BUSINESS

Why should you use biophilic design in your office ?

In a contemporary built environment, biophilic design attempts to satisfy our intrinsic need to be in harmony with nature. Since 2020, the disconnect we have with the natural world is more real than ever. For many of us, a large portion of our days is spent at work; in fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. If you own a business, you have the power to change that, and it will also help your business to thrive. Find out more about it in this article.

What is biophilic design?

The concept was introduced by E.O. Wilson, a renowned biologist, in his 1984 book Biophilia. Since we now spend 90% of our time in the constructed world, which is today's natural habitat, biophilic design – that derives from the term biophilia - addresses our innate need to be in contact with nature. People have been looking for ways to incorporate more nature into the design of homes, work spaces, and public places – and this is what biophilic design is about. It concentrates on elements of nature to replicate it inside.

How to incorporate cost-effective and sustainable plants in an interior space?

Interactions with nature can be tactile, visual, thermal, olfactory, or anything else where the natural presence is clear and direct. In an office, you cannot do it all. Bouquets, plant walls, plants, create greenery scenes all over the place. To be cost-effective, you can use preserved plants. Preserved plants are perfect for your office because they need no maintenance and last for years. They are also sustainable as their carbon footprint is less important than those of fresh plants, and you don’t need to water them.

4 ways biophilic design will benefit your business.

To get your business to thrive, you need your employees to feel good in your office. Here are 4 ways biophilic design helps you achieve that aim.

It will reduce the stress of your employees.

Several studies show that nature is a remedy for stress: it can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce nervous system arousal, reduce anxiety, and improve mood. If you know that stressed employees exhibit 60 percent higher absenteeism and are significantly less effective when they’re at work, then you know how biophilic design will help you out.

Plant walls can reduce noise and separate open spaces.

Consider adding plant walls to increase focus, reduce distracting noises, and create separation between desks. This gives employees more privacy at their desk and helps them focus, as well as keeping the level of collaboration you want from an open space office. What’s the science behind it, you may ask? When soundwaves strike a flat surface they are reflected uniformly in the room which amplifies the sound and creates a brouhaha. When soundwaves strike an uneven surface—such as a plant wall—the sound is diffused and transformed into another energy.

It will create a welcoming atmosphere in your workspace.

If your employees have the feeling that the office is dull, dreary and lacks joy, consider elevating your interior design. The evidence is clear, your office needs more energy, ponder adding greenery as mood-boosters. Biophilic design definitely will make your employees feel good while being at work and increase their productivity.

Biophilic design improves the creativity of your employees.

Designers, marketing teams, legal, PR teams and so on all need creativity to perform well in their jobs. Researchers found that when someone looks solely 2 seconds at the color green, they are more creative while accomplishing their task. This is why workspaces that include natural elements have 15% increased productivity over those that don’t.

If you don’t already have plant walls in your office, then it’s undoubtedly something you should consider. Amanda from Planted Design made it a whole magnificent business.