A Study on Biophilia and Biomorphic Design Elements in a College Student Community Wellness Center to Reduce Stress and Anxiety Levels

The purpose of this study is to provide individuals with evidence based data to support the ever changing stressor college students face on a daily basis. The research aims to help individuals understand how having a connection to nature in an interior environment is crucial to helping reduce the levels of stress and anxiety. Many studies have shown that having a connection to nature through biophilia and biomorphic design elements create a positive impact on the individual, allowing them to become more creative and motivated in their tasks. Focusing on a community wellness center for college students, this study will explore the different types of challenges and stressors college students are facing, different types of coping methods as well as how designers can improve interior spaces by using direct and indirect biophilic design strategies to improve the overall wellbeing of the students. One of the main considerations for this study was the Covid-19 pandemic and understanding how this has affected students' wellbeing, social interaction, creativity and motivation. A series of data collection, an online survey and an interview, have been used in order to gain more insight on the topic and connect the findings to other literature reviews. The results of this study will be used to explore interior design strategies for a college student community wellness center. Key Words: Biophilia, Biomorphic Design, College Student, Wellness, Community, Natural Elements, Stress Levels, Anxiety Levels