Hindawi

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Volume 2022, Article ID 7994999, 12 pages
[Link]

Research Article
A Research on the Biophilic Concept upon School’s Design from
Hot Climate: A Case Study from Iraq

Amjad Almusaed ,1 Asaad Alasadi,2 and Asaad Almssad 3

1
Jonkoping University, Department of Construction Engineering and Lighting Science, Jonkoping, Sweden
2
The University of Basrah, Department of Architecture Engineering, Basrah, Iraq
3
Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, Karlstad, Sweden

Correspondence should be addressed to Amjad Almusaed; [Link]-musaed@[Link] and Asaad Almssad; [Link]@[Link]

Received 10 December 2021; Accepted 7 February 2022; Published 27 March 2022

Academic Editor: Giorgio Pia

Copyright © 2022 Amjad Almusaed et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.

In recent years, there have been solid global trends and severe attempts by ministries of education in the world to improve the
reality of educational institutions and schools through the design and construction of schools and educational systems that meet
the requirements of the age by applying the concepts of sustainable and effective systems to the new generation. They called for a
promising future and hence the need to activate the applications of the biophilic schools. The theme of the biophilic schools is
closely related to the concept of sustainable environmental structures that deal with the surrounding natural environment with
intimacy, which is one of the most important new methods of design and construction at present, where ecological challenges are
powerfully evoked in the making of their design decisions. Biophilic schools are an essential part of a new concept that wants to
design revolutionary educational systems with new economic outputs that are valuable but do not depart from the idea of
sustainable schools in general. It represents an expression given to schools designed to be environmentally sensitive and healthy
for their occupants and educational systems based on experience, humanity, and attraction. Indeed, many architects have begun to
explore and develop new architectural designs linked with the concepts of biophilic schools. Through the researchers’ awareness of
the negative circumstance experienced by school buildings in Iraq and by investing in the recommendations of an applied field
research, it was reached to crystallize the research problem represented in the obstacles that schools suffer from, which calls for the
search for developmental solutions for an efficient educational environment, and in order to reach this goal, by informing
researchers about new global experiences in this field, the research presented its hypothesis in choosing the model of biophilic
schools that exist in many countries in the world, because of what it can provide from successful and fruitful educational and
urban components. The researchers reached many conclusions and recommendations aimed at applying the research hypothesis
and achieving its goals.

1. Introduction environmental costs and contributed to the formulation of

some architectural bases that are subject to the concepts of
The application of sustainability concepts in architecture has sustainability, as it reinforces the link between environment
become an essential part of contemporary design concepts, and development, which led to the emergence of the concept
which evoke environmental and economic challenges and of (sustainable development), as indicated by the fourth
direct them efficiently towards creating a suitable living principle approved by the conference Rio de Janeiro in 1992
environment that contributes to reducing the adverse effects [2]. Schools are among the most widespread buildings in the
that buildings cause on the environment, thus helping to world and have societal importance for embracing a large
form a vital architectural and urban formation [1]. The segment of occupants, for not short periods of time. The
concept of contemporary design has been linked to appli- concepts of sustainable architecture can be applied to the
cations of new concepts that have led to a reduction in formulation of school buildings in a way that positively
2 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

impacts the educational process, reduces the depletion of element in the standards of biophilic architecture because of
natural resources, and contributes to creating an efficient, its health and psychological benefits, as it contributes to
high-performance educational environment [3]. The con- lowering blood pressure, reducing heart rate, restoring
cept of sustainability in buildings corresponds to the concept memory, and increasing feelings of calm [9]. The natural,
of biophilic architecture, which works on merging structural virgin air makes us feel the virgin nature, increases our
and natural formations in an integrated manner and in intellectual and physical productivity, makes the senses
formulas that allow the application of the concepts of natural sharp, and increases mental focus. It represents a positive
balance, reduce the negative effects that constructive for- environment that stimulates the senses towards making an
mations cause on nature and the local environment, and efficient world, forming effective social relationships and
avoid negative impacts on the life of society. The biophilic constructive human communication [10].
school project is considered one of the pioneering projects in Biophilic schools deal with the environmental issue with
support of any sound educational process in the world, as great intimacy, as they are designed to be environmentally
specialists and theorists of the concept of schools that ac- sensitive and provide a healthy environment for their oc-
tivate the green component in their formations see that they cupants, as they are one of the design methods that work to
are institutions working to prepare an active generation in build healthy and effective schools for the educational
society and make citizens understand the importance of the process, based on reducing the consumption of natural
environment and nature as an acquisition that is difficult to resources and making buildings humane in their interaction
neglect and working on social formations seeking to im- with their occupants [11] and activating the natural element
plement the concepts of sustainability, as biophilic schools in construction, for the sake of public health, and taking care
work to develop their internal and external spaces in terms of the material and moral comfort in improving the envi-
of sustainability, health, and the provision of clean energy ronmental conditions of closed and open spaces. It is
[4–6]. It is possible to realize the validity of this style of concerned with the quality of living in the internal space and
thinking and architectural orientation in making the human not harming the surrounding environment [12]. New
environment in countries with hot climates, whose spaces buildings are designed, implemented, and operated with
require additional care in caring for the internal environ- methods and technologies that provide a safe and com-
ment of the buildings. fortable urban environment.
Biophilic design is a new design approach that aims to The aim of the study is to add more knowledge about the
connect the occupants of the architectural space in a biophilic school concept in school design from hot climate
complementary way with the natural environment so that and how biophilic school can improve the learning envi-
they become a new living form, in which the modernity of ronment. To achieve the goal, a qualitative approach is
the place and technology is mixed with the magic of nature appropriate. A qualitative study aims to explain something
and its features, which give the place a new psychological and provide an increased understanding of different indi-
and material nature with high symbolism and create a viduals’ experiences and their thoughts about specific sce-
healthier and more productive environment which seeks to narios. The research goals are to encourage the adoption of
optimize the use of the conditions of the place and estab- biophilic as a phenomenon in school’s model from a hot
lishes communication between the user of spaces and the climate, where the benefits are to provide the educational
external environment. Furthermore, this approach supports process with concepts and standards whose application will
the theory that humans have an innate biological affinity lead to developing the current reality of schools and the
towards the natural world, as they spend most of their time educational environment in Iraq.
inside the static physical space with little life, which stim-
ulated the idea of interactive space between the two envi- 2. Methodology and Materials
ronments, and this has revolutionized the needs of the new
generation obsessed with nature in urban areas [7, 8]. Integrating flora with building components—so-called
In 2006, the application of some concepts of biophilic biophilic building practice—has been practiced for many
architecture began, through the concept of green buildings, years and is one of the measures undertaken in the greening
which contributed to changing the reality of architectural of urban areas. Of late, new biophilic building solutions have
theories, as the new architecture was defined in the context emerged as aspects of holistic design and city governance on
of producing an environment that helps create healthy living the resurgent wave of blending nature with modernity [13].
spaces, happy coexistence environments, and the organi- The qualitative information analyzed in this survey consists
zation of a combined green natural variety. With the of in-person interviews, questionnaires, and a document
structural configurations looking for well-being and psy- study. Interviews, as per Säfsten and Gustavsson, are ap-
chological comfort, all that is natural, including light, fresh propriate tools to understand the experiences and percep-
air, plants, and water, represent basic natural elements in the tions of different people, which are not necessarily bound to
biophilic formation, where natural light contributes to be the same or similar [14]. By document study, the authors
simulating the rhythm of the human biological clock, which imply the use of secondary documents—visual, written,
regulates the human relationship with the surrounding digital, and physical material [15]—as sources of data/in-
natural environment and keeps his continual communica- formation. Surveys enable the researcher to reach many
tion with the external environment. Water is an important people in a short period of time, and Bertram considers them
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 3

to be handy data-collection tools for research [16]. Primary theoretical subjects, which cannot be as effectively learned,
data for the survey have primarily been collected through in- within the four walls of a classroom, like biology, in which
person interviews with experts. The survey using a ques- case the situational experience gives students an enhanced
tionnaire is targeted at “users of schools and thereby school ability to apply their theoretical knowledge by interacting
campuses.” The document study and the literature review closely with the external environment [20].
are performed to acquire deeper knowledge and thorough As the concept of “biophilic schools” is embedded within
understanding of the subject matter. They also complement the broader concept of “sustainable schools,” green spaces
the primary data collected from the field through surveys are a vital element in the sustainable design process. Their
and interviews. The questions which need to be raised and nexus with the built environment and classroom spaces
answered are as follows: provides the users of these built spaces and their neigh-
borhoods with a psychologically comforting and mentally
(i) What is the role of the biophilic school concept in
relieving ambiance, which goes a long way in overcoming
hot climate countries today?
the expected pressures exerted on human occupants by
(ii) How can the biophilic school concept be used to building formations. Green spaces are living spaces that are
strengthen the education environment? organized and employed according to creative design ideas,
Comparative analysis, whereby global case studies are which intend to organize spaces and formulate a flexible
analyzed and compared/contrasted with what exists locally picture of living components through the presence of vital
to find similarities and differences and uncover possible elements such as water or covering the soil terrain with a
improvement options, enables learning and sharing. gardening fabric in harmony with the structural formations,
roads, and urban facilities. From this, we obtain a depth of
thought, calmness, and tranquility that is necessary for the
2.1. Biophilic School Standard Design. Biophilic schools educational process, and green spaces play a vital role in
contribute positively to the educational process, as they supplying the environment with the oxygen necessary for
render the educational space likable and conducive to health and contribute to reducing the rates of physical,
creative learning. This likeability also increases the daily chemical, or biological pollution [21]. Students’ movement
attendance at school of the students and augments the in the corridors outside school or between the various closed
positivity of the interaction between the students on the one spaces confers vitality to the relationship between spaces.
hand and the ambiance on the other hand. Students, con- Pedestrian pathways are important in organizing the rela-
sequently, do not consider learning to be a stressful expe- tionship between outer spaces. These linking pathways are
rience. It ceases to be drudgery; it becomes enjoyable, thanks essential in biophilic design, where the movement paths play
to the proximity to nature [16]. It has been empirically a pivotal role in formulating the general fabric of urban
proven that investing in a healthy environment—providing spaces, including outdoor school spaces. The movement
thermal comfort conditions, reducing noise, and resorting to paths should be simplified to create an accessible reading of
natural lighting, for instance—promotes positive results the urban components and be balanced and not exaggerated.
[17]. Siting the school is very critical here. Builders often are The school functions require their inclusion in the educa-
heard saying “the only thing that matters is location.” This is tional program that encourages the use of regular shapes
all the more important for a biophilic school. Proximity to [6, 22].
natural greenery and accessibility to public transport, which The presence of water in all its formations plays an
makes it easy to commute from home to school and back, important role in bringing about the required process of
will ensure that private vehicles need not be used. This change in the contexts of the successful architectural work of
mitigates environmental (atmospheric more particularly) the green biophilic schools, as the presence of water bodies
and visual pollution. gives comfort and joy while creating a heightened sense of
The general shape of the building is regulated for efficient calm and relaxation, which suppresses intellectual stress and
acquisition of thermal and light energy and the mitigation of nervous tension and augments the so-called joie de vivre.
the effects of external noise. This influences the selection of Research has shown that the presence of water in living
the types of trees and plants to be grown on the site [18]. spaces helps in improving focus and contributes to restoring
Fresh air also plays an important role in improving func- memory, as well as enhancing perceptiveness. Different
tionality in the interior space, which must regulate the water formations and systems help reduce the feeling of long
conditions for continuous daily ventilation, as air quality is waiting times and give individuals a sense of confidence and
one of the basic determinants of a sustainable building. Also, security, all of which contribute to improving the results of
interior space designers should find solutions to integrate the the educational process [23].
indoor environment with the green outdoor environment Natural lighting contributes to improving the quality of
[19]. Some teaching sessions can be alfresco to enable the education, as adherence to the curriculum of biophilic
students to have access to fresh air and sunlight. This has schools increases the necessity for exposing students and
been shown to contribute to quicker understanding and teaching staff to higher levels of light during the day, which
better learning. Shanti Niketan in West Bengal (eastern helps regularize healthy sleep cycles for students. Exposing
India)—a 100% open-air school—conceived by the Nobel architectural spaces to natural sunlight has a disinfecting
Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, is a case in point. effect, with consequent salubrious benefits [21, 24]. There is
Moving outdoors also gives a practical edge to some no doubt that exposure to high noise levels due to traffic
4 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

distracts students, diminishes their general performance in transfer the aesthetic value from around the school to the
academics, and hampers their linguistic and communication center of the courtyard, through more speculative foci,
skills [25]. The design standards in biophilic schools seek to represented by the elevation of the land, the type of soil and
create efficiency in two main aspects of the architectural vegetation, and the diversity of water areas, which enabled
environment, the efficiency of the interior spaces and the these areas to be distinguished, so the vegetation and water
evaluation of their features, by the need for action and the cover were visually enhanced to achieve changes in the
desire for a good feeling connected with the necessity of terrain characteristics and soil type.
using the interior space. On the other hand, the standards This comparative analytical approach reveals the Bali
seek to mature the elements of the environment. school as inspirational (see Figure 1) that can be replicated in
The external environment, as referred to earlier, is a Iraqi schools—both physically and psychologically—when
complement to the internal one. It offers the students a the temperatures soar in the summer months.
feeling of freedom and comfort and renews their ability to From the classrooms, the students had a view of the
engage effectively in the internal environment with a wilderness resorts around the school building, teeming with
heightened sense of interest. It must be characterized by wildlife [26–28].
fluidity, flexibility, and vitality to be able to link the dif-
ferent spaces in the building block and the ambiance. The 3. Study Case
vitality in the architectural environment comes about
thanks to the fluidity of interaction among the spaces. The education process in Iraq suffers from a clear quality
Needless to say, a lot of effort and creativity go behind decline and a clear lack of the spaces allocated for the
designing such biophilic architectural forms to serve the completion of that process, as schools are no longer able to
intended holistic purposes. provide the educational process requirements efficiently but
rather have a degree of negativity that affects the educational
process results. The development programs were aborted in
2.2. A Review on a Biophilic School from Hot Climate the education sector.
Experiences: Green School in Bali-Indonesia Example
2.2.1. School Idea and Conceptions. It is an international 3.1. Empirical Study. To determine the state of the educa-
school located in Bali (Indonesia) that caters to the edu- tional institutions in question, a field study was conducted
cational needs of elementary-grade children. It has fulfilled for a school, which is very similar to the other schools where
the criteria for sustainability as a green school. The school we studied and coped with, which is part of our experience
was established in 2008 to benefit children in villages located and our daily experiences. Therefore, one of the Middle
in the middle of a forest that overlooks rice fields. Its mission Euphrates schools in the city of Hilla has been chosen, which
was to spread environmental awareness and sustainability. is Al-Buhtari Intermediate School for Boys, as presented in
Local building materials extracted from those forests were Figure 2.
used, their formations were built from bamboo canes, and Al-Buhtari School for Boys is located on the eastern side
the plant environment was diversified to create a rich green of the Tigris River, in the middle of a residential neigh-
natural environment. borhood; the building consists of two floors, on a land area of
This was a new type of school, commensurate with the 4700 m2, with a length of 81 m meters and a width of 58 m.
approach of the modern Indonesian society in providing an The school has a courtyard of 1100 m2. The classrooms
educational environment consistent with sustainable living. occupy an area of 1400 m2 and the administration occupies
The architects have tended to create many green outdoor an area of 400 m2. At the front of the entrance to the school,
public spaces, a popular sight in tropical southeast Asia. The there are areas designed to be green areas of 1800 m2 (see
basic design idea of the school building is influenced by the Figure 3).
need for activation of communication between the school’s
educational functions and the external environment. The 3.2. School Open Spaces’ Descriptions. The open spaces in the
building’s functions have now seamlessly merged with the school were divided into two categories:
dense green space, making it a quintessential biophilic
school. The concept of integrating gardens and water in the (i) The first is the green spaces, which lack care and have
courtyard with the school building design makes the ex- turned into simple green areas that do not have real
perience of being near the school space, uplifting psycho- value.
logically and spiritually [19]. (ii) The second is the schoolyard, which is designated a
playground, and it is a barren yard lacking the
planning and functional requirements.
2.2.2. School Design and Biophilic Standards’
Implementation. The open space configurations require that Administration rooms and classes were closed spaces
they be shaped to offer an element of surprise and a feeling of that lacked many of what was related to a positive educa-
comfort and calmness. The school has sought to achieve that tional environment and were no more than a place to ac-
environmental value between the buildings by activating the commodate students. A sample population consisting of
element of directing attention to the inner courtyard, which thirty participants was chosen randomly from different
is equipped with water bodies. The designers have sought to regions to evaluate the information obtained on the reality of
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 5

Figure 1: The basic plans and photos of the Green School in Bali.

Figure 2: Description of the internal and external spaces of Al-Buhtari School for Boys.

the condition of the school under study. The opinions came conducted with digital video calls in Microsoft Teams or via
through a set of connections. The interviews were conducted an e-mail interview. The study will read and review the
with a semistructured approach. The interviews were general orientation of the surveyed people according to the
6 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Figure 3: The general site for Al-Buhtari School for Boys.

local community culture, show the desire and ambition out the difficulty of evaluating the meaning of the biophilic
related to the future, and show the extent of awareness of the concept without examples; hence, it would be appropriate to
need for an advanced educational process. Activating the study how building, teaching spaces and teaching processes
answer to these axes will lead to an analysis that supports the for this purpose can be improved. In describing the results of
development of schools and the educational process in Iraq. the survey, the information was classified as follows: in
assessing the movement between sections of the school
4. Results building (see Figure 4), the answers were neutral where the
plan of the building was not revealed in the integrative
The schoolyard in the design of schools provides students communication between the internal and external spaces,
and users of educational spaces with an open outlet and which obscured the importance of the external spaces, ig-
recreation of the souls. Theories for schools in hot climate noring their obvious shortcomings, the disappearance of
conditions see that the schoolyards are transformed into a their required role, and their inability to sponsor activities
functionally activated miniature forest within the school that could serve the action in the internal spaces.
buildings. It was found that the development of children’s But when the question was about the preferred design for
thinking process corresponds to the expansion of the circle gardens and outdoor spaces, the participants unanimously
of playing in green spaces [29]. In the case study from Al- chose the contemporary style. It is a model that diversifies
Buhtari School situation, the external spaces of the school, the elements of external activities, their diversity, and their
there was a clear deficiency in the performance of the space integration in enriching the external environment of human
to its function, and there was severe atrophy in the parking action (see Figure 5).
space, even though gardens and green spaces are in the On the necessity of activating the terrain parks, the
opinion of the participants a very important element that answers were very desirable, as shown in Figure 6. The
must be adopted. From the results of this study, it is possible diversity of the topography of the garden space can suggest a
to conclude the research problem, represented by the ob- clear opportunity to enrich the diversity of movement in it
stacles that schools suffer from in terms of structure, and thus encourage the effectiveness and activity of students
planning, and services, which calls for the search for de- and enrich their time with various activities and practices.
velopmental solutions that adopt our steps towards pro- And when more than one natural element was proposed
ducing an efficient educational environment and to reach to attract attention, the answers were unanimous in
positive solutions. Approaching this goal, the research choosing flower beds. It is one of the main elements that help
presents its hypothesis in choosing the model of biophilic soften the garden space’s climate and enriches the visual
schools, which are currently present in many countries in the scene with what is exciting and enjoyable (see Figure 7).
world, for what it can offer in terms of successful and fruitful Many of the students have explained that it is needed to
study and construction. The results of the survey show that expand the current green areas. This confirms the great need
more research is needed on how educational spaces can be for green spaces and the need to increase their percentage, as
evaluated and quantified. The interview respondents pointed they represent the main opportunity for external activities
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 7

The movement between sections of the School building

120

24
100

80 18

60 8
45

40

20

5
0
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Clear
Very clear

Neutral

Very confiused

Confiused

Figure 4: Moving between the building section to create an integration between outside spaces and inside.

Preferred graden styles

120

68
100

80

60

40
32

20

0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Classical style
from the history

contemporary style

Figure 5: The most effective style for students.

and provide sensory and emotional pleasure in the daily life preferred trees for cultivation, the answers were unanimous
of students [30]. in choosing the palm tree. Opinions were also unanimously
And about the shading of the outer corridors and the agreed on the importance of water in activating the value of
proposed material for that, the answer boxes were willing, open spaces. It can easily be imagined the great role of water
and she chose the climbing plants. As the shadows in the bodies in softening the atmosphere in the outer spaces in this
school environment in hot areas become an important need city, which is in a region with a hot climate.
to prevent the overwhelming and uncomfortable presence of The opinions found that the school’s design is not subject
the sun, which hinders the exploitation of outdoor spaces to international design standards, so it was necessary to find
(see Figure 8), and since the methods of creating shade are design solutions commensurate with the educational process
many and varied, climbing plants are one of them and the and a sustainable green environment. Here, there is a need to
most effective in softening the atmosphere [31]. On the most invest in the available policies and techniques of
8 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

The terrain parks concept

120

25
100

80 8
67
60

40

20

0
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Very desirable

Neutral

Desirable

Figure 6: The terrain park concept.

The most preferable plants species

120

11
100
63

80

60

40

26
20

0
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Flowers

Shrubs
Grasses

Figure 7: The most preferable plants species.

contemporary biophilic schools. The opinions also recom- proposals aimed at developing life and social effectiveness in
mended that the sports stadium areas be of the utmost a way that enriches human relations and communication,
importance, and this matter calls for expanding the school’s which is useful and important in academic life, building
structure to include sports facilities. It is certainly a basic relationships between students and creating opportunities
need, as students are in age stages in which their desire for for interaction, communication, and exchange of experi-
movement, activity, and vitality increases. It is difficult to ences between them. Many people saw the school’s internal
invest and produce all of this except in sports. The partic- corridors as worthless. It is a sign that confirms the absence
ipants advocated the importance of finding restaurants and of an important element in the outer space that helps in
student gathering places as an important goal. These are investing and employing the desire for movement and the
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 9

Shading device in outer spaces

120

13
100
56
80

60

40
31

20

0
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Organic materials such as...

Concrete and
other inorganic...
Climbing plants

Figure 8: Shading device for outer spaces.

need for it in the use of outer space as a complement to the diversity of learning sources and the need to communicate
inner space. The opinions of the participants prefer the with the educational staff to take care of learning led by
separation between the internal and external space. It is a students.
desire that reveals the need to develop external spaces for
free and flexible activities. They complement the require- 5. Discussion
ments of activities in internal spaces, where human action is
the most disciplined and attached to basic educational The idea of the biophilic school is based on the interactive
practice. The participants’ opinions assumed that the in- orientation with the outdoor green spaces. Therefore,
ternal spaces (classrooms) were not prepared for the edu- according to the recommendations of the school in charge,
cational process, as there is a lack of their special the architects have tended to design the school spaces to
requirements, and the desire to develop the educational enhance interaction with the outside and enrich the school
space was raised. life inside the building. Bamboo has been used to become the
The results of the questionnaire were complex, but they frame, floor, and furniture of tables and chairs in creative
unanimously agreed on the need for change. The study forms. The designers have tended to apply the concept of
found a major deficiency in the performance of outer space incubation, through outdoor spaces that tend to be closed to
functions, even though green spaces are very important themselves and with different spaces, which have an
elements. The addition of terrain in the gardens is highly openness to gardens and green spaces. The designers applied
required to give the open spaces a state of change and di- the concept of incubation through the building’s arch-like
versity. The presence of flower beds is necessary to activate shape, as the whole school opens onto gardens and open
visual attraction. The palm tree was the most preferred, ground. The biophilic school suggested that its facilities need
which corresponds to the feeling of familiarity and famil- to be designed according to the Iraqi climate and traditional
iarity with these trees. The importance of activating the water buildings concepts [34]. In this case, it is required to use the
component in open spaces was found (see Figure 9). Re- local building materials compatible with the environmental
garding educational buildings, the study found that sports and thermal conditions on the site. This trend can be
halls are required in the design of an integrated school as it invested in Iraqi schools by using local bricks in construction
assists the educational process. And in its absence, there is a and finishing as a material with appropriate thermal be-
clear deficiency in the maturation of the educational process havior. It can resist transition thermal temperature from
and its enrichment with complementary spaces of pleasure outside to inside, which reduces the harsh effect of the sun’s
and learning; in addition, cultural forums and communi- rays during the summer months. Through the information
cation between students or teachers are important as they that has been reached regarding the negative reality of the
help serve the educational space and support the idea of Iraqi school on the one hand and the positive information
science and learning community [32, 33]. This has become provided by the standards of the biophilic school and some
necessary considering the culture of learning about the other global models from these schools, more care needs to be
and its educational curricula, as well as the multiplicity and considered in developing green outdoor spaces in the school,
10 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

The water element in school courtyard in outer spaces

120

19 2
100

80 79

60

40

20

0
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Very important

neutral

Not important

Figure 9: The water element in the school courtyard.

where open outdoor spaces need to be enriched with materials that are compatible with the city’s climate, as well as
multiple trees, vegetation, water areas, and fountains. Clear the use of horizontal and vertical vegetation, where con-
attention should be paid to developing the components of struction surfaces can be covered with decorative plants, and
the inner courtyard, making it a space for fun and play, and the roof garden can be used and activated as part of the open
equipping it with what encourages its use and spending time outdoor spaces and for this positive effect. As for thermal
in it from outdoor recreational activities, where a child’s comfort, special pathways must be created between the
social, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being stands to buildings and the various activities in the open areas. This
be influenced during the time they spend away from their requires roofing the paths to develop efficient shades to avoid
parents/guardians [35]. As in many examples of biophilic the harsh rays of the sun in a hot period. In this way,
buildings around the world, the development of communi- communication between the activities in the building and the
cation between the internal spaces of the building and the outdoor areas can be made more efficient. According to Sam
external open spaces will have a positive outcome for the and Kouhırostamı, the human innate tendency to interact
occupants and the environmental condition of the internal with the natural environment has been developed by psy-
space, where Krstic et al. [36] find the positive role of the chologists. This interaction should be placed in educational
interaction between the learning interior spaces and the open environments (schools) [40]. Therefore, engaging the edu-
exterior space, which depends on the core, structure, and cational program with external spaces can be used in some
layout of the architectural buildings. It is an important role of cases as a space for practical or theoretical lessons compatible
creating interaction between interior and exterior space, with communication with outer space [41, 42].
where the visual connection, continuity, and building design
are the main factors that affect the physical and psychological 6. Conclusions
situation of users’ comfortability, which in parallel affects the
behavior [37]. In the biophilic concept, the idea of sustain- Biophilia in education buildings must assume a different
ability involves improving the quality of life, thus permitting form in the reading process. Biophilia can be represented as
individuals to live in a beneficial environment, with improved a natural phenomenon integrated into the building’s design
social, economic, and environmental circumstances [38]. The concept or a technique and technology that are required for a
sustainability constraints are to a better or lesser extent modern lifestyle. The research has tried to formulate the
interconnected. The challenge for designers is to bring to- practical requirements that serve to develop the educational
gether these various sustainability requirements in pioneering environment in Iraq. It urges educational institutions to
approaches [39]. Therefore, it becomes required in the design increase the interest in introducing biophilic concepts within
phase to adopt the sustainability standards in the construction the requirements of the comprehensive design process for
of school buildings, including the use of local building the urban environment in general and schools in particular
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 11

in a manner that secures an incubating environment that [6] R. E. Barlow, “Landscape design,” A Cultural and Architec-
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it requires investing the plant barriers and trees in providing [10] W. W. Nazaroff and C. J. Weschler, “Cleaning products and
sound insulation for the school and keeping it away from the air fresheners: exposure to primary and secondary air pol-
effects of noise and acoustic pollution near its buildings. lutants,” Atmospheric Environment, vol. 38, no. 18,
Research findings can provide useful recommendations for pp. 2841–2865, 2004.
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ternational standards in the educational environment and urban structure and composition,” Sustainability in Urban
for providing practical recommendations for rescuing Planning and Design, IntechOpen, London, UK, 2019, https://
[Link]/online-first/city-phenomenon-
schools in the local environment. The idea of a mixed
between-urban-structure-and-composition.
biophilic system that reconciles the built environment with [12] A. Loureiro and S. Veloso, “Green exercise, health and well-
the green environment came as a highly valued human and being,” Handbook of Environmental Psychology and Quality of
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of respect for mankind, the human value of nature, and the Springer, New York, NY, USA, 2017.
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nature, which caused the deterioration of the surrounding agents in building a green resilient city; the case of bir-
natural environment, were activated. This led to the thought mingham, UK,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 9, p. 5033, 2021.
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Ingenjörer Och Andra Problemlösare, Studentlitterature,
Lund, Skåne, Sweden, 2019.
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Design and Implementation, Jossey-Bass, Hoboken, NJ, USA,
The data used to support the findings of this study are in- 2015.
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modifying urban thermal environment: theory and guide-
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Dublin, Ireland, October
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