Background: Biophilia is becoming an important theme in contemporary design practice. Research in this area has demonstrated measurable improvements in human health and wellbeing when built environments are able to connect people to nature. However, there is much debate about how design students can best learn to fluidly implement biophilic principles in their work. Purpose: This article describes an action research study conducted by design educators to evaluate experiential learning techniques in health care–focused interior design studio courses. The goal was to improve students’ creative synthesis in applying biophilic principles. Methodology/Approach: The author followed the four steps of action research—planning, action, observation, and reflection—in developing and evaluating a new experiential learning framework. An observational approach was used to assess student projects and the effectiveness of these teaching methods. Findings/Conclusions: Students who participated in the experiential learning activities demonstrated a relatively higher degree of holistic integration of biophilic principles in their design projects. Implications: While the observational findings are provisional evidence, these results provide insights into the advantages that experiential pedagogies may have in helping students to integrate and apply design knowledge. The ability to connect biophilic design principles to direct personal experiences appears to enhance creative synthesis in student work.

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PurposeThe researchers analyzed factors affecting the adoption of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green-building certification system in Jordan, including financial performance of certified projects along with broader barriers that may impact developers’ interest in LEED.Design/methodology/approachThe authors first reviewed online data for all LEED registered and certified projects in Jordan, recruited LEED-certified project stakeholders, collected documents related to LEED projects and conducted LEED category credit summaries, financial cost-benefit analyses and spot-checking reported values in local markets. The authors then visited projects sites and interviewed various project stakeholders to understand better stakeholders' decision-making processes concerning LEED and relevant factors (financial, branding, cultural, political, etc.).FindingsObtaining LEED certification in Jordan was financially feasible as evinced in both the quantitative analysis and interviews. However, the authors found that there was very limited interest in LEED among Jordanian developers. Barriers included widespread cynicism toward green building concepts as well as a lack of local expertise in installing and maintaining green technologies. To overcome these barriers, the authors recommend that green building initiatives place a greater emphasis on education and public-promotion activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe research data were limited to projects that had successfully achieved LEED certification. Broader qualitative research conducted across the Jordanian building community could provide additional insights, but such an investigation is beyond the scope of the current study.Originality/valueThe complexity of adapting a Western green building standard (LEED) to a non-Western context is discussed in detail. The findings suggest that understanding regional development challenges, local markets and cultural differences is vital for successfully implementing green building certification systems.