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  • Naturecore Office Spaces: Enhancing Wellbeing with Biophilic Design

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min read

Patrick Isitt
Content Manager
Content specialist in office design and build.

  • The value of workplace wellbeing is becoming increasingly clear to employers – not to mention employees themselves. It can boost productivity, reduce absenteeism and minimise your staff turnover.

    While work-life balance and a positive company culture are important elements, the design of your office space can also have a significant impact. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of biophilic office design for wellbeing in your workplace with some real-world examples of how it’s used.

  • The lowdown on workplace wellbeing

    Workplace wellbeing is typically used interchangeably with staff morale. However, staff can still be generally upbeat and happy when workplace wellbeing is poor. Wellbeing has a broader scope and often manifests over a longer term.

    One of the most commonly cited factors is work-life balance – and this does play a big part. However, that’s just one element, which is impacted by employees’ home lives as well as their work. Workplace wellbeing looks specifically at welfare in the office. In our article on workplace wellbeing, we outline four main categories at play:

    • Physical factors – Posture, nutrition and exercise
    • Social factors – Company culture and workplace relationships
    • Psychological factors – Workload, stress levels and job security
    • Indoor environment – Light, air quality, temperature and noise
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  • A well-designed office balances all of these factors, taking into account the preferences and day-to-day requirements of the people who use it. Why is it necessary? According to Gallup, poor wellbeing increases the risk of burnout by 61% – estimating that lost productivity due to burnout costs $322 billion globally.

    Staff turnover and absenteeism are affected too. 86% of employees are more likely to leave a job if there is no obvious support for wellbeing. And according to a report by corporate wellness platform, Wellhub, fewer sick days were reported by 89% of HR leaders after introducing a wellbeing programme.

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  • How biophilic design can help

    Wellbeing programmes and dedicated support are important for modern businesses. But so too is office design, if you want to prioritise wellbeing in the workplace. Biophilic elements are one of the key design techniques when it comes to improving employee health and mental wellbeing.

    Biophilic design refers to the use of natural elements inside an office space. It’s about bringing the outside in, whether that’s through plants, natural materials or daylight. It goes without saying that these elements make offices look and feel nicer. Who wouldn’t want to work in a space that’s green and airy? However, more specifically, they can improve several of the workplace wellbeing factors we listed above.

  • Natural light is perhaps the most obvious way to improve employees’ indoor environment. Alongside views of the outdoors, it was listed as the top attribute in a poll of 1,614 workers. This has a knock-on effect on their physical wellbeing too, with daylight found to reduce eyestrain, headaches and drowsiness in offices by 51%, 63% and 56% respectively.

    Vegetation is another way to improve the indoor environment. It’s well documented that plants can improve air quality – with pollutants reduced by as much as 20%, according to research.

    Additionally, natural vegetation like stems, leaves, branches and bark can absorb sound by deflecting and refracting sound waves. Living walls were found to be particularly effective, reducing perceived sound by 30% in central London tests. That’s particularly useful when noise is listed as one of the biggest barriers to productivity among UK workers.

    In terms of psychological factors, natural light has been found to reduce stress in a working environment. Similarly, active interaction with indoor plants is proven to reduce psychological and physiological stress.

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  • Biophilic office design in action

    There are so many great examples of biophilic design in workplaces up and down the UK. Entain’s Barbican office incorporates biophilia into every space, from air-purifying moss in their graphic shapes to a two-storey vertical garden which spans the staircase. Breakout spaces have integrated planters, while a hydroponic farm even lets staff harvest their own salad.

    A similar approach was taken with Trayport’s Cat B fit out, where biophilic elements feature in almost every part of the office. An air-purifying moss wall is incorporated to breathe life into the workspace, with 80% more planting than their previous office. Desk areas were also relocated to the building’s perimeter, providing more natural light in areas where employees spend most of their time.

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  • Bosch has gone one further when it comes to bringing the outside in, opting for a ‘city park’ look in their London Connectory innovation hub. The end result includes plenty of biophilic features alongside grey pathways, mimicking roads to create the impression of an outdoor, urban environment.

    Last but certainly not least is Matillion, who wanted every journey through their space to reflect a walk through a natural landscape – like the surrounding Peak District. As well as abundant natural light and plants throughout the space, the office uses unique materials like shards from recycled resources on the reception desk, reflecting a sustainable approach.

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  • Is biophilic design right for your office?

    There are a huge number of benefits to working in a green office. Improving employee wellbeing is a surefire way to enhance productivity, decrease sick days and reduce staff turnover. Biophilic office design can improve several of the factors which contribute to better wellbeing in the workplace. This includes a better indoor environment with natural light, cleaner air and less noise. Both natural light and greenery can also reduce stress in the office.

    There are plenty of examples of biophilia improving both new and existing offices, from living walls to city park designs. However, what’s most important is that your biophilic design revolves around the way your employees use the space.

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