First coined by Erich Fromm, ‘Biophilia’ refers to the instinctive connection humans feel towards nature and our natural surroundings.
Biophilic design is an extension of this feeling, incorporated into interior design. It is an architectural approach that seeks to incorporate the outdoors into a built indoor environment and was particularly influential upon the creation of Workbench office spaces.
This design trend has recently taken the business world by storm, which is unsurprising, considering the endless benefits that can be gained from incorporating biophilic design into your office space.
This interior style isn’t as straightforward as just incorporating a few house plants into your office, there’s more to it than that. The biophilic design approach takes into account the colours, textures and natural light of a building.
It can be done directly, incorporating physical or living nature into the building, or indirectly by recreating the aesthetic feeling of nature artificially. Some direct examples could include; ensuring there’s a lot of natural light, improving air quality and ventilation, having natural landscapes, and having indoor plants. Whereas indirect examples focus more on mimicking natural materials, shapes, colours and forms and incorporating images of nature.
In our office space, we chose to combine both indirect and direct forms, with masses of natural light, alongside vibrant colours and our green wall. We created a range of spaces with different purposes, such as our meeting rooms and break out spaces, but ensured the aesthetic was consistent.
What are the benefits of Biophilic design?
Studies have found that integrating natural elements into interior design can be extremely effective and rewarding, especially in workspaces. The bright colours and interesting textures can make a workplace more stimulating and has been proven to increase employee creativity by 15%.
Alongside this, biophilic design has been reported to be extremely effective at enhancing employee well-being, which consequently improves productivity and concentration levels. This is understandable, as increased light exposure is renowned for increasing serotonin levels and improving the regulation of mood and energy levels.
But what do employees care about?
In terms of the most desired elements in the office, a Human Spaces report has shown that employees’ top priority is natural light at 44%. With indoor plants and bright colours close behind at 20% and 15%. When Workbench breakout spaces were created, these factors were taken into consideration, as we took time to ensure our office spaces would guarantee employee wellness.
Why now?
Business trends have reflected that as a society we are gravitating towards an increased focus on both sustainability, and business transparency. Companies are being held more accountable for their treatment of employees, and the planet. Sustainability has helped industries to encourage investment, keep up with competitors and align with consumer demands.
Biophilic design not only allows you to support the ever-growing green economy but also helps your business to encourage productivity and well-being within the workplace.
If you are interested in office space that prioritises this, Workbench could be perfect for you! Get in touch with us today to find out more about our flexible, hassle-free, and affordable contracts.