Is your office already biophilic? Between architecture and nature
The word "work-life balance" reflects what many people feel: Life takes place outside of work.
One reason for this is that we feel cut off from the outside world in barren offices. According to research for the Human Spaces Report, 47% of employees surveyed have no natural light in their office. 58% reported that there were no plants in their office. And 19% stated that there were no natural elements at all in their workplace.
The reality for many people is that they spend the majority of their day in a room that has neither natural light nor fresh air, where they may be looking at roads and building sites or have no view outside at all and where they have no opportunities to regenerate. No wonder it doesn't feel good ...
Since the 1960s, many researchers have been convinced that we have an inherent "biophilia", a "love of life". This means that being in nature is good for us. Trends such as Japanese "forest bathing" show our longing for nature, for space and diversity, for light and air, for stimulation of our senses and natural colors and shapes. The concept of biophilic design has been responding to this need for some years now.
What is biophilic design?
The interior design stimulates different senses. For example, different floor coverings change the feeling of walking or soft music or the sounds of nature can be heard in certain areas.
Biophilic design means bringing nature into buildings and blurring the boundaries between architecture and nature to a certain extent. Plants in the office are an important element of this, but by no means everything. If the rest of the office furnishings are barren and dreary, a half-dried rubber tree won't make much of a difference.
Biophilic design goes much deeper and takes very different elements into account: Employees should have access to daylight and natural air wherever possible and be able to look outside. If this is not possible, at least change the light color and temperature so that they correspond to the natural conditions in the course of the day and year. This creates a connection to everyday rhythms.
Plants, water and other elements bring nature into the buildings. Natural colors, materials and prints create "nature analogies". The rooms have different areas that are very different from one another. There are places where the gaze can wander and others that invite you to retreat.
Why biophilic design will prevail
In addition to the advantages already mentioned, a green office fits in perfectly with the changing realities of work: creativity, personal responsibility and networking are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, not every employee needs a fixed workplace anymore; in times of hybrid work, working hours and locations have become much more flexible. Biophilia in interior design offers exactly the right solutions for modern workplaces:
There are areas where employees can concentrate on their work and others where they can exchange ideas effectively and in a pleasant atmosphere with colleagues and the boss. Other areas provide the necessary regeneration and help employees to let their minds wander in order to stimulate creative processes.
This makes a biophilic office design a perfect fit for flatter hierarchies, decentralized structures and creative work processes.
10 tips for more biophilia in your own office
Ideally, the idea of biophilia should already be taken into account in the architecture of a building. However, with a little creativity, many biophilic aspects can also be implemented retrospectively:
- Choose natural colors such as green or earth tones for your office design.
- Use natural materials such as wood or natural stone.
- Place different plants. Ideally, there are areas where the eye can literally lose itself in the greenery.
- When designing a room, opt for curved, organic shapes instead of right angles and straight edges.
- Create opportunities to go outside, for example through balconies or green inner courtyards.
- If possible, provide daylight and fresh air in the offices. Rooms flooded with light (with appropriate glare protection) contribute greatly to well-being.
- Consider water elements, such as a calming water wall, in your office planning.
- Create spaces that serve as a retreat and where your employees and managers can regenerate.
- Use a variety of materials and structures to stimulate the senses and create variety.
- At the same time, the rooms should not appear cluttered. Therefore, work with different areas.
When living and working spaces become blurred
Biophilia means "love of life" and is also very good for the workspace.
With this design concept, nature is brought so strongly into the interior areas that the boundaries are literally blurred. Biophilic elements ensure that colleagues feel more comfortable at work, are healthier and can work more productively. Individual elements can be implemented with manageable effort, even for you.
