Using Computer Vision and Parametric Design Software to Quantify Nature Dose in Indoor Built Environments

Humans have an innate need to connect with nature, and designing built environments that promote this connection can support well-being. While research has shown that natural materials, views of nature through windows, and presence of indoor plants, are design features that promote well-being, there is a lack of understanding of how much connection to nature inside buildings is needed to achieve desired well-being outcomes. To answer the question of “how much,” we first need tools to quantify indoor doses of nature. In this study, we compare two methods of measuring nature indoors to a baseline pixel analysis. We use a semantic segmentation computer vision technique and a parametric method. These methods are applied to photographs and 3D models of a conference room. While both methods face limitations relating to quantifying views of nature through windows, they perform well overall compared to our baseline. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each method to support studies of the role of connection to nature indoors on well-being.