The sad truth of a modern human is that almost all of us spend about 90% of our days indoors. What’s more, about a third of our each day is usually spent in an office of sorts, glued to some type of screen. Whilst this is the reality of modern-day living for so many people and it’s not quite likely to change anytime soon, our undeniable need to go back and reconnect with nature still persists.
Fresh air, natural lighting and being surrounded with the beautiful colors of nature is something the majority of us crave deeply. And while it’s impossible to relocate our offices outdoors, it’s more than possible to bring nature inside. That said, here are some ways you can weave nature into your office design and create an inspiring biophilic space.
Go with natural or nature-inspired materials
In order to create a working environment that will feel more connected to nature, we need to move miles away from once preferred overly modern aesthetics. Instead, we should look into furniture and office décor made of natural or nature inspired-materials. Wood will play a huge role. For some additional oomph, choose pieces that are a combination of wood and metal. Also, look for nature inspired office décor that will tie the entire design together. You can find interesting pieces at SkullBliss that really elevate the whole space. Such office furniture and décor will create a warmer, more natural feeling environment that will not only look amazing but it will also promote employee well-being.
Let in plenty of light
Another staple in a biophilic office design is natural lighting. Of course, since we can’t really control natural lighting, you should also make sure you install high-quality artificial lighting for when the natural lighting is just not enough. But try to rely on natural lighting as much as possible and resort to high-quality office LED lighting only when necessary. Additionally, installing different layers of lighting throughout your office will help you be in full control of the amount of light your employees have at each given moment.
Introduce lots of greenery
Creating a biophilic design is practically impossible without greenery and plants. Now, since the office setting is a bit different than trying to achieve the same in – let’s say – your home, it does require a unique approach. Design-wise you should aim at finding different plants of varying heights so that you can easily layer greenery throughout the space. But make sure you choose only plants that are very low-maintenance and that don’t require too much natural light to ensure that they truly thrive in your office space. Additionally, no matter how appealing it may seem at first, avoid going for faux plants as much as possible. Instead, think in terms of Weeping fig, ZZ plant, spider plants and air plants. All of these require very little attention yet they look absolutely stunning.
Make sure it’s light and airy
In the end, no matter how good of a HVAC system you have in your office, you need to make sure you let in plenty of fresh air as well. Now, we do realize that some of the more modern office buildings don’t really make this a possibility. In that case, you need to ensure that your indoor air quality is up to par. Since the indoor air can be more polluted than the outdoor air, you need to find a way to provide your employees with the air of highest possible quality.
Creating a biophilic design in your office space won’t only leave you with a space that looks great and promotes serenity. Such a design can actually have quite a positive effect on your employees and their overall well-being. It will also boost productivity and motivation which is precisely what every office design should strive towards.
