A Toolkit of Biophilic Interventions for Existing Schools to Enhance Student and Faculty Health and Performance

This study examines the importance of school learning environments on student and faculty outcomes, highlighting the negative effects of limited funding on public school facilities. It advocates for exploring affordable retrofit strategies to enhance health and performance in existing schools. The research emphasizes the potential of biophilic design in creating improved environments, offering a toolkit of 42 biophilic retrofits specifically for K-12 schools. This toolkit includes stakeholder cards that detail precedents, impacts, and relevance to high-performance schools. A sorting study among stakeholders assessed the perceived viability and impact of these strategies, revealing that biophilic retrofits are viewed as impactful, albeit with varying affordability. Ultimately, this study provides valuable insights for enhancing conditions for both students and faculty within K-12 institutions.