# Assessment of Biophilic Design in Educational Corridors and Stairwells Using fNIRS and GSR with Generative AI Stimuli

## TL;DR

This study shows that biophilic design in school corridors and stairwells can reduce stress and improve brain activity in students.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical neurophysiological evidence for the benefits of biophilic design in educational circulation spaces.

## Key findings

- BD conditions led to significantly greater stress reduction compared to non-BD conditions, as shown by lower GSR.
- fNIRS analyses revealed enhanced prefrontal cortex activation under BD conditions.
- Stress reduction and brain activity varied by circulation space type and specific BD elements.

## Abstract

In contemporary educational spaces, circulation spaces such as corridors and stairwells are central to students’ daily experience, yet their capacity to serve as therapeutic environments remains underexplored. This study quantitatively evaluated the physiological and neurocognitive impacts of Biophilic Design (BD) in these circulation spaces. Thirty university students experienced immersive virtual scenarios of corridors and stairwells that integrated four BD elements—weather & view, plants & landscape, material & texture, and forms & shapes—while prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity and stress responses were simultaneously captured using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). Results showed that BD conditions produced significantly greater stress reduction, reflected in lower GSR, compared with non-BD conditions. fNIRS analyses further indicated enhanced PFC activation, with spatially differentiated patterns that varied by circulation space type and by specific BD elements. Collectively, these findings offer empirical neurophysiological evidence that applying BD to educational circulation spaces can mitigate stress and foster psychological stability, thereby providing a robust basis for evidence-based strategies to create healthier, cognitively supportive learning environments.