Objectives The present study investigated the relationship between physical factors affecting the motivation for life among older people in nursing homes. The research may present some solutions for nursing homes to improve the morale of residents in terms of spaces’ designs.
Methods & Materials A total of 150 researcher-made questionnaires were non-randomly distributed following quota sampling among older people, nurses and administrative staff in the private nursing homes in Shemiranat, Tehran Province, Iran. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS. Moreover, exploratory factor analysis was used to detect and name the factors that increase motivation for life in older people. Additionally, the correlation between the factors was examined using Pearson’s correlation coefficient.  This was a descriptive analytical study and the required data were collected through documentation and field survey.
Results The relationship between personal peace and education as well as encouragement with a correlation coefficient of 0.48, was the strongest finding. The next strong correlation was observed between personal peace and environmental comfort with a correlation coefficient of 0.39. A correlation coefficient of 0.33 was also detected between personal peace and the sense of ownership. 
Conclusion Special design directly increased motivation for life in the studied older people; the effect of the physical environment cannot be separated from psychological aspects in this group.