Offices become a more welcoming place one plant at a time. Plants are aesthetically pleasing and bring life to an otherwise barren workspace through a splash of vivid color, but there’s so much more to them than what meets the eye.
The benefits of plants in the office are more and more widely recognized. When you incorporate elements of nature into the work environment, you see improvements in employee health and productivity. In fact, researchers from the University of Exeter found that plants in the office can increase productivity by a whopping 15% – an exceptional ROI indeed.
Leafy offices show, then, that innovation in the workplace goes beyond technological advancements. Innovation sometimes means returning to our roots, and we mean that quite literally. The connection between nature and our health is undeniable – being outdoors enhances a feeling of calm, optimism, and overall well-being. But when we’re confined to the four walls of an office for hours on end, we can only try to bring the outdoors in. Luckily, biophilic design does just that, so let’s take a closer look at this rising trend and its remarkable perks.
What is biophilic office design?
Indoor plants, living walls, and green outdoor areas are probably the first things that come to mind when we’re talking about biophilic office design. Your desk or private office may already boast various succulents, snake plants, weeping figs, ZZ plants, or ferns, all of which are excellent choices if you’re looking for the best plants for an office. They survive with little sunlight and are pretty low maintenance, so you won’t need to worry too much when caring for them.
Still, this nature-focused approach to interior décor can incorporate many other elements. Besides the more obvious pot plants, you can play around with raw materials such as water, wood, stone, and even light – anything that you’d typically find outdoors. This means that a truly green office could have water features or include furniture, flooring, and finishes made from natural materials. Maximizing natural light with floor-to-ceiling windows or skylights is another surefire way to energize office workers, not to mention how important sunlight is for growing healthy plants.
Of course, it could be challenging to implement every green office décor idea all at once, but plants are a good place to start and the benefits won’t fail to appear, either.
5 incredible benefits of office greenery
- Reduces noise
Perhaps one of the most surprising benefits of office plants has to do with noise reduction. This is not to say that they will replace high-tech noise-canceling headphones, but when you strategically arrange them to act as natural barriers, you’ll find that your potted plants will absorb and lower the constant buzzing of conversation around.
- Relieves stress and anxiety
Plants in the office contribute to a more pleasant and relaxing environment, and it’s no wonder. On the one hand, the color green is known to have a soothing, calming effect, so leafy friends are a welcomed addition to any workspace. On the other hand, our inherent connection with nature automatically translates to lower stress levels. So when we’re surrounded by elements of the great outdoors, we instantly feel more at ease. We only need to look at a 2010 study conducted by the University of Technology in Sydney for proof. They found that indoor office plants:
- reduced employee anxiety by 37% and depression by 58%
- decreased anger/hostility by 44%
- resulted in a fall in chronic fatigue by 40%.
- Improves health
Perhaps you’ve heard of the sick building syndrome or SBS, but if you haven’t, you might’ve experienced it at some point, especially if you work in an office building. Symptoms could include anything from fatigue, drowsiness, and headaches to coughing, wheezing, and dry, itchy skin. Our bodies give a clear signal: we weren’t made for spaces with little sunlight, poor ventilation, and low humidity, so this is precisely what we’d want to avoid in office spaces. Luckily, plants can work wonders in preventing and combating SBS-related symptoms. When you spruce up an office with green life, you’ll have healthier, happier employees, taking fewer sick days.
- Increases productivity and creativity
Plants’ role in noise reduction and stress relief already suggests that they are excellent productivity boosters, and it makes perfect sense. When you have fewer distractions and feel calmer, your focus improves, and you can also unleash your creativity more effortlessly. People have found inspiration in nature for centuries, so why would it be any different in an office setting? With this in mind, try to set up leafy elements in places where workers can see them from their desks.
- Boosts the overall appeal of the office
This may be the most obvious perk, but it’s certainly no less important than the others. Eye-pleasing details like potted plants or living walls leave a positive impression on clients and potential new hires alike – it’s a way of letting them know that your workspace is an inviting, appealing place to be. And combined with every other benefit mentioned above, you’ll have a more satisfied workforce that frequents an office brimming with life and colors instead of a dull environment devoid of warmth and inspiration.
WeWork’s green coworking spaces
If you’re ready to reap the benefits of biophilic office design, WeWork’s leafy coworking spaces are a great place to start. Use your WeWork On Demand or WeWork All Access membership to access the coworking space closest to you and enjoy everything our intentionally designed offices have in store. You’ll find stimulating design elements everywhere you look, and in such a member-oriented setting, greenery and abundant natural light simply can’t be missing.
