Biophilic design is a type of design that has been spoken about at length, but have you gotten on board? And do you fully understand the trend?
Biophilic design originates from Biophilia which means to incorporate natural elements in the office or home. One way of integrating this concept is through the use of glass splashbacks, which can subtly reflect the colors and patterns of nature in a room. They not only add an aesthetic appeal but also contribute to the Biophilic design philosophy.
It can be easy to achieve and makes a massive difference to the feel of the office space. The whole intention of Biophilic design is to make a natural, happy and healthy environment. The idea is to take into consideration natural features, shapes, pattern along with light and space.
Examples of Biophilic design
Biophilic design can be achieved in different ways, some ways more expensive and extreme than others. But there’s a wide variety of possible ways to suit all office sizes and available budgets.
- Welcoming plants, moss walls and flowers
- Using natural colours and textures
- Natural materials, such as wood, pebbles etc
- Keeping the office light with good air circulation
- Access to outdoor areas
- Running water, ponds or water features.
We understand that not all offices will have the ability to implement all of the examples but there are ways to introduce to the options without breaking the bank.
Natural Light
Natural light keeps the office space open, light and airy. Natural light is hard to achieve all year round but in the summer months, we’ve got a good few months of bright light.
Letting more light into the office can start with keeping the blinds open, and in hot weather letting doors and windows open. In the event you want to tackle the light issue on a large scale, sky light windows will open the ceiling come rain or shine.
As part of office design, screening will divide the space, but to go along side the biophilic design, look at the glazed office screen options. The glazed screen won’t stop light and will keep the office as light as ever.
Plants
Plants are readily available and can be purchased from the supermarket.
Cost effective and easy to source, the plant option is easy to implement and comes with benefits. The plants will look fresh and inviting but also helps reduce stress, increase productivity, cleans the air and can have a positive effect on work sick days.
Overall, the addition of plants is a great idea and can be placed on desks, windowsills and as a floor standing corner piece.
Natural Materials
Changing the materials in the office space is also an achieve aspect of biophilic design. Look at the colour palette, bringing in natural materials and imitating the natural patterns of nature and what you might see outside.
This could be implemented as outdoor photos, woodland wallpaper or bringing wooden designs with a rustic look. Pebbles can be used along side plants creating a gravel look.
Benefits of Biophilic design
Making these natural changes to the office space will look modern and invigorates the work environment. If you’re unsure of if the biophilic design is for you, here’s a few ways it will benefits your space.
- Reduce Stress
- Improve cognitive function
- Enhance mood
- Increase productivity.
