GUEST ARTICLE: Maximise wellbeing with biophilic design

Slowly becoming aesthetic hallmarks of modern interior commercial spaces, biophilic designs connect the natural and man-made worlds to create beautiful interiors for optimum occupant comfort.

Comprising living walls, moss walls and green roofs, biophilic designs are on the rise undoubtedly as a result of their visual impact and wellbeing credentials. But which office environments do they work best in? Genghis Akay, Sales Director at Planet Partitioning, takes a look…

Greenlight to improved wellbeing

Incorporating biophilic designs into a commercial office space will have a positive effect on employees’ health and wellbeing. 

Studies have suggested the presence of plants in office spaces increases cognition by 26% and reduces sick-related absences by 30% (due to plants’ ability to fight toxins in the atmosphere).

Clearly, creating a mini oasis in the most high-pressured office environment not only preserves physical health, it has a huge impact on productivity levels; motivating employees in, let’s say, the most natural way possible.

Design considerations

It goes without saying that biophilic design makes people at work happier – even the smallest cactus on an employee’s desk is the defining aspect of whether today is a good or bad day.

But for companies wanting to make more of a design statement – whilst also cultivating an ‘open’ space which improves wellbeing – a solution such as moss walls might just be the answer.

Not only do they make people happier, moss walls are easy to maintain post-installation – moss is self-sufficient so no hydroponic or watering system is required – and they don’t need much space to make an impact.

If a company is looking to substitute the feature fabric wall lining in the phone room which has seen better days, a moss wall is a great alternative which won’t spoil from lack of attention.

Easily adhered to timber wall panels, once the moss is embedded into the wall it will act as a cushion to harsh acoustics, preventing sound ricochet.

Biophilic designs are making a positive change to the workplace, radically impacting the health and happiness of the people who make businesses successful.

For all their benefits and impressive properties, surely it won’t be long before this design trend becomes a crucial staple of the way modern offices are created.