Seven benefits of plants in the workplace

Biophilic design recognises that we are unconsciously connected to nature and that this connection within the space we work can positively influence our physical and psychological health and wellbeing.

Productivity

Planting around the workplace stimulates creativity and improves productivity. Did you know that if at least two plants are visible from each workstation, employee productivity in the office increases by 15% (according to research carried out by Cardiff University)? The same can be said for natural light and other natural elements and materials.

Acoustics

Planting in the workplace improves acoustics. Plants provide a natural form of sound insulation, improving acoustics in the workplace. Their leaves muffle phone conversations, the tap, tap, tapping of keyboards, and the general audible background din within the office.

Air Quality

Planting around the workplace improves air quality; effectively removing toxins from the air and helping to clean the 15,000 litres of air consumed by each person daily. Of course, some plants are more effective than others – NASA has even released a list of air purifying plants, which range from Boston Ferns to Peace Lilies and even English Ivy.

Landscaping the office

Of course, plants are aesthetically pleasing and therapeutic. They define and divide space and breathe new life into boring places. And as re-emergent methods of workplace design – such as ‘Bürolandschaft’ – potentially re-shape the office of the 2020s, vegetation will no doubt populate the workplace even more than has hitherto been the case–- or at least since they proliferated those landscaped mid-century offices.

Wellbeing

Plants connect people to their physical and psychological wellbeing. Employees who are surrounded by plants and take care of them are generally happier and more efficient, and this naturally reduces stress and absenteeism. A study from the University of Exeter showed that we are hard-wired to respond positively to nature and images of nature – showing that our brains struggle to process complex urban landscapes.

Innovation

From pot plants on the windowsill to larger plants in self-watering containers, from ‘living walls’ of moss and foliage to large shrubs and even fully-grown trees, suppliers have found ingenious ways for these to survive and stay healthy in indoor settings so that we can reap all these benefits. 

Post-pandemic health

Over the last few months, outdoor space has become more valuable than ever. A huge percentage of our waking hours are spent working, and this has a huge impact on our health and wellbeing – never more noticeable during the current pandemic. Creating healthy, green spaces for employees to enjoy and value will take precedent in the post-pandemic workplace, and biophilia in all its forms can be an important tool for staff attraction and retention.

Products, such as the recently launched PARA VERT planting system from Brunner, can provide incredibly stylish ways to introduce biophilia to the workplace, helping to create beautiful, flexible and healthy spaces.