As plants and greenery appear in more urban places, you may have heard about biophilic interior design: the practice of nurturing humans’ inherent connection to the natural world through design.
More than a trend, this is a practice that dramatically changes the way we interact with the world around us. It can have profound effects on how we feel in a space, and is an intentional school of thought about how to approach architecture, design and décor.
Whether you are a firm planning a new project, a company that wants to update your office, or a professional who wants to learn more about biophilia and biophilic design, we are excited to share our expertise with you. Let’s dive in.
Biophilic Design Today: Interiors in the 21st Century
Having plants and natural elements as a part of homes and businesses is not a new concept. From the intricate interior gardens of the Romans to the Victorians’ exotic plant craze people want to make their spaces better and more liveable. They also want to have living things to care for, showstopping natural features to show off, and forward-thinking design.
Industrialization and modernization caused more people to move to urban areas in recent history than ever before –– between 1830 and 1930, the urban population increased six times, and by 2010, 80% of people lived in metro areas.
This put pressure on how we make a deliberate connection to nature, as it was no longer at our doorstep. And so growing desire for the outdoors and the green movement’s focus on the environment brought a big emphasis on making interiors more human in the late 20th and 21st Century.
As a business that’s been helping design interiors since 1973, we’ve seen that while styles may come and go, the staples of biophilic design – plants, greenery, flowers, great views, natural light and natural elements like wood and other materials – are here to stay.
Read on to learn more about the principles of biophilic design.
How Biophilic Design Impacts Commercial Interiors
The principles of biophilic design originated from what we can feel and observe in ourselves and society. But now, we also have scientific backing on some major benefits of biophilic design:
In offices, seeing greenery and nature makes people feel less fatigued, more relaxed and happier at work. Prospective employees consider office design like natural light and plants when accepting a position. This is no surprise considering job satisfaction is higher in offices with plants.
In hotels, biophilic design can improve the amount of pleasure guests get out of a space. This can positively impact return rate and word of mouth.
In healthcare settings, biophilic design can help therapeutic outcomes for both patients and workers.
In malls, biophilic design can improve people’s perceptions of the space, their intention to return and their likelihood of recommending it to others.
In restaurants, plants entice customers in and have a positive effect on purchase decisions.
This is just a sample of the research that backs up the impacts of biophilic design, and there is likely even more benefit than is specifically measured and reported. From our professional horticultural experience, we know that the intangible benefits of biophilic design often add up to something quite meaningful.
So whether you are in charge of a retail space, an office, a commercial building, a healthcare practice, or another area, biophilic design can benefit your indoor environment –– and everyone who passes through it.
How to Use Biophilic Interior Design in Your Office Space
If you are interested in improving your commercial interior –– whether that’s an office or another space –– biophilic design can prove to be a big upgrade. But using natural elements isn’t always intuitive. Here is some guidance based on our 50+ years of experience as plantscapers.
The possibilities of biophilic interior design
When approaching biophilic design, the most important thing to understand is that this is more than a few plants. Knowing what options you have helps you choose what is best for your space. Some ideas include:
Living walls which can be huge, multi-story installations or smaller, contained pieces. These are live plants that are arranged vertically to bring life, energy and drama to your space. Living wall installations typically use an irrigation system and can be customized to fit any space.
Moss walls are another option for artistic and sculptural pieces. Unlike living walls, the moss is carefully preserved and doesn’t require the same maintenance as plants. It can also be customized to fit different spaces and to express your company’s design sense.
Container arrangements are strategically placed plants in pots or other vessels. Used right, they add focal points, dividers and accents to your space. These can be key design features which help move people through your space and add separation, privacy, visual interest and even a welcoming feeling to your space.
Replica plants, which offer a great solution for commercial spaces when real plants aren’t the right fit. Yes, faux options can also bring biophilic benefits and high-quality replicas look stunning –– and they offer a huge amount of creativity and design, from small tabletop arrangements to full-sized trees.
Explore more possibilities of large-scale replica plants in commercial interiors.
This is just a small taste of what is possible in the world of biophilic interior design. If you are an architect, designer or other commercial project manager who wants more information on biophilic design, Plantscape Pittsburgh offers free lunch and learn classes to see how you can improve your aesthetics and ROI. Reach out to us for more information.
Why Work with a Professional like Plantscape for Commercial Design?
If you are taking on a commercial project, the best way to incorporate biophilic design is to work with professionals. Simply put, bringing a biophilic design into your space requires consideration, knowledge and expertise across horticulture, design and execution. This is a skill set that most design firms simply do not have.
The horticultural side comes in as soon as the design process starts. We assess a client’s space for things like light and traffic to understand what plants will – and won’t – work. We also take into account options for built-ins, irrigation, lighting, and other concerns when working on a project.
When it comes time to choose and source plants (real or replica), containers and other materials, a professional will have relationships with suppliers that provide commercial-grade options. We are award-winning horticulturalists who know when plants are at their best, and only offer our clients superior product.
Design expertise is the core of any plantscaper’s work, and it requires the eye and precision of a true professional. We can provide big vision, show detailed digital mock-ups of your space, and bring creativity and an intimate understanding of your goals. And we are also a collaborative team that thrives when working on ambitious projects with architectural, design and construction professionals.
And when it comes to execution, using a professional is always best. We are trained to get things done right and leave your space looking incredible, with no damage, no mess and no mistakes. This matters for large installs like living walls, where amateur execution can lead to things like water damage. But it also matters even if you are just implementing smaller green touches, as poor execution downgrades your space. We ensure that your new designs look exactly as intended.
Finally, working with a professional company means you have the option of continued maintenance work done for you. Our horticultural experts ensure that your plants look as good or better three years in as they do day one. You won’t waste your investment on plants that die, and you’ll ensure that existing employees don’t have to take on an additional burden.
At Plantscape, we love dreaming big with our clients and using biophilic design to enhance commercial spaces in all sorts of different projects nationwide. If you are interested in bringing biophilic design to your commercial project, please contact us as we would love to hear from you.
