Biophilic Design Experiences in the Workplace: An Immersive Virtual Reality Approach to Evaluating Restorative Benefits of Multisensory Stimuli

Abstract

Previous research has extensively documented the benefits of interacting with nature. Biophilic design applications aimed at connecting the built environment back to nature have been shown to improve employee health, well-being, and productivity in workplaces. However, most restorative environmental studies have focused predominantly on visual qualities of nature, overlooking other senses. In particular, the role of smell in supporting restoration has been largely neglected. This thesis addresses this gap by exploring how olfactory stimuli contribute to the restorative experience of biophilic design in workplaces. It asks: “To what extent does the sense of smell contribute to the multisensory experience of biophilic design and its restorative benefits in workplace environments?” A pretest-posttest experiment was conducted comparing two distinct workplace conditions: one non-biophilic and another offering multisensory exposure to nature, including visual, olfactory, and auditory. A novel multisensory virtual reality system (MVRS) was developed to simulate the dynamic environmental conditions of an actual workplace in Sydney, Australia. Findings showed that the multisensory biophilic workplace significantly enhanced cognitive performance, reduced stress levels, and enhanced mood states compared to the non-biophilic one. There was a statistically significant association between the sense of smell and restorative benefits. While visual cues remained dominant, olfactory stimuli emerged as a key contributor to the overall restorative experience. This thesis provides rare empirical evidence on the importance of olfactory cues in nature-based experiences and restorative design, contributing to the knowledge within the realms of biophilia and challenging ocular-centrism approaches in architectural discourse. The methodological innovation and findings from the project invite further exploration of the restorative benefits of olfactory pleasure in wider contexts.