospitals and offer
insights into methods of enhancing the quality of these spaces by emphasizing the
creation of environments that optimize healing for all users through connectivity with
nature. The thesis mainly focuses on quantifying visible and tangible biophilic design
aspects in Bahraini hospitals and examining their application methods. The first stage
of the thesis employs a qualitative approach to explore Bahraini hospitals that
incorporate biophilic design, resulting in the selection of five private hospital case
studies. The second stage uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods,
including photographic documentation and the Biophilic Interior Design Matrix (BIDM). The results indicate that only 36.84% of Bahraini hospitals incorporate biophilic
design in their interiors. The findings also reveal that private hospitals in Bahrain utilize
limited biophilic design application methods and primarily rely on the indirect
experience of nature, which accounts for 41.9%, whereas the direct experience of nature
constituted 21.3% only. Additionally, the results recognize that private hospitals in
Bahrain implement biophilic design at rates ranging between 25.0% and 37.5%. The
findings indicate that natural light is the most used aspect of the direct experience of
nature, while natural color is the most employed aspect of the indirect experience of
nature. The thesis proposes recommendations at policy level to raise awareness on the
benefits of biophilic design and encourage the adoption of this approach in healthcare
facilities in Bahrain. In addition, it suggests biophilic design solutions that can
accommodate the nature of hospitals in Bahrain and their required hygienic and safety
regulations. It also makes recommendations for further research to explore different
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dimensions of biophilic design in built environments. Ultimately, the thesis calls for
enhancing the application of biophilic design in Bahraini hospitals to create healing
environments that promote health and well-being.
