5 Key Ways to Include Biophilia in Workplace Design

INTRODUCTION

We know that natural elements in the workplace boosts productivity by 6% and well-being reports by a massive 15%. More of these stats are covered in my infographics "Top Facts on Biophilic Design". The question now is what do we do? How do we implement this to see the fruition of the benefits?

Here are 5 Keys ways to introduce Biophilia into your designs;

1 ) SKY CEILINGS

 It's worthwhile referring to the Global Research into Biophilic Design carried out by Human Spaces. What their research does show, is that natural light hits the top of the list for the most wanted element within the workplace. However, a huge 47% of workers say that they have no natural light within their work environment.

What can we do when window seats are limited? What if the building orientation doesn't optimise sunlight, or views are poor? 

By simulating daylight with the combination of LED panels and realistic high-resolution pictures, workers will experience the positive effects of daylight when they are inside. You will really feel like you are sitting under a large glass atrium or roof light when you could be in a traditionally light-poor, urbanised space.

The colour temperature of these lights are designed to match daylight and provide the positive effects that natural light has on humans. 

Above are images of installations by LED Sky Ceilings and you can clearly see the impact they make. You can view more project case studies on their website.

2 ) VISION BLINDS

 Blinds block daylight, but as we learn more about the positive impact that daylighting has on humans it's not always a desired outcome. However, with the huge increase in use of screens we experience daylight having the detrimental effects of eye strain, headaches, as well as a heat build up which then needs to be artificially cooled.

 We are in catch-22 where daylight improves and hinders our workplace productivity.

A solution is blinds with a Vision Fabric. These are a woven textile that provide a level of outward vision again connecting humans to nature.

An 'openness factor' of the fabric relates to the tightness of the weave. Common openness factors are 3%, and 5% . In a nutshell if a fabric has a 3% openness factor it will allow less light but reduce the vision through the blind. A fabric with a 5% openness factor will give a higher level of outside vision but lower shading efficiency.

 A correctly specified openness factor for a Vision Fabric allows the natural light and Vitamin D into your working environment whilst filtering out intrusive and uncomfortable solar glare - setting us all up for peak performance.

Many factors affect the decision of an openness factor from the site orientation, fabric efficiency as well as the external landscape. For support in selecting the correct fabric please get in touch through my LinkedIn profile here or email [email protected].

The above photos are examples of Vision Fabric installed by Stansons Group

3 ) PLANTS 

The Human Spaces report states that elements representative of the natural world, such as indoor plants and natural colours took 2nd place in the list for the Top 5 most wanted elements in the workplace. Yet 58% of workers report having no greenery, in the form of plants, within their work environment. This is another way to introduce human connection to nature in the workplace and bring the benefits of Biophilia to fruition.

This example is a moss wall at Uber installed by Innerspace.

Some key ways to introduce plants and vegetation is with;

• Potted plants and trees
• Livings walls
• Moss walls
• Bark wall covering
• Artificial grass

This example is Zoopla, London office refurbishment by Maris Interiors showing an ANS Global living wall.

4 ) WALL GRAPHICS

Not many office spaces have the luxury of a view of nature, but it can be just this that creates a sense of space, calm and removes the walls and boundaries of a workplace. 

This forest mural shows exactly what I mean! This one was part of an office design and fit out by Peldon Rose for Capula Investment Management.

Evidence for biophilic design are endless; I was particularly impressed with the image below which was part of a refurbishment By Spectrum Workspace at Risk First's new office space in Aldgate Tower. Further examples can be seen here:

• Forest walks
• Paradise beaches
• Tranquil waterfalls
• Rolling hills
• Mountain ranges

5 ) FURNITURE

Meeting my friends at Orangebox and walking round their 5 floors of enormous showroom in Clarkenwell is truly inspirational. There are numerous ways to improve the human connection to nature and furniture should be considered as a way of including many natural elements like wood, cork and stone. The following ranges are a few great natural products from Orangebox;

• Java - cafe height collaborative table
• Yolo - breakout or casual seating
• Library - modular industrial worktable

I definitely recommend exploring the showroom in Clerkenwell if you are nearby. Speak to Natalie Stone and she will arrange a tour for you.

THANKS & CREDITS

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I am passionate about biophilic design and intend to write more blogs on the subject. Please contact me if you'd be interested in reading further articles on products, case studies, or any other relevant aspect.

This article wouldn't have been possible without the information and images from LED Sky Ceilings, Human Spaces, Stansons Group, Innerspace, Maris Interiors, ANS Global, Spectrum Workspace, Peldon Rose and Orangebox.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Guy Stanley is an expert in the field of maximising and managing natural light in the new build, refurbishment and fit-out construction industry. He provides consultancy to architects, designers, contractors and developers. Review his LinkedIn profile here and contact [email protected] for advice and support on your projects.