The Restorative and Contingent Value of Biophilic Indoor Environments in Healthcare Settings

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals undergoing healthcare-related quarantine often experience heightened anxiety and stress. While biophilic indoor environments have shown potential in reducing stress, their effectiveness within healthcare quarantine settings remains uncertain. Additionally, the economic value associated with implementing biophilic interventions in healthcare environments remains largely unknown. This study aimed to explore the effects of biophilic interventions in indoor quarantine environments on the perceived outcomes of individuals (such as preference, perceived restorativeness, and satisfaction) and their willingness-to-pay (WTP). Participants were asked to imagine themselves in quarantine and were subsequently assigned to one of four indoor rooms, each featuring a different level of biophilic intervention (non-biophilic, low, medium, and high indoor green). Their perceived outcomes and WTP were then evaluated. The findings consistently demonstrated that incorporating biophilic interventions had a significantly positive impact on perceived outcomes and WTP compared with non-biophilic interventions within healthcare quarantine settings. Among the three levels of biophilic intervention, high indoor green spaces had the highest influence, while low indoor green spaces had the lowest. Moreover, perceived restorativeness consistently played a role in influencing WTP across all three biophilic indoor rooms. Further analysis indicated that a medium level of biophilic intervention would be more advantageous and practical in the design of healthcare indoor environments. This study offers valuable insights into both the monetary and nonmonetary values of biophilic interventions in healthcare settings, aiding designers in selecting appropriate biophilic designs to create enhanced restorative indoor environments.