Why well-being at home stems from the balance between perspective and refuge

How does our brain feel when it enters this space?

The answer does not depend solely on the quality of the furnishings or finishes, but on much deeper characteristics that are rooted in our evolutionary history.

From an evolutionary perspective, humans developed in complex natural environments. Over hundreds of thousands of years, our nervous system learned to interpret the landscape to ensure survival, refining our ability to quickly recognize opportunities, resources, and potential threats. This predisposition continues to guide how we perceive space, even within contemporary homes.

Every time we enter a space, the brain initiates an automatic and nearly instantaneous assessment. Even before focusing on the style of the furnishings or the quality of the finishes, it interprets certain fundamental characteristics: Is the space easy to understand? Can I find my bearings? Can I observe what’s happening around me? Are there places where I feel protected? Do I feel I have adequate control over the environment?

The Environmental Preference Theory, developed by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan (1989), highlights how people prefer environments that are legible, coherent, and capable of offering both orientation and opportunities for exploration. When these qualities are present, the brain interprets the space more easily, reducing cognitive load and fostering a sense of safety, comfort, and well-being.

Even the most spontaneous expressions, such as “I feel at home here” or “this place gives me a strange feeling”, reflect this perceptual process. They are the expression of an automatic neuroperceptual response through which our nervous system interprets space and evaluates its qualities, such as safety, clarity, welcomingness, and ease of orientation.

Credits: Pexels – Sami Abdullah

Sanctuary and perspective: the delicate balance between protection and exploration

Appleton’s theory finds its practical application in the two principles that constitute one of the most studied patterns of Biophilic Design: Refuge and Prospect.

Refuge represents the need to feel protected. It is that cozy space that offers a sense of security without necessarily isolating us from the rest of the environment. In homes, this can take the form of a reading nook, a cozy armchair, a more intimate bedroom, or a corner defined by bookshelves or architectural elements that reduce visual exposure. These spaces promote a state of relaxation because they implicitly signal to our nervous system that the environment is predictable and free from threats. Physiologically, this perception helps activate the recovery processes associated with the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calm and regeneration.

“Prospect”, on the other hand, addresses the opposite yet complementary need: the ability to observe the surrounding environment, orient oneself easily, and maintain a broad view of the space. Large openings to the outside, visual continuity between spaces, views of the landscape, or simply a layout that allows one to perceive what is happening around them increase the sense of control and the legibility of the environment. This condition reduces uncertainty and supports what environmental psychology defines as “environmental legibility”—that is, the ability to quickly understand a space and orient oneself within it.

Perspective represents the ability to observe one’s surroundings.

In a home, this means having access to:

• visual openings to the outside;
• perceptual continuity between spaces;
• depth of view;
• natural light;
• views that aid orientation.

The design concept meets the developmental need for control over the environment and helps reduce cognitive load.

The effectiveness of these two principles does not lie in their isolated presence, but in their balance. Completely open environments can be distracting and increase the sense of vulnerability; conversely, overly enclosed spaces can convey a sense of protection but limit orientation, natural light, and the perception of control. Effective biophilic design therefore alternates between open spaces and intimate spaces, naturally accommodating the various activities and emotional states that characterize domestic life.

This alternation takes on an even more important role when we consider the context in which we live today. Constant exposure to artificial environments, characterized by high levels of sensory and cognitive stimulation, can contribute to increased mental fatigue. Rachel and Stephen Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (1989) highlights how environments that evoke certain characteristics of nature allow us to restore our attentional resources through what the authors call “soft fascination”: a form of spontaneous engagement that gently captures our attention without requiring cognitive effort. From this perspective, Biophilic Design does not merely introduce natural elements into the built environment, but aims to recreate environmental conditions capable of reestablishing that emotional connection with nature described by the Biophilia Hypothesis, thereby promoting psychophysical recovery, stress reduction, and daily well-being.

Credits: Pexels – Mustafa Akın

Why our brains keep seeking out nature

To understand why some spaces make us feel immediately at ease while others evoke a subtle sense of unease, it is helpful to take a step back into our evolutionary history.

For hundreds of thousands of years, humans lived in natural environments. Our nervous system evolved by learning to interpret landscapes, recognize safe places, locate resources, and perceive potential threats long before the emergence of cities and modern dwellings. According to the Biophilia Hypothesis, formulated by biologist Edward O. Wilson (1984) and later elaborated upon by Stephen Kellert, this long evolutionary history has left humans with an innate predisposition to respond positively to certain characteristics of the natural environment.

This means that, even today, when we enter a space, our brain makes an automatic and unconscious assessment. Even before judging the style of the furnishings or the quality of the finishes, it asks whether that environment is easy to understand, safe, and capable of offering protection. It is an extremely rapid assessment that influences emotions, stress levels, and our perception of well-being—and often results in spontaneous remarks such as “I feel at home here” or “I can’t explain why, but this place makes me feel uneasy.”

One of the theoretical models that best describes this process is the Prospect-Refuge Theory, developed by geographer Jay Appleton in 1975. Appleton observed that humans tend to prefer environments that combine two fundamental conditions: the ability to observe what is happening around them (prospect) and, at the same time, the availability of a protected place to take refuge (refuge). In evolutionary terms, this configuration increased the chances of survival by allowing individuals to monitor their surroundings without exposing themselves excessively to danger.

This theory remains one of the pillars of Biophilic Design today and has been incorporated by Terrapin Bright Green into the 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design (Browning, Ryan & Clancy, 2014), where “Prospect” and “Refuge” are identified as two fundamental patterns for designing environments capable of promoting psychological well-being, reducing stress, and restoring attentional resources.

For the designer, this means going beyond the aesthetic composition of spaces. It means understanding that the layout of spaces, visual openings, spatial hierarchies, and the presence of niches or vantage points are not merely formal choices, but elements that interact directly with our nervous system, influencing how we perceive safety, comfort, and the quality of our living environment.

Beyond greenery: designing well-being through the environment

Il Biophilic Design è un approccio progettuale fondato su evidenze scientifiche che considera l’abitazione un ecosistema capace di dialogare con il sistema nervoso e di influenzare il benessere psicofisico delle persone. La presenza della natura rappresenta uno degli strumenti progettuali attraverso cui costruire ambienti che favoriscono equilibrio, salute e qualità dell’esperienza quotidiana.

Biophilic Design is a scientifically grounded design approach that views the home as an ecosystem capable of interacting with the nervous system and influencing people’s physical and mental well-being. The presence of nature is one of the design tools used to create environments that promote balance, health, and a high quality of daily life.

Roger Ulrich’s research on Stress Recovery Theory, Rachel and Stephen Kaplan’s studies on Attention Restoration Theory, along with Stephen Kellert’s contributions and Terrapin Bright Green’s 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design, highlight how certain characteristics of the built environment can promote recovery from stress, regenerate attentional resources, support psychological well-being, and enhance the living experience.

From this perspective, the home becomes much more than a functional space: it is a biological habitat in which natural light, materials, views to the outdoors, spatial organization, multisensory comfort, and connection with nature all contribute to shaping the way we perceive, experience, and use spaces.

Designing according to the principles of Biophilic Design means integrating scientific research findings into the design process, creating homes capable of supporting people’s well-being over time and meeting their needs throughout the day.

The question that can guide contemporary residential design goes beyond the choice of materials, colors, or furnishings:

How can this space contribute to the well-being of those who will live there, every day?

When the design focuses on the individual’s experience, the home becomes an environment that promotes health, mental and physical balance, and quality of life, transforming into a place that nurtures and supports daily well-being.

Credits: Pexels – Esra Erdem

Conclusions

Designing a home means designing the place where our brain spends most of its life. Every opening, every view, every material, every variation in light or height helps to create an ongoing dialogue between the space and the nervous system of those who live there, influencing well-being, behavior, and the quality of daily life.

From this perspective, Biophilic Design represents much more than an aesthetic language: it is a design approach that integrates knowledge from environmental psychology, neuroscience, and human ecology to create spaces capable of supporting health, balance, and quality of life.

Special thanks go to Chiara Marchetti, interior designer, professor, Biophilic Designer, and researcher at the GREEN LEAF Affective Ecology Laboratory at the University of Valle d’Aosta, for her valuable contribution to the drafting of this in-depth analysis.