Biophilic design refers to human architecture that connects a building’s occupants to their environment in the outside world. In a biophilic building, occupants should feel nature’s presence around them through the walls, floors, decorations and other design elements.
With that in mind, you need to do more than simply add plants and open the windows. Here are seven impactful biophilic design choices you can make to transform your office space.
Use Natural Building Materials
The most impactful biophilic design choice you can make is building your office space with naturally occurring materials, namely wood and stone. No more drywall, no more carpet floors and no more fiberglass ceilings. Artificial materials are undeniably cheaper, but they’re also low-quality and suck the soul out of an office building, removing it further from nature.
Stone buildings and hardwood floors recall simpler times, when architecture reflected the spirit of its people and families built their homes from scratch. These materials cost more to install but will remain in stable condition for the foreseeable future.
Wood and stone aren’t the only natural materials you can use. Here are some other sustainable and realistic options for an office building:
MasonryCobBambooCorkAdobeCordwood
Create Outdoor Hangout Areas
Your office should have at least one outdoor refuge that employees can seek throughout the day. It should serve both as an alternative workspace and a lounging area, where they can sit and observe the nearby trees, plants and any animals that might scurry past them.
Aim to establish this area away from your building’s parking lot and main entrance to limit foot traffic. If feasible, it should lie in a secluded section of your property with only the sounds of nature in earshot. Think about installing a small pond or fountain to improve the ambiancewith sound,and hang up bird feeders to attract more wildlife. These details will make the hangout area more immersive and relaxing.
Use More Natural Hues
The human eye finds specific colors more soothing than others, and it’s no coincidence that most of those colors are often found in nature. Green, grey and blue in cool hues can help create a soothing environment for your employees. The blacks, browns and whites of stone and wood are also welcome.
Bright colors like red and orange have their places, but too much brightness can be distracting. Incorporate colors into the walls, furniture and office landscape, and use the bright colors more sparingly.
Add More Plants
An easy way to make your office space more biophilic is by adding more plants. It sounds simple enough, but you have to choose the colors wisely and place them strategically around the building. Here are a few office areas that could use some plant life:
Entrances and exitsShared workspacesConference roomsLounging areasDead cornersRooms with high ceilings
You should also encourage your employees to bring their own plants into the building and place them where they wish. Of course, you still want your building to have enough walking space, so you can’t put all of the plants on the floor. Instead, hang some vines, ferns and ivy from the ceiling and let them grow downwards. Visual growth is a key aspect of biophilic design.
The more greenery you have, the better. Green is the most naturally occurring shade and can even boost productivity in your workers. Use flowers with bright colors in moderation.
Choose Curves Over Sharp Edges
One of the hallmarks of ancient architecture was its rounded structures: arches, columns and rotundas, just to name a few examples. Curved shapes appear more often in nature than jagged edges, and you can incorporate that fact into your building in the following ways:
Circular light fixturesRound tablesCurved chairsPorthole windowsPut Nature on Display
Speaking of windows, you should be extra generous with your window designs. Install window walls and skylights to let in more natural light and put the outdoor scenery on display. The more natural light filtering through your building, the better. As the day goes on, the lights and shadows will change, giving your employees a stronger connection to the outside. Change is another important quality in biophilic design.
Bring Sound Into the Mix
You can add another layer of nature to your building with soothing sounds. Create a white noise playlist with sounds of running water, rainfall, birds chirping, etc. and play it throughout the day. Let employees add to the playlist as they please. You might also install a modest indoor fountain in the lobby or another high-traffic area. Anything to break the silence will help.
Just Act Natural
All of the above additions include the word “natural” in front of them: building materials, lounge areas, colors, decorations, shapes, sights and sounds. The more natural design elements you incorporate into your office space, the more biophilic the space will appear. When you add these seemingly minor additions together, the building stops looking like an office and begins to look more like home.
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