What Is Biophilic Office Design?
Biophilic office design takes into consideration the concept of biophilia and how we as individuals have an innate connection with nature and natural surroundings. Biophilic office design thereby focuses on creating a workspace that revolves around our instinctive relationship with the natural world. This ever-increasing design trend can take the form of incorporating foliage and shrubbery into an office environment.
What Are The Benefits Of Including Plants In Your Office Design?
Improve Health And Wellbeing
By being more connected to nature during the workday, employees are statistically likely to be in a more positive mindset. Positivity breeds positivity, improving staff morale throughout the workspace. This also correlates with reduced absenteeism rates, as employees are less likely to be off sick if they feel valued.
Additionally, sick building syndrome (SBS) is a relatively new concept, which describes how building occupants struggle due to the lack of regular interaction with natural elements (such as plant life). This can lead to physical and psychological irritation, as well as lethargy, coughs and headaches. Biophilic office design can aid SBS sufferers by providing the necessary natural interactions to improve their physical and mental health. Studies show that biophilic design can also help reduce depression and anxiety levels.
Better Air Quality
Along with photosynthesis (whereby plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen helping us breathe), plants also transpire through their leaves improving air humidity – a well-known issue of air-conditioned offices.
What’s more, plants also improve air quality by absorbing volatile organic compounds that are found in chemicals contained in cleaning products.
Increase In Concentration Levels, Productivity And Creativity
The increased oxygen levels from the plant life (via photosynthesis) can lead to decreased mental fatigue and therefore increased concentration levels and potentially productivity levels. Employees can also experience an increase in their creativity levels as a result of actively engaging with the natural surroundings.
Rise In Staff Retention Rates
Biophilic office design can help provide staff with a workplace that they enjoy using, and therefore don’t want to leave. This can then attribute towards lower recruitment costs and lower staff onboarding training costs due to the increase in retention.