The modern high-pressure lifestyle has led to an increasing emphasis on the healing construction of residential spaces, while air, as an important environmental factor, has received little attention in terms of situational healing experiences within the context of residential culture. Employing grounded theory, this study develops a theoretical model to explain the mechanism through which indoor air environments influence the healing benefits of residential spaces. Guided by the dynamic interaction process of “physical attributes–embodied cognition–behavioral regulation–social context”, the analysis focuses on human embodied perception and emotional responses to indoor air environments as the foundation for healing effects. It highlights the joint role of behavioral regulation and social context, ultimately affecting four levels of healing benefits. Furthermore, it systematically elaborates a theoretical model for embodied interactive residential air experiences, expanding healing environment theory from a contextual air experience perspective, and providing new research paradigm and insights for promoting healing benefits in residential settings.
Cai et al. (2026) studied this question.