Biophilic Architecture and Quality of Life in a Geriatric Residence: Correlational Analysis and Empirical Hierarchization of Design Dimensions–A Case Study in Metropolitan Lima

Aquiño-Poma Z.S.; Encarnacion-Ccoscco M.S.A.; Medrano-Sanchez E.J. · Buildings (2026) · DOI: 10.3390/buildings16132685

Resumen

International evidence positions the built environment as an active component of the quality of life of older adults; however, the empirical quantification of that relationship and its hierarchization to guide design decisions in Latin American geriatric residences remain a persistent gap. Against this background, the present study examined how biophilic architecture relates to the quality of life of older adults residing in a geriatric residence in the Cercado de Lima district, adopting a single-case study approach. A quantitative approach with a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and correlational design was adopted. The sample comprised 81 proxy informants, relatives in close and ongoing contact with the residents, recruited by non-probabilistic convenience sampling. A structured questionnaire of 25 Likert-scale items, each with five response categories, was used to gather the data, administered through the QuestionPro platform. Content validity was established through the judgment of three architecture specialists; reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ( (Formula presented.) = 0.943). Given that the data did not follow a normal distribution (Shapiro–Wilk, p < 0.05 in 9 of 10 variables), the inferential analysis relied on Spearman’s rho coefficient, with Kendall’s Tau-b as a complement. The results revealed a positive, statistically significant, and large-magnitude association between biophilic architecture and quality of life ( (Formula presented.) = 0.792, p < 0.001). Dimensional analysis identified a hierarchical pattern organized in two statistically distinguishable levels. In biophilic architecture, a first level comprised the nature of the space ( (Formula presented.) = 0.792) and sensory stimulation ( (Formula presented.) = 0.783), and a second significantly lower level comprised natural analogs ( (Formula presented.) = 0.621) and nature in the space ( (Formula presented.) = 0.605). In quality of life, a first level comprised physical health ( (Formula presented.) = 0.763), social relationships ( (Formula presented.) = 0.753), and psychological health ( (Formula presented.) = 0.720), and a second level comprised environment ( (Formula presented.) = 0.564); coefficients within each level did not differ significantly, whereas the difference between levels was significant. The obtained empirical hierarchization was translated into evidence-informed design orientations, offering architects and facility managers a non-prescriptive guide for setting design priorities where infrastructure is limited, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 11. The study was conducted through proxy informants, family members with direct and sustained contact with the resident, a methodological configuration recognized in the specialized literature on institutionalized older adults and whose perceptual mediation remains as a residual consideration of the design when interpreting the findings. As a single-case study, the findings characterize the analyzed institutional context and constitute transferable hypotheses to be verified in further residences rather than generalizations to the broader population of geriatric residences.

Instituciones: Universidad Tecnológica del Perú