Biophilia is the “love of life and living things”, referring specifically to the connection humans often feel with nature. Many experts believe that when we nurture our connection with the outdoors, our creative self is enhanced. And that’s why getting to grips with biophilic design will reap rewards in your workspace.
Whether you work from home at an industrial desk or from your office in a corporate building, introducing elements of nature will help you. But how?
1 Introduce live and artificial plants
As you would expect, top of the list is the introduction of plants to the office space. We’ve long known the benefits of adding plants to a room, many of which are true for the work and office space too.
Real plants can help purify the air and also add a pleasant scent to a space too. Plants also make a space look welcoming and the great news is, you can opt for artificial plants too.
Top tip – simply clustering plants on a wooden table in the office or adding a plant to your reclaimed wood desk will add an instant welcome note of biophilic design.
2 Make the most of daylight
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real complaint that many of us suffer from at times during the drab winter months. But it can also affect us when we are shielded from natural daylight at other times of the year.
Natural daylight is a softer light for the eyes to process and so maximising this is an important part of biophilic office design.
What you don’t want, however, is harsh sunlight that makes you squint and drains the colour from everything with its harshness.
Top tip – maximise daylight in your office space by choosing office furniture that reflects light around, as well as metallic finishes that are stylish and reflective. As well as desk lamps, consider pendant lighting for darker areas.
3 Choose natural colour schemes
Decorating the office with colours we find in nature that soothe and calm are perfect for firing up our underlying creativity.
As well as muted greens, consider light blue for notes of the sea or pale yellow to bring the feeling of warmth. Avoid dark hues and shades that swallow natural light as they can also be too brash and jar the senses.
Top tip – this design is all about maximising comfort and so opting for office furniture that supports and enables your creative flow is just as important too. From choosing ergonomic office desks and storage solutions to choosing the best office chair, this design embraces the ideals of how nature supports our wellbeing in every sense.
4 Use natural materials
Using natural materials is especially important. Reclaimed wood furniture is ideal within a biophilic designed office, for example. Repurposing hardwood such as English oak beams and fashioning into desks and sideboards is ideal for supporting your endeavours to create a welcoming and productive office space.
Top tip – as well as the industrial style, consider rustic furniture for the office space too, including reception areas and meeting rooms as this style has very close ties with nature.