Biophilic design rests on the concept that people have an inherent evolutionary need to connect with nature, and that it behooves us to incorporate interior plantscaping into built spaces. This relationship between nature and human biology can be leveraged into economic gains such as increased productivity and better employee retention. This is because being around nature creates measurable physiological benefits in the human brain such as elevated emotional well-being and mental focus. For example, recent studies have shown that biophilic design can reduce stress hormones in the brain, support creativity, improve mental clarity, and even increase physical pain tolerance!
Office buildings are great candidates for biophilic design, where people typically spend hours of their working day. If done well, incorporating biophilic design into your office environment will be well worth the investment.
What Are the Elements of Biophilic Design?
Satisfying our psychological and physiological need to be a part of the natural environment is done through the five senses. For example hearing a trickling stream, feeling the wind on our skin, watching a beautiful sunset, or simply bearing witness to a tree going through the physical changes of the four seasons, are all things that make us feel connected to nature. They remind us that we are interconnected through time, space, and the physical world, thus creating a deep sense of well-being. It is for this reason that we instinctually enjoy the sensory stimuli of nature such as the soothing rhythmic sway of tree branches moving in the wind. Biophilic design brings nature indoors using living greenery such as potted plants and trees, views of nature through the use of windows, or use of natural textures in design such as wood.
Employee Satisfaction With the Built Environment Is Important
Biophilic design is an emerging trend that will only continue to grow. People have caught on to the benefits of living and working around nature, and will continue to demand this type of interaction in their built environments since they spend more than 90% of their time indoors. As people around the world continue to move into cities to work and live, office buildings will need to adapt to this change by bringing nature indoors. Interior plantscaping is a great way to help your company attract and retain the best employees since they will inevitably be attracted to environments that have been professionally plantscaped. Biophilic design helps people to create a genuine relationship between themselves and nature which becomes one of curiosity, empathy, and respect. It is this sense of interconnectedness that helps to create sustainable and resilient cities in which people want to live and work.
Air Strength Can Help
Is your office in need of a plantscape? We can help! Air Strength Canada specializes in the installation of plant environments, indoor plant storage, tropical plant maintenance and rentals, consultation, and design. Please don’t hesitate to contact us and set up a meeting so that we can show you how Air Strength Canada can benefit you!