Scholarly Publications - Interior Architecture and Environmental Design

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11693/115607

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Open Access
A communication-driven method for enhancing user participation in the design process
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025-11-26) Gümüşay Özbek, Büşra; Demirkan, Halime; Pedgley, Owain
Design processes generally try to align user requirements with design solutions. Communication gaps between designers and users, nevertheless, may lead to mismatches between intended user experience and eventual perception by end users. This study presents a communication-driven method for enhancing user participation in the design process and formally incorporating user feedback. The method identifies and resolves user experience discontinuities by eliciting and consolidating qualitative and quantitative user appraisals. Building on the Semantic Discontinuity Detection method, the method (i) integrates user feedback into an iterative design process, and (ii) uses virtual reality simulations for design communication to detect and resolve discontinuities. The discontinuity results are communicated to designers, for improving correspondence between design outcomes and user experiences. Revised designs are evaluated for improved alignment, indicating validation of the method. The results show that communication-centered design effectively reduces experience inconsistencies, increases the engagement of users, and improves design outcomes.
Embargo
Evaluating audio-visual perception and psychological restoration based on biophilia hypothesis paradigm: a multi-domain assessment in oncology waiting areas
(Elsevier Ltd, 2025-03-01) Alimadhi, Enkela; Yılmazer, Semiha
Prior research has shown that biophilic environments can improve cognition and enhance positive mood, but these studies primarily investigate the visual aspect. This study focuses on a multi-domain assessment by examining the auditory and visual environments within oncology polyclinics. It employs a between-subjects investigation to compare two waiting areas with varying levels of biophilic features (e.g., visual connection with nature) at Ankara City Oncology Hospital, focusing on biophilic quality, the audio-visual environment, and psychological restoration as measures of interest. Initially, the data were collected in the field with 61 participants and then in a laboratory with 51 participants. The audio and visual environments were digitally reproduced in the laboratory using static images and binaural recordings. The survey procedure employed was based on the Biophilia Hypothesis Paradigm, which investigates biophilic feature effects on psychological restoration. Data from each setting were analyzed separately to identify differences between waiting areas in terms of the three measures. Significant differences between the measures were tested with parametric and Mann–Whitney U non-parametric tests. In terms of perceived biophilic quality, the observed data reveals significant differences in the field, and no significant difference is found in the laboratory. No significant differences were observed between groups regarding subjective responses on soundscape attributes, sound and visual appropriateness, and overall quality in both field and laboratory. Overall, the scores infer an annoying, eventful, and chaotic waiting area sound environment. No significant differences were observed in psychological restoration data in both settings. Further evaluation of hospitals from a biophilic perspective remains essential. Future studies might consider individual characteristics such as sensitivity (e.g., noise or connectedness to nature) to environmental stimuli (i.e., acoustic) given their reported influence on perception.
Embargo
Restaurant inclusivity: parents’ and children's perspectives
(Elsevier, 2025-07) Altıntepe, Büşra; Altay, Burçak
As commercial spaces, restaurants should assure inclusivity for parents and children. This study examined the restaurant servicescape within diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, focusing on children and their parents. Accordingly, we identified inclusivity criteria for restaurants containing six categories of physical and managerial aspects: facility features, layout, ambiance, product and service quality, health and safety, and meaningful activities. We explored parents' and children's perceptions and priorities regarding restaurant inclusivity. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, we gathered data through online surveys (40 parents), video-conferencing interviews (67 children), and children's self-expressions through a visual storytelling tool. Results reveal differences in parent-child perceptions and offer insight into their perspectives, highlighting meaningful activities encouraging socialization and play for children. This study incorporates family inclusion in restaurants by offering an inclusive methodology and a multi-dimensional servicescape framework that can be used in design, hospitality, and management studies, providing design implications considering children's perspectives alongside parents.
Open Access
Influence of empathic design process on universally designed kitchen environments in an online project-based course
(Springer Dordrecht, 2025-06-28) Yeşiltepe, Melis; Demirkan, Halime
This paper explores how experiencing the empathic design (ED) process influences students' end products (kitchen designs) in terms of applying Human Factors/Ergonomics (HF/E) and Universal Design (UD) principles. Moreover, it investigates what interior design items students give importance to and how they are performed in their end products. Interior design students are divided into three experimental and one control group in an online project-based course. The experimental groups used three different ED techniques, namely: (A) communication directly with the stakeholder, (B) communication indirectly with the stakeholder by using communication tools, and (C) using the role-playing technique in redesigning the stakeholder's kitchen environment online. Three instructors assessed the groups' end products using importance-performance analysis (IPA). Groups who experienced ED techniques were concerned about fulfilling stakeholder’s needs and paid great attention to finding UD solutions for all people's effortless use. IPA findings indicated that ED techniques having direct or indirect contact with the stakeholder provide more highly performed kitchen design items considered important in the design process. However, role-playing as an ED technique yields the imagination, and the designer's experience influences the design process. Design instructors should benefit from using the ED process in teaching UD in project-based courses as it helps the design students find more UD solutions for kitchen interiors.
Embargo
Spaces of liminality, places of creative assemblage: a multi-arts setting for people living with dementia in northwest England
(Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2025-08-15) Ward, Meghánn Catherine
Researchers are increasingly exploring the practicalities of ‘ageing in place’ for community-dwelling older adults with dementia. Going beyond the parameters of home and local neighbourhood, community-based creative arts designed for dementia are promoted for their wellbeing potential. This paper presents findings from a doctoral project conducted between 2017 and 2021, which explored a multi-arts setting at Theatre by the Lake (Cumbria, Northwest England) designed for people with dementia and caregivers. The study combined a participatory action research (PAR) and sensory ethnography design, adopting an ‘in-the-moment’ theoretical lens that included assemblage and relational wellbeing concepts. The findings explore the creative opportunity afforded by the liminal setting(s) and the person-centred meaning-making that creative arts encourage. The study recognises the importance of place outside of the home and how an in-between, transient, creative assemblage can contribute to ‘ageing in place’ as a microcosm of a neighbourhood, without the unpredictability of the public sphere.
Open Access
Building-level circularity assessment in urban regeneration: a Mediterranean case study
(Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd., 2025) Aral, Duygu; Khadim, Nouman; Kayaçetin, Nuri Cihan; Arsan, Zeynep Durmus
As the urgency to operate within planetary boundaries intensifies, adopting the circular economy (CE) in the built environment has become essential to mitigate environmental emissions, resource depletion, and waste generation. However, CE implementation at the building level remains fragmented in rapidly urbanizing lower-income countries. There is a pressing need for robust assessment to quantify the current level of circularity and identify context-specific opportunities for improvement. This study aims to evaluate the circularity potential of a residential building block in an urban regeneration project in Izmir, Türkiye, using the Whole Building Circularity Indicator (WBCI) applied to assess circularity across key lifecycle stages and system levels. The results indicate a WBCI score of 0.17 (on a scale of 1 fully circular to 0 fully linear) and a moderate flexibility of 0.70. This reflects a linear building profile driven by virgin materials, mass-intensive construction, limited adaptability, disassembly, and low end-of-life recovery potential. The structure layer presents the lowest system circularity score of 0.11. The study contributes to the literature on building circularity assessment by highlighting the critical role of the assessment framework in guiding the built environment toward more resource-efficient and sustainable outcomes in Mediterranean contexts, and offers practical insights to inform policy development.
Open Access
The role of user-centred design approach in sustainable design education: retrofitting an urban forest management building
(Springer Cham, 2025-04-09) Yazıcı, Beyza; Durmaz, Vedia; Afacan, Yasemin; Goodman Deane, J.; Zitkus, E.; Brock, A.; Clarkson, J.; Dong, H.; Heylighen, A.; Lazar, J.
Due to global energy consumption, retroﬁtting has started to become more important in the urban and architectural ﬁelds. According to the International Energy Agency, most energy consumption is caused by building new structures. Retroﬁtting is crucial to providing sustainable and healthier interiors for the well-being of the occupants and decreasing energy consumption. Therefore, the relationship between retroﬁtting and user-centred design (UCD) in the design process in the sustainable design course needs signiﬁcant further attention. 𝘈𝘪𝘮: This study aims to analyse the impact of the user proﬁle creation phase on students’ sustainable design projects in terms of retroﬁtting and UCD in the early stage of the process. 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥: A thematic analysis was used with a sample of 34 students’ group projects from the Sustainable Design for Interiors course at Bilkent University, Türkiye. Firstly, third-year students completed a user-proﬁle sheet to specify their users. Afterward, students were asked to create conceptual ideas based on the user proﬁle and retroﬁtting. All projects were analysed at the end of the semester. The collected project data were analysed from the perspectives of Social Retroﬁt, Energetic Retroﬁt, and Urban and Architectonic Retroﬁt to create a social network diagram. It indicates a relationship between themes and how much students used these themes. 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: The ﬁndings revealed that the students are more able to integrate UCD with retroﬁt. 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴: The results of the projects indicate that they are not separated from user and structural features. The user and structure were perceived as one factor for the retroﬁt design process.
Open Access
Visual experience of space: relating textual descriptions of perceived atmosphere to luminance contrast metrics
(ACM, 2025-07-12) Yalçın, İpek; Olguntürk, Nilgün
This exploratory study investigates the quantifiable relationship between image properties and the aesthetic perception of indoor environments, focusing on luminance contrast, light, form, and material variations. A diverse image set of everyday spaces was curated, and a comprehensive list of atmosphere descriptors was developed from lighting literature. Using pixel value distribution analysis, images were classified by luminance contrast, and 24 participants evaluated 15 images using 54 Turkish atmosphere adjectives on a 5-point semantic differential scale. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the responses revealed three components based on 43 adjectives related to perceived atmosphere. Notably, the second component was significantly correlated with luminance contrast, indicating that variations in light, color, and materials - and the resulting changes in luminance contrast - can influence atmospheric perception. The first and third components captured atmospheric qualities beyond luminance contrast. These findings provide valuable insights into how image attributes, particularly luminance contrast, impact aesthetic evaluations of indoor environments, contributing to the broader understanding of atmospheric perception in built spaces.
Open Access
A systematic literature review on circularity assessment indicators and frameworks in the built environment
(Elsevier BV, 2025-07-10) Li, Qiuxian; Saelens, Dirk; Kayaçetin, Nuri Cihan; Aslanoğlu, Rengin; van Hoof, Joost; Piccardo, Chiara
A wide range of circularity assessment indicators and frameworks for the built environment have been developed in recent years to support the transition to a circular economy (CE). However, few studies have systematically reviewed the available circularity assessment methods beyond the building scale, and there is limited analysis of non-quantitative assessment methods. Therefore, this systematic literature review of 66 studies identifies and analyzes existing circularity assessment indicators and frameworks for the built environment across building, neighborhood, and city (and beyond) scales, providing a comprehensive overview of the state of the art and key directions for future research. The analysis identifies 148 quantitative, 160 semi-quantitative, and 152 qualitative indicators, which are categorized based on their application in circularity assessment, either individually or as part of indicator sets in frameworks. The results show that existing indicators cover five key dimensions of circularity; however, the interrelationships between these dimensions remain unclear and are rarely addressed. Most indicators are applied at the building level, while larger spatial scales remain less developed. These findings highlight the complexity of the current state of the art, driven by the extensive number and fragmentation of existing indicators. Based on this, this review recommends future research directions to enhance circularity assessment methodologies, with an emphasis on refining existing methods, improving decision-support mechanisms, and moving toward standardization. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying critical research needs, this study serves as a starting point toward standardizing circularity assessment and thus supporting the adoption of CE principles in the built environment.
Open Access
Co-creating an urban circularity questionnaire: a workshop approach with experts
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2026-01-25) Aslanoğlu, Rengin; Ivan, Loredana; Kayaçetin, Nuri Cihan; Li, Qiuxian; van Hoof, Joost; Dikken, Jeroen
As cities strive for sustainable development, the concept of urban circularity is gaining increasing recognition as a framework for systemic transformation. Yet, tools used to assess circularity, such as questionnaires, are often limited to traditional measurement functions. This paper argues that adopting new methods for developing questionnaires can serve as both a mechanism for creating a circularity measurement tool and for initiating conversations with stakeholders. It details a co-creation process involving international stakeholders (architects, urban planners, local government representatives, and social scientists) in the development of a circularity questionnaire and argues that these should be context-driven, methodologically sound, and, more importantly, socially accountable tools that include all stakeholders. This paper emphasizes ensuring effective measurements of urban circularity through the participation of all perspectives, improving the development process and the quality of surveys, and increasing stakeholder participation and dialog to effect change and increase insights into circularity practices.
Open Access
Spatial Politics in Istanbul: Turning Points in Contemporary Turkey, Courtney Dorroll and Philip Dorroll (2023)
(Intellect Ltd., 2025-05-22) Al, Meltem
Open Access
Assessment of the physical and architectural features of nursing homes in Türkiye
(Sage Publications, 2025-07-31) Froughisaeid, Negin; Altay, Burçak
Aim: This study aims to evaluate the physical and architectural features of nursing homes in Türkiye to establish a foundational understanding of their current conditions and recommend improvements that can enhance residents’ quality of life. Background: This study represents the first comprehensive assessment of nursing home environments in Türkiye, focusing on facilities in Ankara, Izmir, and Istanbul. The research addresses a gap in understanding the physical environments of these facilities by examining how well their design and amenities are represented or overlooked within the scope of the assessment tool. Method: The study uses the Physical and Architectural Features (PAF) checklist from the Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure (MEAP) to conduct a detailed evaluation of seven nursing home facilities. This checklist allows for a structured analysis of various environmental factors critical to the design and function of care settings for older adults. Result: Findings indicate that while Community Accessibility and Safety Features were within the acceptable norms, Staff Facilities and Social-Recreational Aids scored moderately low. Moreover, Physical Amenities, Prosthetic Aids, and Orientation Aids scored significantly below the average, showing significant deficiencies across the evaluated facilities. Conclusion: The assessment provides foundational knowledge for understanding the physical conditions in Turkish nursing homes and offers insights for policymakers and designers. The study’s recommendations aim to inform future interventions that can enhance the physical environment of care settings, thereby supporting older adults’ well-being and quality of life.
Open Access
Ten questions concerning circularity in the built environment
(Elsevier Ltd., 2026-03-15) Kayaçetin, Cihan N.; Aslanoğlu, Rengin; Piccardo, Chiara; Afacan, Yasemin; Masera, Gabriele; Li, Qiuxian; Biraghi, Carlo Andrea; Pittau, Francesco; Saelens, Dirk; Soebarto, Veronica; Zuo, Jian; Chang, Ruidong; Vrebos, Hanne; Van Acker, Karel; Sebastian, Rizal; Dikken, Jeroen; Ivan, Loredana; Alaerts, Luc; Aral, Duygu; Terzieva, Liliya; van Hoof, Joost
The rapid urbanisation of our societies calls for an urban renewal movement, including developing new areas to accommodate housing facilities and services and regenerating existing urban areas. Yet, urban renewal projects pose trade-offs impacting both environmental and socio-economic aspects. The renovation and new construction of buildings can escalate the use of energy and material resources as well as increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union plays a leading role in promoting the transition towards sustainable and inclusive cities, whereas other regions such as North America, Australia and Asia follow suit via Circular Economy Action Plans or Frameworks, highlighting the need to enhance resource efficiency in buildings through the use of durable and circular materials. Current research on resource efficiency in buildings follows the Circular Economy concept, which aims to reduce the use of raw materials and the waste of existing materials while retaining their value for as long as possible. However, the role of the circular economy in sustainable transition and the adoption of its principles in urban contexts remain unclear while its practical implementation still faces significant challenges, including the lack of analytical instruments and assessment methods as well as co-creative approaches. This ‘Ten Questions contribution’ provides an overview of the pressing issues concerning circularity in the built environment, the state-of-the-art and best practices, challenges and benefits, policies and regulations, as well as numerous strategies applied on the building and neighbourhood level, assessment methodologies and future trends.
Open Access
The role of architectural boundaries in shaping visitors’ aesthetic experiences in virtual exhibition environments
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2026-01-06) Obeid, Samah; Demirkan, Halime
Research into exhibition spaces increasingly focuses on visitors’ aesthetic experiences. This study explores how the architectural boundaries of virtual exhibition environments influence visitors’ aesthetic experiences. Twelve virtual exhibition environments were developed in which the architectural boundaries defining the exhibition space, such as ceiling height and curvature, were manipulated through virtual reality. Participants assessed their aesthetic experiences based on three dimensions: familiarity, excitement, and fascination. Participants’ emotional states, education type, and presence level were also measured. The findings indicated that curvature negatively impacts familiarity, whereas ceiling height and curvature positively correlate with excitement and fascination. This study is a pioneering effort to link aesthetic experience dimensions with architectural boundaries in virtual exhibition environments, enhancing our understanding of how visitors perceive these virtual exhibition environments differently.
Open Access
Living room atmospheres: exploring how luminance contrast and colour influence domestic space
(Znack Publishing House, 2025-08-15) Yalçın, İpek; Olguntürk, Nilgün
Living rooms are shaped by functional, aesthetic, and socio-economic choices and formed by visual factors such as luminance contrast and colour schemes that create distinct atmospheres. Using a single living room image with digitally manipulated luminance contrast levels and colour schemes (warm, cool, and grey), 35 Turkish participants evaluated the emotional and cognitive effects of these variations. Results indicate that luminance contrast significantly shapes the perception of atmosphere, with higher contrast contributing to more vibrant and lively spaces, while low-contrast grey schemes led to more subdued, negative associations. Gender differences emerged in the perception of certain adjectives, such as ‘depressing’ and ‘uncomfortable’. By examining how visual elements create distinct atmospheres in domestic spaces, this study offers insights relevant to interior design and domestic architecture, contributing to a deeper understanding of how material and sensory elements influence the experience of home environments.
Embargo
From global evidence to local action plan: a novel building decarbonization maturity scale and roadmap for nZEB office buildings in developing contexts − case of Türkiye
(Elsevier BV, 2025-12-01) Karanfil, Başak Yüncü; Kayaçetin, Nuri Cihan; Tereci, Ayşegül; Bıyıklı, Neslihan; Kılınç Gilisıralıoğlu, Merve; Karaer, Diğdem
To effectively combat climate change, various policies and strategies are being developed to reduce emissions by 2050. The construction sector assumes a pivotal role in achieving decarbonization targets. It is imperative to acknowledge the potential of practices in developing countries, which can provide the critical part of carbon reduction on a global scale. In this context, Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) are attracting global attention as a key component of sustainable construction and urban regeneration. Despite high level of energy efficiency and potential to utilize renewable energy, nZEBs have not found widespread application in developing countries. This study benefits from a systematic review of the whole-life decarbonization process of nZEB office buildings. The study evaluated policy frameworks, implementation, and potential emission reduction strategies through energy efficiency measures, material selection, and the integration of renewable energy. In response, the study proposes a structured, context-sensitive decarbonization maturity scale and roadmap to guide policy and practice in developing countries and utilized Türkiye as a case study example. The findings reveal that Türkiye’s current nZEB definition positions it at Level 2 (Emerging) on the decarbonization maturity scale. The country’s high carbon intensity signals the urgency of prioritizing demand reduction and efficiency. Despite enhancements, nZEB offices in Türkiye exhibit high carbon emissions, with operational emissions ranging from 7.5 to 35 kgCO$_2$-eq/m$^2$/year and embodied carbon from 182 to 201 kgCO$_2$-eq/m$^2$. As a result, the maturity scale identifies leverage points offering a mechanism to benchmark progress and accelerate climate action in line with international examples approaching Level 5.
Open Access
New displays in the old capital: the architecture of Bursa expositions in the turn-of-the-century Ottoman Empire
(Taylor and Francis, 2025) Horuz, Semra
The Bursa Goods and Products Exposition of 1906 and the Bursa Exposition of 1909 were organized by two different Ottoman administrations to display artistic, industrial, and agricultural developments in and around the historic Ottoman city. Extant buildings, deliberately selected, were temporarily repurposed as exposition venues, reflecting both practical and ideological needs. Two opposing administrations, in 1906 celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of Abdülhamid II’s ascension to the throne and in 1909 following his deposition after the Young Turk Revolution, nonetheless had a shared goal in their architectural choices: to link the traditional and modern culture within the historical characteristic of Bursa. The buildings reflected modernization, but also the elevation of Islamic art. This chapter traces the inter-imperial ideas, people, visual, and architectural materials circulating around the Bursa expositions at the turn of the twentieth century, while also naming communities of architects, artists, producers, and creators of the Bursa expositions. Without falling into a prospective view that puts the demise of the Ottoman empire as the main marker, I read the Bursa exposition venues as a cross-section of late Ottoman architectural culture revealing its inter-imperiality with local, historical, and modern layers.
Open Access
The role of the physical environment on formal and informal mindfulness: the sensory retreat experience
(Routledge, 2025-09-02) Yurttaş, Damla; Altay, Burçak
A sensory engagement with the surroundings lies at the heart of awareness. Mindfulness practices cultivate such awareness, where the physical environment is a significant feature. However, the synergy between mindfulness practices and the physical environment has received little scholarly attention. This study focuses on the “retreat experience” to explore how mindfulness practitioners perceive the physical environment–both natural and built–through their formal and informal mindfulness practices. We investigated the unfolding of the sensory experience within two settings throughout the duration of the retreat. Data was collected through participatory observation and in-depth interviews with nine retreatants, the mindfulness instructor, and two retreat center operators. Results provide us with insights into the rich interplay between the inner and outer worlds, where sensory awareness plays a crucial role in cultivating presence and practice. Besides the expansion of each sense and their multi-sensory interaction, the perception of the retreat setting’s spatial interreations is also crucial for providing retreatants with meaningful encounters with the surroundings.
Open Access
Neuroarchitecture of aesthetic experience: investigating brain oscillations for interior spaces with curved boundaries in virtual reality
(American Psychological Association, 2025-09-29) Elver Boz, Tuğçe; Bayer, İsmail Hakkı; Evsen, Şeyda; Demirkan, Halime; Ürgen, Burcu Ayşen
This study takes an interdisciplinary approach to investigate interior space perception-environments where people spend much of their daily lives-by examining behavior and brain activity. Integrating psychology, neuroscience, and architecture, it explores three key components of aesthetic experience (familiarity, excitement, and fascination) within virtual reality environments. Using 32 virtual interior spaces with curved boundary types and varying architectural variables (size, light, texture, and color), 20 participants assessed aesthetic qualities while their brain activity was recorded via electroencephalography. Behavioral results reveal that horizontal boundaries were perceived as more familiar, whereas vertical boundaries (VB) evoked higher levels of excitement and fascination. Neural results showed that alpha and beta oscillations reflected perceptual and emotional engagement, particularly under vertical boundaries. Alpha desynchronization was observed in posterior and right-hemisphere regions, suggesting enhanced attentional engagement and spatial analysis during VB-related judgments. Beta activity showed differentiated patterns: Desynchronization during familiarity under VB reflected active environmental evaluation, whereas synchronization during fascination under VB pointed to top-down processing and emotional resonance. Notably, theta synchronization increased during familiarity judgments under VB, aligning with its role in memory encoding and cognitive effort. Together, these findings demonstrate that architectural features systematically modulate both the subjective experience and the neural dynamics of aesthetic evaluation. This study contributes to neuroarchitecture by elucidating how architectural design influences aesthetic experiences, offering insights for creating more functional and emotionally resonant spaces.
Open Access
Exploring the importance and performance priorities of older adults with a user-centred approach to create a fall-free bathroom
(Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2024-06-19) Afacan, Yasemin; Barshan, Billur
Background Fall hazards in bathroom spaces constitute one of the most critical issues in the daily lives of older adults. Bathroom falls are somewhat different and constrained in nature than those in other parts of a home environment. Objectives This study aimed to adopt a user-centred approach to explore older adults' general bathroom needs, with a specific focus on showers and bathtubs as the designated activity area. Methods The authors employed an extended importance–performance analysis (IPA) with a mixed-method research design. Three hundred and eleven older adults participated in a face-to-face IPA questionnaire for the quantitative phase of the study. The authors gathered the qualitative data through open-ended questions from 59 older adults. Results The authors found positive correlation between older adults' attitudes towards an older-friendly bathroom and the potential for their bathrooms to be fall-free. The IPA calculations identify three key items with higher ratings in both importance and performance: The presence of appropriate artificial lighting, efficient mechanical ventilation and an accessible inside towel rail. Thematic analysis yields four themes: comfort, ease of access, error-proof design and emergency management. Conclusions The IPA calculations and thematic analysis confirm that older adults' rankings of importance and performance and their corresponding priority levels within the overarching themes indicate the need for these aspects to perform well and justify ongoing investments. The study concludes that addressing fall prevention requires not only designing specific solutions but also utilising appropriate technology in bathing and toileting activities. Implications for Practice Practitioners in geriatric and gerontological nursing, design, architecture and health care can use the importance and performance priority levels of older adults to guide the development and implementation of fall-free bathroom design. Policymakers can leverage the insights from this research to inform guidelines and regulations related to building codes, accessibility standards and healthcare policies.