What is biophilic office design?
Biophilic office design focuses on incorporating natural elements into the workplace. It seeks to address the environmental challenges that come with working in an urban or suburban area.
Many office locations may be far from nature, located in prime areas of towns and cities, corporate developments and similar settings. Although these locations can provide convenient access to transportation and services, they usually feature noise pollution, traffic and a lack of natural scenery.
As a result, both large and small offices can enhance their workplaces through biophilic modifications.
Wellness benefits of a biophilic office
Biophilic offices may provide a host of benefits. Chief among them is supporting the happiness and satisfaction of employees, along with other factors listed below.
Reduced stress levels
Spending time outdoors can lift the spirits and promote a sense of calm. Biophilic office design helps bring that experience to the office by surrounding people with reminders of the natural world. As a result, a biophilic office may reduce stress levels on your team.
Better productivity
Natural light and views of nature can potentially help improve concentration, leading to more efficient work output.
Enhanced collaboration
Spaces that incorporate natural elements often promote more collaborative and positive social interactions among employees.
Improved mental health
Research has established a positive association between exposure to nature and physical and mental health. By inviting nature indoors, biophilic office design may help your employees reap these benefits.
How to incorporate biophilic design
Small changes can have a big impact when taking a biophilic approach to office design. Here are some simple ideas for incorporating biophilic design into your office space.
1. Start a bring-in-a-plant program
Involve your team in the office’s biophilic upgrade with a bring-in-a-plant campaign. Encourage each employee to purchase a new plant or relocate a potted plant from their home. You can create a designated area to display the plants at the office or let employees choose where to place the new greenery.
2. Create a green wall
A lush green wall brings organic texture and color to the workplace, and living wall kits make setting one up a simple project. Place your new green wall in a prominent place, near the entrance or along the wall of an open office, for maximum enjoyment.
3. Use natural light to the fullest
Relying less on artificial light in your office can make everyone feel closer to nature. Identify areas where natural sunlight is most present and redecorate accordingly. For example, you might make that usually empty conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows a shared workspace or a comfortable breakout area.
4. Adopt an earthy color palette
Infusing your office with earthy colors can instantly create an outdoor vibe. Think greens, warm browns and rich golds and oranges. You can introduce these colors through carpeting, wall paint, trim, art and more.
5. Rethink partitions
Partitions and barriers can direct traffic flow through the office, but they may also make spaces feel tighter. You can open things up by using biophilic elements, such as large planters, in place of existing partitions.
6. Incorporate natural materials
When choosing furniture, floor coverings and wall decor, look for opportunities to bring in natural materials. Biophilic options include wood, bamboo, stone, rattan, leather, cotton, linen and wool.
7. Establish a relaxation space
Give your employees an outdoor retreat to escape to without leaving the office. Choose a spot with plenty of natural light and fill it with comfortable seating featuring natural upholstery. Use floor planters and hanging baskets to bring plants into the space, and fill the room with audio recordings of natural soundscapes, such as the babble of a brook or the patter of raindrops.
8. Add some art
Swapping out your wall art for landscapes and other nature-themed paintings and prints can take your office design in a biophilic direction. You can even cover one or more walls with large murals depicting outdoor scenes.
9. Introduce a water feature
Fill your office with the soothing sounds of trickling water by adding a decorative fountain made of natural stone. With wall-mount and freestanding fountains available, you can find water features that work in virtually any floor plan.
10. Start a community garden
Leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots and other vegetables can grow indoors with the help of grow lights and regular watering. Set up a community garden in your lunchroom or break room, and encourage employees to assist with the project. Once the veggies grow, your team can taste the results of their efforts.
Biophilic office FAQs
What’s the difference between a biophilic office and a sustainable workplace?
Both biophilia and sustainability relate to the environment and nature, but biophilic and sustainable offices aren’t the same. Sustainable office design focuses on modifying offices in ways that benefit the environment by accomplishing goals such as reducing energy use or waste. Biophilic office design involves incorporating natural elements into the work environment. In some cases, these efforts may also make an office more sustainable. For example, using more natural light can reduce the need for artificial light, decreasing energy usage.
Does biophilic office design provide benefits beyond promoting employee wellness?
Biophilic office design offers many benefits beyond promoting employee wellness. The effects of being surrounded by natural elements may boost creative thinking and productivity. Biophilic office design may also lead to better morale and job satisfaction, which can improve employee retention rates. Having a biophilic office can also be a selling point for recruitment efforts.
How much does it cost to introduce a biophilic office design?
Flexibility is a key advantage of biophilic office design. In fact, some changes, such as having employees bring in plants or reorganizing your office to make better use of natural light, may require no investment at all. As you begin to consider how to incorporate biophilic design into your office, establish a budget upfront to prioritize important projects.
