Abstract
The human instinct toward nature is biophilia as a psychological term. There have been a number of empirical evidences confirmed that natural features in buildings enhance human's comfort focusing on biophilia. However, the evolution of society, science, and industry has separated modern buildings from nature. Therefore, this paper addresses the assumption that the admiration for historical buildings in contemporary society is attribute to the qualities of biophilic design. Prospect and refuge, one of the strategies for biophilic design, ultimately provides the opportunity to recover from stress and tension. The purpose of this study is to figure out elements of prospect and refuge based on the design theory of biophilia for psychological healing. This study explores the Gyeongbokgung Palace with the design elements of prospect and refuge in biophilia. It also measures these elements quantitatively with the contrast using Adobe Photoshop CS6, and the area ratio of prospect and refuge. The results of this research verify that the conflicting characteristics of prospect and refuge are identified simultaneously, it is significant to attract people. Gangnyeongjeon Hall and Gyotaejeon Hall, the living quarters for the king and queen, propose the intense pattern of refuge characteristics more than other areas. The mathematical properties of the area ratio show that the pattern of prospect-refuge characteristics change in particular design elements.