Personal profile
Personal profile
I am an interdisciplinary scholar with expertise in architecture, sustainable design, and civil engineering. My research examines how the built environment shapes multiple dimensions of human well-being (psychological, physiological, and behavioral) and explores design strategies to improve occupant experience. I earned a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University and hold master’s degrees in Sustainable Architecture from the University of Edinburgh (UK) and Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University (USA), as well as a bachelor’s degree in Architecture (Honors) from UET, Pakistan.
Research Interests
- Design for Well-being
- Biophilic Design
- Sustainable Architecture
- Hybrid Physical-Digital Environments
- Human-Centered Interventions
- Mixed Methods Research
- Virtual Reality
- Time Perception
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University
Award Date: 9 Jan 2025
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Biophilic Design Interventions for Indoor Environments: Exploring Nature Connectedness, Well-being, and Public Acceptance Through a Within-subjects Experiment
Altaf, B. & Billington, S. L., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Environment and Behavior. 00139165251347579.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2 Scopus citations -
Impact of windows, natural materials, and diverse representations in built environments on psychological and physiological well-being: A between-subjects experiment in immersive virtual environments
Altaf, B., Tavakoli, A., Ruth, P., Green, A., Xu, J., Jain, S., Chiu, E., Bencharit, L. Z., Murnane, E. L., Landay, J. A. & Billington, S. L., 15 Jul 2025, In: Building and Environment. 280, 113147.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
6 Scopus citations -
Corrigendum: Use of crowdsourced online surveys to study the impact of architectural and design choices on wellbeing(Front. Sustain. Cities, (2022), 4, (780376), 10.3389/frsc.2022.780376)
Altaf, B., Bianchi, E., Douglas, I. P., Douglas, K., Byers, B., Paredes, P. E., Ardoin, N. M., Markus, H. R., Murnane, E. L., Bencharit, L. Z., Landay, J. A. & Billington, S. L., 2024, In: Frontiers in Sustainable Cities. 6, 1458100.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
Open Access -
Corrigendum to “Effects of architectural interventions on psychological, cognitive, social, and pro-environmental aspects of occupant well-being: Results from an immersive online study” [Build. Environ. 253 (2024) 111293] (Building and Environment (2024) 253, (S0360132324001355), (10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111293))
Bianchi, E., Bencharit, L. Z., Murnane, E. L., Altaf, B., Douglas, I. P., Landay, J. A. & Billington, S. L., 15 Aug 2024, In: Building and Environment. 262, 111789.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
Open Access -
Corrigendum to “Physical workplaces and human well-being: A mixed-methods study to quantify the effects of materials, windows, and representation on biobehavioral outcomes” [Building and Environment 224 (2022) 109516] (Building and Environment (2022) 224, (S0360132322007466), (10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109516))
Douglas, I. P., Murnane, E. L., Bencharit, L. Z., Altaf, B., Marcel dos Reis Costa, J., Yang, J., Ackerson, M., Srivastava, C., Cooper, M., Douglas, K., King, J., Paredes, P. E., Camp, N. P., Mauriello, M. L., Ardoin, N. M., Markus, H. R., Landay, J. A. & Billington, S. L., 1 Aug 2024, In: Building and Environment. 261, 111717.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
Open Access