# Lessons from Biophilic Design: Rethinking Affective Interaction Design in Built Environments

## TL;DR

This paper explores how biophilic design can enhance affective interaction in smart buildings by emphasizing natural, diverse, and sensory-rich environments that foster emotional well-being beyond traditional affective computing methods.

## Contribution

It introduces three novel design principles based on architects' insights, emphasizing natural diversity, embodied friction, and sensory permeability for affective interactions.

## Key findings

- Natural environments promote self-directed emotional experiences.
- Design principles include spatial diversity, sensory exchange, and complexity.
- Challenges exist in integrating biophilic principles into built environments.

## Abstract

The perspectives of affective interaction in built environments are largely overlooked and instead dominated by affective computing approaches that view emotions as "static", computable states to be detected and regulated. To address this limitation, we interviewed architects to explore how biophilic design -- our deep-rooted emotional connection with nature -- could shape affective interaction design in smart buildings. Our findings reveal that natural environments facilitate self-directed emotional experiences through spatial diversity, embodied friction, and porous sensory exchanges. Based on this, we introduce three design principles for discussion at the Affective Interaction workshop: (1) Diversity of Spatial Experiences, (2) Self-Reflection Through Complexity & Friction, and (3) Permeability & Sensory Exchange with the Outside World, while also examining the challenges of integrating these perspectives into built environments.