The effect of the concept of biophilia on space design in the context of alienation and belonging problems: Biobelonging

People are social beings and have a sense of belonging. Belonging is an extremely powerful desire, and therefore, people aim to establish connections with others. Belonging can manifest as attachment, responsibility, or loyalty towards a person, community, group, or even a place. People feel safer and develop a sense of belonging in familiar places. The Industrial Revolution, along with rapid technological advancements, marks a significant milestone in human history. Particularly, the concept of alienation that emerged after the Industrial Revolution refers to individuals not being able to feel connected to a place, society, or anything else. While productivity increased with the Industrial Revolution, the bond between humans and nature was mostly severed, and individuals with their unique lifestyles became part of industrial work. This situation led to people becoming indifferent towards themselves and others. The search for solutions to alienation continues today, and as a proposed solution, various nature-based design approaches have emerged. One of these approaches is the concept of "biophilia," proposed by Eric Fromm in the 1960s, which is an instinctive urge that leads people to prefer natural environments. Additionally, the biophilia theory argues for psychological connections between humans and other living organisms. Biophilic design is an approach that aims to enhance people's well-being by establishing a connection between nature and spaces. Biobelonging on the other hand, is a newly emerged concept resulting from the intersection of biophilic design principles and elements of place attachment. The purpose of this study is to investigate which biophilic design principles impact place attachment and to analyze whether biobelonging elements provide a solution to the problem of alienation. Traditional Turkish houses and traditional Japanese houses, which are significant traditional structures influenced by modernism, have been chosen as sample locations in this study, where alienation is less prominent, and place attachment is high. Exploring the elements of biobelonging within these structures forms the methodology of this study.