Problem Statement: The scarcity of natural landscapes in contemporary residential settings and the disconnection between humans and nature in modern societies deprive residents of the tranquilizing benefits of natural environments. Consequently, enhancing subjective well-being and mental health has come to be known as a critical challenge in residential setting design.
Research Objective: The present study was an attempt to identify and classify the dominant perspectives of architectural experts familiar with biophilic design principles regarding the influence of nature-based design on the subjective well-being of residents in residential complexes.
Methodology: the present heuristic study is fundamental in terms of objective and falls into the category of descriptive survey studies in terms of data collection. The Delphi method was employed to identify expert perspectives, and Q factor analysis was used to classify their perceptual patterns. In the Delphi phase, 20 experts in architectural education and design were selected through purposive, non probability sampling. The sample size was justified by the inclusive recruitment of experts with distinct views and their participation in the study. A Likert scale questionnaire for Q factor analysis was then administered to the experts, and the data were analyzed with SPSS 27.
Conclusion:The findings revealed four dominant subjective patterns among architectural experts: Objective pattern (visual quality of nature) 14.635%, Functional pattern (structure of nature) – 13.027%, Semantic pattern (semantic relationship with nature) – 12.879% and Sensory pattern (non visual physics of nature) – 9.996%. These four patterns indicate that architectural experts consider nature effective in improving residents’ subjective well being from four perspectives: visual, functional, semantic, and non visual.