Working Alongside Nature: Biophilia in Workplace

Inspiration > Design Trends > Working Alongside Nature: Biophilia in Workplace

26 June 2024

Our primal connection to nature has slowly faded in this fast-paced urban life. 70% of the world’s population is expected to reside in the cities by 2050. This shift makes the need to (re)connect people with nature even more critical for designers. Why? Whether it’s a stroll in the park or a weekend hiking in the forest, an expansive window looking out to nature, or spending the evening tea-time on your lawn, any contact with nature is known to make humans happy. The relationship between humans and the surrounding environment is one of the most critical factors in deciding performance and mood. As 9-5 demands most of our day are spent in office space, the real question is: How do we let nature in? This is where the concept of ‘biophilia’ comes into the picture.

Key Highlights

Discovering the real meaning and significance of biophilia.
Benefits of integrating biophilic design in workplace design.
Unveiling the authentic biophilia over pseudo concepts.
5 Tips to introduce nature to your workplace.
Nature uplifts and inspires employees toward productivity and efficiency.

Biophilia– Just Another Trend?

The practice of biophilia extends beyond the title of a ‘trend.’ it emphasizes human connection with nature by strategically integrating natural elements into the built environment. From homes to workplaces, biophilic designs are helping to meet the challenge of ‘lost connection’ with nature. The Human Spaces research highlights that a biophilic design can enhance creativity by up to 15% and productivity by 6%. Thus, biophilic design concepts become critical for workplace design. A thoughtful design celebrates nature to curate spaces that energize, empower, and inspire users.

Advantages of Biophilia in the Workplace

Nature Boosts Productivity

Picture a workplace that looks out to the natural views and receives ample natural light. Doesn’t the thought itself sound inspiring? Modern workplaces often associate nature with an ‘extra’ part of the design rather than a necessity. However, biophilic workplaces enhance cognitive functions. They inspire and energize employees, leading to better efficiency and productivity.

Nature Dismisses Absenteeism

A poor workplace design contributes to 10% of the employee leaves. A study conducted by the University of Oregon concluded that employees with natural views took 57 hours of sick leave, whereas about 68 hours were recorded by employees with no views. Biophilic designs incorporate natural elements to craft healthier and more enjoyable work environments.

Better Employee Engagement

The connection to nature is known to fuel employee engagement. Biophilic designs enhance physical comfort by improving air quality and regulating humidity levels. Furthermore, it enhances mood and leads to overall well-being. Thus resulting in higher employee engagement.

Cuts Down Stress

In today’s ever-bustling work environments, stress is never left behind. And this is where biophilia presents an antidote. Workplaces incorporating natural materials, forms, views, and tones are known to curate a calm environment. Exposure to nature reduces blood pressure, promotes relaxation, and promotes a balanced workforce.

Debunking the Myths About Pseudo-biophilia

Adding a single indoor plant or one green sofa in hundreds of square feet doesn’t make your workplace biophilic. Let’s address the common misconceptions about what a biophilic design is.

Irrelevant Exposure to Nature

Authentic biophilic design goes beyond the superficial nods of an artificial plant. Instead, a thoughtful approach integrates natural elements like sunlight, views, and greenery to evoke the senses and help establish a genuine connection between the indoors and nature.

Isolated Experiences with Nature

One green-painted corner or one window exerts superficial effects on employees. A biophilic workplace is more about curating an immersive experience. Thoughtfully designed spaces have the entire square footage in natural tones and elements.

Out-of-Context Nature

In biophilic designs, context is the key! A disconnected space, for example, an out-of-palette color or extremely contrasting natural materials, never does any good. What works in one environment might feel out of place in another.

For example, only some landscape colors are green. Thus, it’s vital to consider the design’s characteristics and essence while weaving in biophilia.

How to Introduce Biophilic Concepts in the Workplace?

1. Greenery through Plants

Bring the outdoors in with various indoor plants strategically placed throughout the workplace. A nature-filled workplace is 15% more productive and boosts cognition by 26%. Indoor plants are known to improve air quality and enhance aesthetics, which also have a calming effect on employees’ minds.

Add intelligent storage features like Uno smart lockers that introduce greenery even in the locker rooms with the provision of planters on top.

Pro tip: Opt for low-maintenance plants like succulents, snake plants, and pothos, which demand minimal upkeep and simultaneously induce the much-needed greenery.

2. Natural Materials

Introduce the warmth of natural materials like bamboo, stone, and wood to the workplace. Natural textures evoke a sense of connection with nature and add visual interest. Consider adding the Admiral cabin range to the cabin for a rustic appeal. The all-wood look of the furniture ensures warmth and comfort in the room.

Pro tip: Make sure to mismatch complementing materials with the existing mood board of the space. Play with tones to enhance interest in the space.

3. Maximized Natural Light

Welcome natural light to make the workplace bright and uplifting. Position the work desks next to the windows to maximize exposure to daylight and benefit from the natural views. Another advantage of letting in natural light is that it cuts down on power consumption, thus keeping the workplace sustainable.

Pro tip: Choose sleek furnishing options to let natural light pass through unobstructed. Bulky elements often block light and cast shadows, disrupting work.

4. Organic Shapes

Embrace shapes associated with nature, like leaves, shells, spirals, ovals, etc., that positively impact humans. Shapes resisting angles offer a flowing form and curate a more engaging environment.

Craft a free-flowing look with Socio collaborative soft seating with its organic shape. The curved seating enhances collaboration and serves as an element of interest in the workplace. You can even introduce planters on the side. It will make the collaborative areas more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.

Pro-tip: Curate a balanced mix of organic shapes and rectilinear elements for a dynamic composition.

5. Earthy Colors

Borrow the tones from nature and add them to your mood board. Pick colors close to nature’s scale, like beige, green, blue, and earthy tones. These enhance well-being and make a warm impression.

Introduce ANND workstations in natural tones like green, beige, etc. These workstations impart a modern flair to the design. The provision for planters on the spacious desk keeps the employees connected to nature.

Pro-tip: Pick muted tones like soft green or beige for a calm ambiance. For vibrancy, go for tones like deep olive, brown, burnt sienna, etc.

Biophilia– The New Life at Work

Let employees work alongside nature to blur the lines between the indoors and outdoors. Biophilic designs promote well-being at the workplace, be it physical or mental fitness. Take inspiration from nature’s tones, textures, and forms. Biophilic spaces promote happiness, productivity, and efficiency in modern workplaces.

With most workplace designs defined by furniture, make sure to thoughtfully select each element to curate spaces that uplift and inspire.