Architectural Design Innovations for Health and Wellness: Leveraging AI and Digital Technologies

This study examines the impact of biophilic design in school common areas—specifically corridors, stairwells, and central halls—on users’ perceptual and physiological responses. Biophilic design attributes were categorized into direct experiences (Plants & water) and indirect experiences (Materials & Images), and simulation stimuli for each common area type were generated using generative AI. Thirty university students participated in the experiment, where their hemodynamic responses (fNIRS) and galvanic skin responses (GSRs) were measured during exposure to various biophilic environmental stimuli to quantitatively analyze emotional arousal and cognitive recovery levels. The results indicated that biophilic environments elicited significant physiological stabilization responses in specific spatial and application conditions compared to non-biophilic settings. Distinct physiological responses were observed based on spatial characteristics and application methods; vertical elements facilitated cognitive rest, whereas horizontal elements promoted attention restoration through moderate arousal. Furthermore, significant associations between nature connectedness and selected physiological responses highlighted the importance of considering individual predispositions in spatial design. As an exploratory pilot study, this research contributes preliminary evidence by integrating generative AI-based simulations with fNIRS and GSR measurements to examine vertical and horizontal biophilic applications in school common areas. Full article

Global urbanization redirects attention toward the sensory quality of the built environment as a decisive factor in public health and psychological resilience. In automated retail, façades function as sensory interfaces to mitigate the psychological alienation and sensory deprivation inherent in automated nodes. This preliminary study proposes and empirically validates a multimodal evaluation framework for assessing WELL-informed, AI-generated biophilic façade designs in automated retail contexts. Grounded in Environment-Based Design (EBD) theory, the framework systematically integrates health-oriented design logic with generative AI–based façade synthesis and multimodal human-response evaluation. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, this study pursued three specific objectives: (1) to utilize a curated series of architectural façade variations with calibrated biophilic complexity derived from an environment-based AI generative framework, as experimental stimuli, (2) to quantify subconscious responses represented by gaze patterns and behavioral indicators elicited by these configurations, and (3) to analyze the correlation and potential divergence between implicit physiological responses and explicit conscious aesthetic appraisals. The multimodal experiment involving 30 participants integrated eye-tracking, facial expression analysis, and Semantic Differential (SD) scales. Area of Interest (AOI)-based visual attention analysis indicated that biophilic complexity, particularly the integration of organic patterns and natural materials, significantly enhanced subconscious visual interest and sustained engagement within specific design zones. The findings unveiled a complexity–aesthetic paradox where subconscious physiological and behavioral indicators exhibited peak engagement with high-complexity patterns while conscious aesthetic preference favored material-driven structural clarity. Statistical verification via repeated measures correlation analysis revealed a lack of significant linear association between instinctive physiological engagement and explicit aesthetic appraisal, highlighting a notable divergence between implicit and explicit responses. In conclusion, grounded in an EBD–driven evaluation framework, this research establishes a systematic evaluation methodology for health-conscious design, recommending a material-first strategy with pattern as an enhancement to align subconscious fascination with psychological comfort. Full article

This study explores an alternative design methodology for architectural image generation using generative AI, addressing the challenge of how AI-generated imagery can preserve formative tendencies while enabling creative variation and user agency. Departing from conventional prompt-based approaches, the process utilizes only a minimal initial image set and proceeds by reintroducing solely the synthesized outcomes during the blending and iterative synthesis stages. The central research question asks whether AI can sustain and transform architectural tendencies through iterative synthesis despite limited input data, and how such tendencies might accumulate into consistent typological patterns. The research examines how formative tendencies are preserved and transformed, based on four aesthetic elements: layer, scale, density, and assembly. These four elements reflect diverse architectural ideas in spatial, proportional, volumetric, and tectonic characteristics commonly observed in architectural representations. Observing how these tendencies evolve across iterations allows the study to evaluate how AI negotiates between structural preservation and creative deviation, revealing the generative patterns underlying emerging AI typologies. The study employs SSIM, LPIPS, and CLIP similarity metrics as supplementary indicators to contextualize these tendencies. The results demonstrate that iterative blending enables the deconstruction and recomposition of archetypal formal languages, generating new visual variations while preserving identifiable structural and semantic tendencies. These outputs do not converge into generalized imagery but instead retain identifiable tendencies. Furthermore, the study positions user selection and intervention as a crucial mechanism for mediating between accidental transformation and intentional direction, proposing AI not as a passive generator but as a dialogical tool. Finally, the study conceptualizes such consistent formal languages as “AI Typologies” and presents the potential for a systematic design methodology founded upon them as a complementary alternative to prompt-based workflows. Full article

Open-plan offices are a common format in contemporary work environments, but their exposed nature may increase cognitive demands. Work pods and other enclosed microspaces have been proposed as an alternative. However, scientific evidence demonstrating that these isolated spaces effectively reduce cognitive load remains scarce. This study examines how workspace type influences mental workload by analyzing how cognitive load evolves across two spatial configurations (open-plan office and work pod) during typical office tasks. Twenty-six participants completed auditory, reading, and writing tasks while their brain activity was recorded using EEG. The results show that each spatial typology generates distinct patterns of cortical activation: in the open-plan office, neural activity progressively increased throughout the tasks, indicating a growing effort to maintain performance, whereas in the work pod activation levels decreased, suggesting reduced cortical effort required to sustain task. These findings provide neurophysiological evidence that spatial design directly influences the mental workload associated with office work. Full article

This paper introduces a novel BIM-based computational workflow that embeds spatial analysis directly within the Building Information Modelling (BIM) environment to support the evaluation and design of hospital emergency department (ED) layouts. Conventional analyses often depend on external software and repeated data exchange, which limit efficiency and integration with the design process. The proposed method integrates space syntax principles into Revit through Dynamo and custom Python scripts, enabling automated calculation of spatial measures linked to healthcare-specific performance indicators. The workflow was applied to two UK-based ED floor plans in a comparative case study, assessing patient-oriented aspects such as wayfinding, emergency access, and spatial privacy, alongside staff-oriented factors including workstation accessibility and visibility. Results were validated against DepthmapX to ensure consistency and reproducibility. The findings demonstrate that a BIM-native approach can streamline spatial analysis by eliminating import–export cycles, enhancing design iteration, and supporting post-occupancy evaluation. The significance of the study is in providing a decision-support framework for architects and healthcare planners in both designing new and evaluating existing ED layouts, where spatial configuration directly affects efficiency and user experience. Its main contribution is a reproducible workflow that enables real-time evaluation and strengthens the link between spatial analysis and evidence-based healthcare design. Full article

This study aims to develop a personal comfort model driven by real-time electroencephalogram (EEG) signals for constructing built environments customized to individual emotional states and preferences. EEG signals from a single subject were collected at regular intervals under controlled environmental conditions—temperature, humidity, and illumination. Real-time deep learning methods processed the sensor data, enabling effective prediction of the user’s preferred conditions. Model evaluation showed reliable predictions on the personal dataset, allowing for optimized lighting that enhanced concentration and reduced stress. These findings indicate that EEG can inform personalized environmental modifications. This integration of EEG and deep learning provides objective, precise comfort assessment and supports immediate environmental adaptation. Full article

In the context of the building sector, university campus buildings play a crucial role in promoting a green economic transition toward carbon neutrality, as universities are among the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. This research proposed a strategy for the operation and management of university campuses that focused on reducing energy consumption by optimizing the utilization of building spaces. To gather empirical data, a case study was conducted to examine the energy consumption of campus buildings based on their characteristics at Korea University. The results indicated that effective space utilization, achieved through the efforts of stakeholders, led to a reduction in heating and cooling energy consumption. To achieve this, the study classified university buildings by considering both physical variables and human-centered factors that affect energy consumption, analyzed space usage behavior, and compared heating and cooling energy consumption across buildings. This study expands current knowledge because its approach differs from previous research, which has generally focused on using simulation tools to analyze factors associated with the physical aspects of buildings—such as the energy performance of a building envelope or the energy-efficiency of facility systems. Full article

This study aims to develop a strategic framework for biophilic residential design (BRD) tailored to the diverse health profiles of seniors. To achieve this, a nationwide survey of 424 seniors in South Korea was conducted to assess their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and preferences for BRD elements. Through principal component and cluster analyses, three HRQoL dimensions—social-economic, mental-sensory, and physical QoL—were extracted, and four distinct senior clusters were identified: Optimal Health, Physically Declining, Overall Low Health, and Socially Vulnerable. Statistically significant differences in BRD preferences were found across clusters for 11 out of 28 BRD elements (p < 0.05), particularly in categories related to sensory-based physiological stability, cognitive stimulation, and external-social connectivity. Notably, the Physically Declining Group expressed a strong preference for restorative and stable features (e.g., natural colors and ventilation systems), while the Socially Vulnerable Group prioritized elements promoting external interaction and social engagement (e.g., balconies, indoor gardens, and walkways). Based on these results, BRD elements were reclassified by function and mapped to the spatial needs of each cluster, leading to a strategic design matrix that supports adaptive and user-centered residential planning. This HRQoL-driven framework contributes a novel link between multidimensional health diagnostics and biophilic design application, moving beyond generalized aging-in-place models. The findings offer practical insights by linking BRD strategies to distinct health profiles. For practitioners, the matrix can inform spatial layouts and design priorities. For policymakers, it provides a basis for developing differentiated housing standards aligned with seniors’ health conditions. Full article

The rapid development of medical technologies requires architects to implement a future-proofing approach while designing medical facilities, despite the inherent uncertainty of long-term change. This challenge is particularly visible within hospital emergency departments (HEDs), which play a critical role as first-contact units and life-saving infrastructures. Due to their specific function, HEDs are a challenging environment for implementing new solutions, as they rely on proven frameworks designed to ensure continuity of care and operational efficiency. This raises the key question: how can modern technologies and architectural strategies streamline workflows in HEDs without overwhelming medical staff? Considering current challenges, an equally important factor in the development of emergency departments is their preparedness for crisis situations, such as pandemics, war threats and natural disasters. How can architectural design enable the implementation of given design strategies, aiming to ensure opportunities for development while simultaneously preparing for all-hazard scenarios? The authors gathered existing trends and solutions aimed at preparing hospital emergency departments for future challenges: positive/neutral, such as technological development, but also negative, such as currently ongoing war threats or risk of the next pandemic. Despite the apparent thematic extremity, certain systematic architectural solutions using a transdisciplinary approach may be the answer to these occurrences. The mentioned architectural solutions and factors were synthesized and subjected to design-oriented review based on existing case studies of a few Polish hospitals, which are simultaneously studied as case studies for broader doctoral research in the field of effectiveness assessment. The selected Polish hospital emergency departments are used as an illustrative, analytical reference to support the interpretation and synthesis of the reviewed literature. The contextual analysis enables the identification of transferable, design-oriented strategies relevant to broader emergence medicine architecture and applicable within European units. Examples from Polish units in particular are used as reference and background for discussion, rather than as empirical case studies. The study provides an overview of contemporary and future-oriented solutions in hospital architecture, focusing on the impact and feasibility within the hospital emergency departments. The synthesis highlights the importance of designing flexible spaces prepared for future technological advances, such as oversized service shafts, increased floor heights, and modular layouts. Additionally, the study focuses on the spatial connotations of emerging technologies like medical robotics, their maintenance areas and possible challenges. All of this is interrelated to social, demographic, and economic trends. These include the development of hospital networks, the evolving patient profile, inter-hospital information flow, and the growing role of highly specialized medical units. In terms of rapid challenges like wars or armed threats, factors revealed within the review indicate levels of HED readiness to face the conflict, mainly in terms of surge capacity but also structural durability and reserve resources. The post-pandemic context, in turn, assumes rapid expansion of the hospital into temporary and flexible structures and reversible zoning allowing for patient segregation and separation. Together, these insights outline pathways for creating resilient, adaptable, and efficient emergency care environments resilient to unforeseen challenges. Considering future scenarios of emergency departments, two main scenarios were identified: “the hospital of the future”, continuing overall development and adapting to rapid technological innovations, and “the crisis-resilient hospital”, resistant to various crisis scenarios, such as pandemics or war threats. The optimal development of the unit assumes both openness to technological changes and preparation of key zones for all-hazard scenarios. This review aims to synthesize architectural implications of technological and socio-demographic changes, not to provide a full empirical study. Adopting an exploratory framework, the review refers to technological innovations and crisis preparedness as external drivers shaping the spatial organization of hospital emergency departments and their adaptability to future challenges. Because of various inhibitors (economic, political, hierarchical), not all hospitals can introduce the described improvements, but the synthesis may serve as a knowledge source for future investments. The review was also conducted to support design decisions under conditions of uncertainty. The choice to address all the external factors collectively was induced to provide transferability of solutions and coherence of possible scenarios, which may happen simultaneously. Full article