A certification proposal for biophilic design in SPA centers: The case of Antalya

Biophilic design, which focuses on enhancing the "human-nature" interaction within the built environment and generating positive environmental impacts, stands out as an approach that contributes to physiological, psychological, and cognitive health. Its popularity increased during the global pandemic, and it has since become a complementary component of sustainable building certification systems, benefiting various sectors. Integrating biophilic design into hotel/resort spa centers, especially in the wellness and tourism sectors, can significantly enhance their restorative and therapeutic qualities. This study aims to develop a certification system that evaluates the interior design of hotel/resort spa centers in terms of spatial organization and biophilic design, while also providing guidance for improving their design quality. Within this context, the architectural projects of five certified and award-winning hotel/resort spa centers in Antalya, along with a control group of similar facilities, were analyzed. This study was conducted in three phases. In the first phase of the three-stage study, biophilic design "BIO" and spatial design "SPA" criteria for hotel/resort spa centers were identified. In the second phase, spatial analyses and a scoring system were carried out for the centers based on the "BIO" and "SPA" criteria. In the final phase, the certification levels of the centers were determined according to the "BIO-SPA" certification system. The findings revealed a dichotomy: centers that performed well in biophilic design often lacked strong spatial design qualities, whereas those with well-organized spatial designs scored lower in biophilic aspects. As a result, most of the examined centers received lower-tier BIO-SPA certification levels. The BIO-SPA certification system provides a foundation for achieving sustainable success in spa center design and supports the integration of biophilic principles into broader building certification systems. This study is expected to contribute to the fields of wellness, spatial design, and tourism. Keywords: BIO-SPA, wellness, hotel/resort, certification systems, nature-based design