Bringing the outside in, today’s workspaces are increasingly mirroring the lush green landscapes of the great outdoors.
From cascading fountains to botanical-rich workspaces, companies big and small are creating natural, park-like environments. More than aesthetically pleasing, greened indoor workspaces are good for people and for business.
These calming spaces are designed to reduce stress, enhance overall wellness and boost productivity and efficiency. Plus, they offer financial benefits for property owners and developers.
We look at the myriad of ways nature can improve workspaces and serve as good investments for landlords.
BLOSSOMING WITH WELLNESS BENEFITS
Employees’ wellbeing is crucial to the success of any business. Incorporating greenery like plants into workspaces is a good way to keep them happy and healthy. Plants aren’t just pretty to look at; they also provide remarkable health benefits. For starters, they’re natural air purifiers. Bringing them into office spaces can reduce toxins—essentially becoming a great air filtration source. As the NASA Clean Air Study points out, plants can trap air pollutants in its tissue providing cleaner air for employees.
Bringing them into office spaces can reduce toxins—essentially becoming a great air filtration source.
It’s important for developers to keep in mind that adding plants can be an attractive, practical and cost-effective way to improve air circulation. Plus, thanks to their natural filtration system, sprucing up the space with plants can also prevent the spread of nasty germs and viruses that keep employees home sick, reducing productivity.
In fact, a recent report by the University of Twente, VU Amsterdam and CBRE found that implementing greenery into the workplace design has substantial benefits. The study of 124 employees at CBRE’s Amsterdam office found that adding plants to the office floor energized 76 percent of the workers surveyed. Seventy-eight percent of employees reported a boost in happiness, while feelings of healthiness improved in 65 percent.