PROMOTING HEALTH THROUGH SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR ENVIRONMENTS IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES: COLOUR, LIGHT, SPACIOUSNESS, AND THE ROLE OF HOME ATTACHMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i42.2061Keywords:
Colour, light and spaciousness, Environmental stress theory, Health rate, Home attachment, Sustainable apartmentsAbstract
High-density apartment living presents unique challenges to residents’ health and well-being, particularly in rapidly urbanizing contexts such as China. Drawing on Environmental Stress Theory (EST) and Biophilic Interior Design (BID), this study investigates how three key interior features—colour, light, and spaciousness (CLS)—affect residents’ health rate through both direct sensory impacts and the emotional mechanism of home attachment, defined as emotional reliance on one’s living space. A survey of 454 residents from apartment complexes in Haikou, China, was analyzed using structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis. Results indicate that colour and light have significant direct effects on health, whereas spaciousness influences health indirectly via home attachment. Gender differences were observed, with light exerting a stronger health effect for males than females. Findings extend EST by identifying home attachment as a coping mechanism and broaden BID’s application beyond aesthetics, offering design guidance for sustainable apartments that enhance well-being.
Downloads
References
Aguirre-Sosa, J., Dextre, M. L., Lozada-Urbano, M., & Vargas-Merino, J. A. (2023). Background of Peruvian gastronomy and its perspectives: An assessment of its current growth. Journal of Ethnic Foods, 10(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42779-023-00212-4
Barroso, A., González-López, Ó., Sanguino, R., & Buenadicha-Mateos, M. (2018). Analysis and Evaluation of the Largest 500 Family Firms’ Websites through PLS-SEM Technique. Sustainability, 10(2), 557. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020557
Bettaieb, D. M., Mohammed, W., & Khawaji, S. (2023). Exploring Visual Biophilic Interior Design Features in Homes: An Experimental Study through a Virtual Environment Design. The International Journal of Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design, 18(1), 45–73. https://doi.org/10.18848/2325-1662/CGP/v18i01/45-73
Black, W., & Babin, B. J. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis: Its Approach, Evolution, and Impact. In B. J. Babin & M. Sarstedt (Eds.), The Great Facilitator (pp. 121–130). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-06031-2_16
Bolten, B., & Barbiero, G. (2020). Biophilic Design: How to enhance physical and psychological health and wellbeing in our built environments. Visions for Sustainability, No 14 (2020). https://doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/3829
Colenberg, S., & Jylhä, T. (2022). Identifying interior design strategies for healthy workplaces – a literature review. Journal of Corporate Real Estate, 24(3), 173–189. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRE-12-2020-0068
Costa, M., Frumento, S., Nese, M., & Predieri, I. (2018). Interior Color and Psychological Functioning in a University Residence Hall. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1580. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01580
Ekhaese, E., Hussain, W., Ndimako, O. O., Hussain, K., & Owoseni, A. (2025). Sensory sustainable homes, a study of the healthy happy home (3H) conceptual design model: An explanatory qualitative study. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 7, 1506672. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2025.1506672
Evans, G. W., & Cohen, S. (1987). Environmental Stress.pdf.
Evans, G. W., & Stecker, R. (2004). Motivational consequences of environmental stress. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 24(2), 143–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(03)00076-8
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error: Algebra and Statistics.
Foster, S., Maitland, C., Hooper, P., Bolleter, J., Duckworth-Smith, A., Giles-Corti, B., & Arundel, J. (2019). High Life Study protocol: A cross-sectional investigation of the influence of apartment building design policy on resident health and well-being. BMJ Open, 9(8), e029220. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029220
Gifford, R. (2014). Environmental Psychology Matters. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 541–579. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115048
Guo, X., & Cui, X. (2025). GIS-Based Study on the Suitability of Site Selection for Community Complexes in Old Residential Areas in Xi’an, China. Buildings, 15(4), 551. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040551
Hair, J. F., Howard, M. C., & Nitzl, C. (2020). Assessing measurement model quality in PLS-SEM using confirmatory composite analysis. Journal of Business Research, 109, 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.069
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R: A Workbook. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Hedayati Marzbali, M., Abdullah, A., & Maghsoodi Tilaki, M. J. (2016). The effectiveness of interventions in the built environment for improving health by addressing fear of crime. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 45, 120–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlcj.2015.12.002
Henseler, J. (2009). The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. In C. M. Ringle & R. R. Sinkovics, Advances in International Marketing (pp. 277–319). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/s1474-7979(2009)0000020014
Huntsman, D. D., & Bulaj, G. (2022). Healthy Dwelling: Design of Biophilic Interior Environments Fostering Self-Care Practices for People Living with Migraines, Chronic Pain, and Depression. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4), 2248. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042248
Kamata, T., Nakano, J., Fujii, R., Murakami, S., Ikaga, T., & Kawakubo, S. (2025). Survival time analysis of the relationship between the residential environment and residents’ health status. Building and Environment, 267, 112305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.112305
Kellert, S. R. (2008). Dimensions, elements, and attributes of biophilic design.
Khanzadeh, M. (2024). ENHANCING USER EXPERIENCE IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE THROUGH BIOPHILIC DESIGN: A CASE STUDY OF URBAN RESIDENTIAL SPACES. New Design Ideas, 8(1), 137–168. https://doi.org/10.62476/ndi81137
Kim, J., De Dear, R., Cândido, C., Zhang, H., & Arens, E. (2013). Gender differences in office occupant perception of indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Building and Environment, 70, 245–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.08.022
Kim, J. Y., & Kim, Y. O. (2022). Residents’ Spatial-Usage Behavior and Interaction According to the Spatial Configuration of a Social Housing Complex: A Comparison between High-Rise Apartments and Perimeter Block Housing. Sustainability, 14(3), 1138. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031138
Kleeman, A., Hooper, P., Giles-Corti, B., & Foster, S. (2022). A new Australian dream? Exploring associations between apartment design attributes and housing satisfaction in three Australian cities. Cities, 131, 104043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2022.104043
Knez, I. (2001). EFFECTS OF COLOUR OF LIGHT ON NONVISUAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21(2), 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.2000.0198
Kock, N. (2015). Common method bias in PLS-SEM: A full collinearity assessment approach. In International Journal of e-Collaboration (Vol. 11, Number 4).
Larcombe, D.-L., Etten, E. V., Logan, A. C., Prescott, S. L., & Horwitz, P. (2019). LIVING ON A HIGHER FLOOR LEVEL AS A DETERRENT TO A ‘NATURISTIC’ LIFESTYLE – RETHINKING DESIGN OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
Liu, Y., Zhou, Z., & Xu, Y. (2023). Design Element Preferences in Public Facilities: An Eye Tracking Study. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071411
McGee, B., Park, N., Portillo, M., Bosch, S., & Swisher, M. (2019). DIY BIOPHILIA: DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIOPHILIC INTERIOR DESIGN MATRIX AS A DESIGN TOOL. Journal of Interior Design, 44(4), 201–221. https://doi.org/10.1111/joid.12159
McGee, B., & Park, N.-K. (2022). Colour, Light, and Materiality: Biophilic Interior Design Presence in Research and Practice. Interiority, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.7454/in.v5i1.189
Meagher, B. R. (2020). Ecologizing Social Psychology: The Physical Environment as a Necessary Constituent of Social Processes. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 24(1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868319845938
Meagher, B. R., & Cheadle, A. D. (2020). Distant from others, but close to home: The relationship between home attachment and mental health during COVID-19. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 72, 101516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101516
Morales-Bravo, J., & Navarrete-Hernandez, P. (2022). Enlightening wellbeing in the home: The impact of natural light design on perceived happiness and sadness in residential spaces. Building and Environment, 223, 109317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109317
Obeidat, A. M., Obeidat, A. M., & Assistant professor of interior design, Department of Interior Design, Faculty of Art and Design, Ajloun National University, Jordan. (2024). Interior Design Strategies for Improving Quality of Life: How Can Residential Spaces Reflect a Healthy Lifestyle and Psychological Comfort. International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications, 45(4), 71–86. https://doi.org/10.70517/ijhsa4547
Peters, T., & Halleran, A. (2020). How our homes impact our health: Using a COVID-19 informed approach to examine urban apartment housing. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 15(1), 10–27. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-08-2020-0159
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common Method Biases in Behavioral Research: A Critical Review of the Literature and Recommended Remedies. In Journal of Applied Psychology (Vol. 88, Number 5, pp. 879–903). American Psychological Association Inc. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
Sholanke, A., Fadesere, O., & Elendu, D. (2021). The Role of Artificial Lighting in Architectural Design: A Literature Review. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 665(1), 012008. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/665/1/012008
Wei, H. (2024). DecorPGNet: Functional Area Division and Layout Algorithm Model in Living Rooms of Chinese Apartment-Style Family Homes. https://doi.org/10.19080/CERJ.2024.15.555902
Wu, F., & Zhang, F. (2022). Rethinking China’s urban governance: The role of the state in neighbourhoods, cities and regions. Progress in Human Geography, 46(3), 775–797. https://doi.org/10.1177/03091325211062171
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysian Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.
