Bringing the outside in with biophilic office design could slash sick days, boost productivity and motivate your workforce.
Have you ever been told to go for a walk or get some fresh air to clear your head? Have you got a beautiful sunset or an amazing landscape as your screen saver? Getting in touch with nature is a recognised wellbeing booster and biophilic office design is the art of merging the outside with the in, especially in workplace environments. MPL Interiors predicts it’s going to be a big trend in 2019.
What is biophilic office design?
It’s a design practice that connects people to the natural world, combating urban environments and our tendency to spend more time indoors than ever before. Biophilic office design has been proven to boost productivity, inspire employees and create an increased sense of wellbeing. In workplaces however, it’s much more than watering one pot plant.
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How is biophilic office design organised?
There are two main aspects of biophilic design that can be addressed when refurbishing your office - a direct connection with nature (tangible green elements that are physically installed within an office – such as plants and living walls) and an indirect connection with nature (representations of nature that bring a sense of the outside in – such as artwork). There are also more sophisticated, niche sides to biophilic design, including intelligent soundscapes and dynamic lighting that helps support a balanced circadian body rhythm.
5 ways of incorporating biophilic design into your office
1. Break-out zones where the chairs are focused around a view out of the window, rather than clustered around a desk or table.
2. Nature-inspired artworks – these could be enlarged scenery-focused photographs applied to back-lit canvasses or pieces that depict local landscapes.
3. Living walls that truly bring the outside in and help air quality within the workplace.
4. Office desks positioned to let staff and clients look out of the windows. In addition to ensuring sufficient natural light, this positioning fosters a connection with the outside world.
5. Having a large number and range of pot plants in your office, from small desk plants to large scale plant groupings.
Read about the BRE biophilic research project here and if you’d like to start work on a commercial office interior refurbishment with a biophilic design in mind, contact MPL Interiors today.
