The detachment of humans from nature driven by rapid urbanization has impacted humans, nature, and built environments. The conscious human effort to affiliate with natural elements within built environments, defined as biophilic design, has positively contributed to human health and well-being. However, despite the increasing popularity of this concept, there remains a gap between the conceptual framework and practical implementation that comprehensively links biophilic principles to measurable outcomes. This study rationalizes the theoretical evolution of biophilic design by examining the evolution of conceptual frameworks to structured theories and synthesizing theoretical foundations of architectural and environmental psychology fields. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive-exploratory approach, this study employs a literature review method to explore evidence and artifacts that construct the theoretical foundation of biophilic design. The initial search starts from several existing biophilic frameworks and connects them to biophilic practices in various contexts. Data collection involved an examination of scholarly articles, books, and documented case studies demonstrating the successful application of biophilic features. Thematic syntheses and codification were used to generalize the interim findings. The research results that several perspectives are relevant to this theory related to biophilia, ecology and habitat, place and residence, and restoration concepts. It's anticipated that the findings will enhance the current discourse by establishing a more sophisticated theoretical underpinning for biophilic design, providing clearer directions for future research and practical implementations in architecture, and fostering environments that improve human-nature relationships.

Keywords: biophilic design, biophilic architecture; concept rationale; conceptual framework; structured theory.