The interior landscaping industry is doing very well at the moment. This is a good thing as it keeps me and my colleagues in work.
The demand for greenery in, on and around buildings remains strong. Architects, designers and facilities managers are planning their spaces to fully integrate plants into their designs.
The justification for all of this very welcome plant life is to improve wellbeing and make the office more welcoming. Employers are keen to attract and retain staff (those Glassdoor ratings aren’t going to write themselves). Commercial real estate firms need to get people through the doors in order to justify the existence of their cathedrals of capitalism. It doesn’t take too long before ‘biophilic design’ is mentioned.
I have written before about why just putting plants in buildings is not the same as biophilic design. I am increasingly worried that the phrase has gone beyond being a synonym for office plants and are now weasel words that are losing all meaning. However, that is not the purpose of this article.
Sense of connection
Biophilic design should be about creating a sense of reconnecting with our natural environment. Zoos design their animal enclosures to be as much like the natural environment of the animals as possible. This helps them to live as well as possible given their captive state. The human animal also thrives in naturalistic environments, but the modern office is nowhere near getting there.
I understand that buildings are easier to construct with lots of straight lines and right angles – and that’s fine. But the spaces inside don’t have to be like that.
The trend of the moment is cabinet-top (furniture-based) planting. I have written about the practical issues of this style of planting, so won’t go over those again. You can read about my gripes here and here.
No, the problem I wish to address here is how such planting reinforces straight lines and right angles, making the spaces even more artificial.
Nature is pretty random. There are curves and undulations. Vegetation is clustered, scattered and varied. Sometimes you can see over long distances, other times, there are mysteries to explore. There are wide-open spaces as well as sheltered spots. All of this can be alluded to in an office, but so rarely is.
Ticking boxes
Interior landscapers are often presented with a set of floor plans with the furniture already specified. These frequently include cabinet-top planters (which are often far too shallow, but that’s a different issue). The layout is fixed. The interior landscaper’s creativity has been hobbled and the inevitable consequences are hedgerows and plantations.
These hedges and plantations allow boxes to be ticked. Vegetation is visible from the majority of workstations, even though it is uniform. Surfaces are free from clutter and circulation routes are well defined. You might even get a certificate to show how healthy your building is.
But, without the variation that could be introduced, that would bring a sense of connection with the outside world, that could draw the eye away from the screen – even if only for a few seconds – are these spaces really biophilic?
Be braver
Embrace the irregularity of nature. If even it isn’t as space-efficient, you might find that the benefits, in terms of wellbeing and performance, more than outweigh the cost of the odd curve here and there. If you need some help with that – take a look at my services page and get in touch.
In my last post, I wrote about the benefits of incorporating non-rhythmic stimuli into the built environment as a biophilic design intervention. In both the home and the workplace, we can use such stimuli to add an extra dimension to our sensory experiences, which ought to improve our wellbeing and comfort.
In the home, one of the most potent things you can do to create a biophilic experience is to take a nice, warm shower.
A warm shower can be more than a utilitarian act of hygiene – it is a deeply pleasurable, biophilic experience. It engages so many of our senses: sound, touch, smell (if your shower gel is nice) and warmth in ways that can be both soothing and invigorating. This offers a good blend of physical and psychological benefits. One reason for this pleasure lies in the non-rhythmic sensory experience it provides, which is an important element of biophilia and our innate need to connect with nature.
Unlike the predictable, repetitive stimuli we often encounter in daily life, such as the hum of a computer or the ticking of a clock, the sensation of water cascading over the skin is irregular and varied. This non-rhythmic stimulation captures our attention without overwhelming is. The gentle, unpredictable patterns of water droplets hitting the skin can almost induce a meditative state, allowing the mind to unwind and release stress and provide a mental escape.
The skin, as our largest sense organ, plays a central role in this experience. When warm water flows over the body, it stimulates countless nerve endings embedded in the skin, sending signals to the brain that trigger the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like endorphins and serotonin. The warmth of the water also promotes vasodilation, improving blood circulation and creating a comforting, enveloping sensation. This tactile stimulation is deeply grounding and fosters a sense of physical and emotional well-being. Furthermore, the contrast between the warmth of the water and the cooler air outside the shower can heighten sensory awareness, making the experience even more vivid and enjoyable. These elements could be thought of as a multisensory ritual that not only cleanses the body but also rejuvenates the mind. A warm shower a profoundly pleasurable, restorative and essentially biophilic act – cleansing both mind and body.
Fast running water cascading over rocks. Picture by the author
Biophilic design has gained significant traction over the last decade or so as a way to support well-being, improve quality of life in built environments and even improve productivity. For some designers – especially people in my own industry of interior landscaping – this starts and finishes with plants. However, there is much more to it than just greenery.
I have written before about the need to stimulate all of our senses to be truly biophilic. One way to achieve this is by incorporating non-rhythmic sensory stimuli. These include elements such as the sound of running water, the sight of flickering flames, rustling leaves, or the sensation of a gentle breeze. Ambient scenting may also be considered a non-rhythmic sensory stimulus, although this is a much more complicated issue and worthy of a separate article.
The incorporation of non-rhythmic sensory experiences into the built environment can offer additional ways to enhance well-being, productivity, and overall quality of life by making the biophilic experience more rounded. This is one of the 14+ patterns of biophilic design recognised in the iconic report by Terrapin Bright Green (which has been recently updated in its 10th anniversary edition, and which is very much worth a read).
The science behind non-rhythmic sensory stimuli
Non-rhythmic sensory stimuli are characterized by their variability and unpredictability, which is in contrast to the often monotonous and repetitive patterns found in the artificial settings of the built environment. These stimuli are common in natural settings. Research suggests that such patterns engage our senses in a way that promotes relaxation, reduces stress and may even enhance our cognitive abilities.
One study Joye et al. (2013) suggested that non-visual sensory stimuli, such as the sound of water or wind, can significantly reduce stress and improve mood. The study found that these stimuli activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” response. It has been suggested that this could counteract the effects of chronic stress. Similarly, the visual unpredictability of natural elements, such as the movement of flames or shifting shadows as the sun shines through vegetation blowing in the breeze, might capture attention in a non-intrusive way, fostering a sense of calm.
One of the most significant benefits of non-rhythmic sensory experiences is their ability to reduce stress and anxiety. In a world dominated by structured routines and artificial environments, the introduction of natural, irregular patterns can provide some form of mental escape back to nature. For instance, the sound of running water, whether from a fountain, an indoor waterfall or even from an electronic soundscaping system has been shown to reduce stress, as measured by skin conductance (Alvarsson et al., 2010), something that could be valuable in high-stress environments such as some offices, hospitals, and schools.
Moreover, non-rhythmic stimuli can evoke positive emotional responses. The sight of dancing flames in a fireplace or the gentle movement of curtains in a breeze can create a sense of warmth, comfort, and nostalgia. These experiences tap into our evolutionary connection to nature, fostering feelings of safety and well-being. Over 30 years ago, Roger Ulrich (1993) wrote that exposure to natural elements can elicit positive emotions and reduce feelings of anger, fear, and sadness, which are often exacerbated by sterile, artificial environments.
Cognitive and productivity benefits
Incorporating non-rhythmic sensory experiences into indoor spaces can also enhance cognitive performance and productivity. Research by Kaplan and Kaplan (1989) on Attention Restoration Theory (ART) suggests that natural environments, with their innate variability, provide a restorative effect on mental fatigue. Non-rhythmic stimuli, such as the sound of a breeze or the sight of moving water, can serve as “soft fascinations” that allow the brain to recover from the demands of focused attention.
In the workplace, it has been suggested that the introduction of non-rhythmic elements might be linked to improved concentration, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Anecdotal reports suggest that people working in environments with natural sounds, such as flowing water or bird songs, experienced higher levels of satisfaction and productivity compared to those in traditional office settings.
Similarly, the use of dynamic lighting systems that mimic the shifting patterns of natural light can help regulate circadian rhythms, improving alertness and reducing fatigue. Research carried out at the BRE and presented at the Wellness and Biophilia Symposium in 2019 showed a relationship (in some scales) between dynamic lighting and improved self-reported wellbeing.
Practical applications in the built environment
The use of non-rhythmic sensory experiences into indoor spaces is now being incorporated in some workplaces, and can be achieved through a variety of design strategies. Water features, such as indoor fountains or aquariums, can provide both auditory and visual stimulation. . Similarly, the use of natural materials, such as moss, foliage, wood and stone, can enhance tactile experiences and evoke a sense of warmth and authenticity.
An indoor water feature in an airport
In addition to these physical elements, technology can play a role in bringing non-rhythmic experiences indoors. For example, dynamic lighting systems that mimic the changing patterns of natural light can stimulate the brain not unlike being outdoors throughout the day and soundscapes that replicate natural environments, such as forests or beaches, can be used to create a calming atmosphere in offices, schools, and healthcare facilities.
Virtual reality systems that simulate natural settings can also provide immersive sensory experiences, particularly in environments where access to nature is limited. I once visited a place where there were no windows in one part of the building, so screens were set up linked to cameras mounted on the external walls so the view from outside could be brought in.
I can help you with your biophilic designs
If you are a designer or are planning some biophilic interventions in your building and would like some advice on how to incorporate non-rhythmic stimuli, please get in touch. I know lots about plants, a fair bit about water and scenting and I can put you in touch with plenty of people that are experts in some of the other patterns.
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One of the most popular videos on Netflix at the moment is an open fire. Logs alight with bright flames dancing and the sound of the wood crackling and popping as the wood burns. Similar videos can be found on You Tube and many other platforms, and they gain millions of views.
For many people, especially those living in urban settings, live fires aren’t possible. Smoke control regulations for good air quality makes lighting a fire unlawful in many circumstances (and can exacerbate poor air quality, especially in the winter). More modern homes, as well as flats and other high-density housing won’t have fire places, so a even if a real fire was desirable, it isn’t going to be possible.
Modern heating systems are much better at distributing warmth around the home, and are probably a lot cheaper than buying in a load of seasoned logs, so flames seem rather redundant.
Yet, we humans seem to have a primeval urge to be drawn to flames. It could be videos, or even the flame effects that you can find on electric fires, or our desire to light candles (or even switch on LED flames in fake candles) to create an atmosphere when a light bulb is far more efficient.
Objectively, flames in the home are a terrible idea. They are polluting, inefficient, labour-intensive and can be expensive. If left unattended, they can also be dangerous. A radiator and a light bulb are much easier to live with. So why do we like flames?
Biophilic design is used to make us feel comfortable in the artificial environments of our modern, unnatural homes and workplaces. Reconnecting ourselves with the sensory stimuli that enabled our species to survive in our wild, natural environment means that we can reduce stress and live happier, healthier and more productive lives. One of the elements of biophilic design that is often left out of our buildings is non-rhythmic sensory stimulation.
Non-rhythmic sensory stimulation can manifest itself in many ways – some of which will be expanded upon in future posts – but examples can include the sound of water in streams or rainfall, birdsong, the dynamic use of shadows that move across a space over the period of a day, the feeling of a refreshing breeze on the skin or the pleasure of a warm shower to relax under, rather than just for the utility of hygiene. It can also be found in the movements of flames, the curling of smoke and the irregular popping and crackling of wood.
In buildings, these elements can be incorporated into design. Soundscaping and lighting design can be used creatively. Objects, such as plants and furnishings can be positioned to cast shadows and simulated fire can create feelings of cosy security.
Biophilic design is all about creating spaces in the built environment that are healthy, happy, engaging and effective. You may know that the reason why biophilic design works is because we create spaces that allow us to rebuild connections to nature and our natural habitat. We enrich our spaces to make the lives of domesticated, ‘battery humans’ so much better. In the workplace, biophilic design can lead to better business outcomes. More productivity per kilowatt hour of energy consumed – so possibly a gain for the environment.
A significant element of almost every biophilic design is greenery – indoor and outdoor plants displayed in a naturalistic fashion. It is easy to assume that, because live plants are being used, that they must be an environmentally-friendly addition to any building.
But does that assumption survive scrutiny?
Does the green part of biophilic design create a net benefit to our environment?
Interior landscapers, the providers of office greenery, use a variety of plants in their schemes. Indoor plants tend to have their natural origins in the tropics and subtropics – places where seasonal variation is minimal (much like the insides of buildings, which also have a near constant environment. Office blocks and rainforests have more in common than you might think.) This doesn’t mean that indoor plants are sourced from the wild – that would definitely be bad for the environment. They are grown by specialists under controlled environmental conditions in nurseries. In temperate climates, the use of native species in buildings is guaranteed to fail.
In Europe, most indoor plants are sourced from The Netherlands. Dutch growers have perfected the art of producing millions of plants using quite complex technology to regulate the light, temperature, water and plant nutrients used in their glasshouses to produce pristine crops to exacting specifications. However, this comes at a cost. The energy used to heat and light their glasshouses has to be generated somewhere. The water used for irrigation is treated with fertilizers and any left over has to be recycled and re-treated before it finds its way back into the environment.
Interior landscape plants at a Dutch nursery (image from Koberg bv)
Over the last few years, the Dutch nursery industry has significantly reduced its inputs, with a significant reduction in the impact it has on the wider environment, but let’s not shy away from the fact that nursery production is a resource-consuming industry.
Another impact on the environment comes from the substrates used to grow the plants. Peat is still used (and not just in Europe). Even where it is no-longer extracted from fragile habitats, its extraction can lead to significant greenhouse gas emissions. As the peat dries out and oxidizes, it releases carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide is, essentially, a fossil fuel. It was originally taken out of the atmosphere thousands of years ago by the mosses and sedges alive at the time.
Fortunately, peat is being used less and more sustainable substrates are now being used, such as coir, composted green waste and even volcanic minerals (vulcaponics).
Vulcaponic substrate
Once the plants have been produced, they need to be transported to the buildings where they are going to be installed. Hundreds of trucks burn diesel fuel transporting plants from the Netherlands to all over Europe and beyond.
What about other countries?
In North America, plant production is rather less intensive. In the major growing areas of Florida and California, plants are grown more-or-less outdoors under polythene and heavy shade cloth. The energy inputs are significantly less than in Europe, but other inputs, such as pesticides tend to be higher.
Plants in a US nursery under heavy shade (image by Matt Kostelnick)
Here, as in Europe, plants need to be transported across an entire continent. Large, climate-controlled trucks drive thousands of kilometres to deliver plants from Florida to Montreal and all places in between and sometimes, plants are even transported by air.
Air transport container loaded with plants (image by Matt Kostelnick)
Many plants used by interior landscapers in Europe also spend some of their lives growing in fields in Central America before being sent to the Netherlands for finishing, and many large trees and palms used in European buildings are grown in Florida and shipped to the Netherlands for acclimation and preparation before they are then sent to their final destination.
Florida and California are both subject to ever more extreme climate events. The Florida nursery industry has often suffered existential threats due to hurricanes, and California is frequently under severe water stress.
There are other places in the world where indoor plants are grown. I have recently visited India, where vast office complexes are being constructed at an astonishing rate. These buildings are being constructed to the highest standards – often to high LEED and WELL buildings specifications. Biophilic design is integral to these projects, both inside the buildings and in the campus environments where so many of them are being developed.
An office campus in India showing the extensive outdoor greenery to provide a pleasant working environment
In India, most of the plants used are grown locally by commercial nurseries. It is a very well developed industry, which is superficially similar to the Florida industry. Vast, heavily shaded polythene structures are used to grow exceptionally-good plants for both the retail and interior landscaping markets. Pesticide inputs are low, growing media are often locally-sourced coir-based products (essentially a waste product of coconut farming) and little, or no energy is used for lighting their nurseries. Supply chains tend to be relatively short (there are nurseries relatively close to many of the big cities), so that too is a benefit.
Tropical plants at a Nursery in India
However, every nursery owner that I spoke to (and it was a lot) is seriously concerned about climate change. Near Pune and Bangalore, temperatures are significantly above average, and rainfall is scarce. This is partly explained by the El Niño effect, which is near its peak, but there is no doubt that man-made climate change also has an impact.
Water shortages are a major concern. High on the Deccan Plateau, rivers are uncommon and much irrigation water is often sourced from boreholes and stored rainwater. Groundwater is rapidly diminishing and rains are increasingly unreliable.
Commercial plant nursery near Pune, India. A large reservoir (structure on the left) has been constructed to store ever-diminishing supplies of water
The seemingly insatiable desire for indoor plants in India, due to the rapidly developing commercial real estate market, is threatened by changes happening to the environment right now.
Reasons to be cheerful
I don’t want to be too gloomy, though. Compared with other elements in the built environment (including other elements found in a biophilic space), greenery still contributes comparatively little to the environmental damage caused by commercial development (though it can be improved).
Plants are still a high impact, low cost addition to the built environment. If they make an organization more effective, you get more output (however you choose to measure it) for every tonne of carbon dioxide (or other harmful emission) put into our environment.
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Evidence-based design (EBD) is the design of spaces based on evidence, not simple ‘rules of thumb’ (also referred to as heuristics). The discipline of EBD was first developed in the healthcare industry, and its principles are increasingly being applied across the built environment.
An important part of the design process has to be a real understanding of what the client is really trying to achieve and then develop some metrics and indicators to determine whether those objectives have been achieved.
What is important for the customer? What is the starting point? What is the end point? How do we know that we’ve got there?
For example, is the client concerned about health and wellbeing, colleague engagement or productivity? These can all be measured, to an extent.
Some measurements may be physical or observational, e.g. how space is used. Other measurements might be associated with HR indicators such as absenteeism or complaints about the indoor air quality.
Maybe, the client is mainly interested in achieving a building certification (such as WELL) or a high Glassdoor rating in order to attract and retain staff (or to gain a “great place to work” recognition). These may require a different set of metrics and, in some cases, might be achieved by ticking boxes and completing spreadsheets without needing to engage with the end-users of the space at all.
Having said that, such a workplace, whilst meeting the specified end point of getting a certification, may not be especially effective. It is now well known that empowered, involved and engaged workers tend to be happier, healthier, more satisfied and more productive than those for whom a change was imposed.
However, without defining terms at the beginning of a project, the designer cannot really justify claims for its subsequent success. Objectives and KPIs must be clearly defined. If not, the wrong metrics may be used. Without good evidence, knowing what tweaks might be needed is impossible. This is especially true once a new workplace design has been commissioned to keep it working effectively.
If EBD is applied without direct involvement from the end-users, the designer limits the amount and quality of evidence available.
Five-step approach to evidence-based guided design
I will illustrate the process using an example of creating an new interior landscape scheme in an office-based workplace, although the principles would apply to almost any types of design project. Get in touch to discuss your specific needs.
Step 1: setting the intent and identifying needs
Here, we state the intent of the exercise. We seek to discover the needs of the client and identify any issues or areas that are important to the organization. These may relate to health and well being, productivity / financial indicators, staff engagement or even sustainability. Initial discussions would probably be with the client’s management team. It would be wise to also engage informally with the premises users at this time. This helps see if the management’s concerns align with those of their staff.
Outputs: KPIs agreed, scope and boundaries of surveys agreed, communications plan, workshops and end-user communications (e.g. newsletters)
Step 2: surveys and initial data
The next step would be to carry out a detailed set of surveys. This will include an assessment of the physical space (light, noise, layout, air quality, etc.) and a tailor-made staff survey, which will identify and quantify areas of concern. I can design these surveys for you so you get the information you really need.
The designer would also ensure that we have some objective baseline data from the client (if required) that could be compared against the designer’s own findings.
Outputs: initial surveys and data analysis, second staff communications, scope and boundaries of design agreed, design budget agreed.
Step 3: consultation and engagement
Before any intervention is made (for example, a redesign of the office space), the office staff should be kept engaged.
Research has demonstrated that giving office workers a genuine stake in the project (hearing their views and giving them real choices) results in better, and more durable, outcomes.
Throughout the process, the designer would ensure that all stakeholders in the project are kept informed of the progress of the project. This will be achieved using newsletters, social media and face-to-face discussions. At this point, the designer would have a fair idea of options available.
Outputs: ideas and requests collected from client’s staff, third staff communications
Step 4: design
At this point, an experienced design team would be brought in to discuss design options with all the stakeholders. The designer will have an idea of what might work after reviewing all the initial survey information. The designer will then present some outline options to the client.
The designer would then take their collected ideas forward for discussion and engage all users of the office space in the final decision. Once this has been agreed, the design team would make arrangements for the space to be redesigned accordingly.
Throughout this process, it is important to keep all stakeholders informed. There is often a few weeks lead time for a design to be installed. The designer and the client need to keep everyone’s enthusiasm alive. They should build up to the day when their ideas are realized in their newly-designed work space.
Outputs: first design proposals for discussion by staff and management. Revisions and final design choices. Design specification and order. Fourth (and possibly fifth) staff newsletter. Design installation.
Step 5: Follow-up and continuous review
The client will need to know whether the interventions carried out in the offices have been successful. Therefore, a series of follow-up surveys could be carried out shortly after the new designs have been installed. These surveys could include staff questionnaires, analysis of the client’s data, and physical measurements of the environment.
Such surveys might be repeated every 2 months or so for at least 9 months to confirm that the interventions have had a durable effect. If necessary, designs could be reviewed and adjusted as needed to satisfy the customer or end-users. Their experience may highlight unforeseen needs.
Again, the designer would continue to communicate and engage with all stakeholders to let them know what is going on, and to get some qualitative evidence as well as quantitative data.
Outputs: follow-up surveys, data analysis, continuing staff newsletters
How will you know whether an environment is successful?
At each step of the process, data will be gathered to determine whether process is working. Data for evidence-based design can come from direct, indirect or proxy sources.
Pre-intervention
At installation
Post intervention
Direct measures (examples)
End-user surveys End-user focus groups Sentiment / satisfaction measures Customer interviews Observational data Sensors and monitors
Discussions with end users – confirm needs have been met Discussions with customer – confirm needs have been met Sentiment / satisfaction measures
Ongoing Post intervention surveys (every few months for at least one year) Ongoing sentiment / satisfaction measures Interviews and focus groups Observational data Sensors and monitors
Indirect measures (examples)
WELL scorecard Fitwel scorecard RESET scorecard Sustainability scorecard Leesman index Revenue / person Revenue / square foot Absenteeism records Staff retention rates Review sites (e.g. Glassdoor, Trustpilot, etc.)
WELL scorecard Fitwel scorecard RESET scorecard Sustainability scorecard Leesman index Revenue / person Revenue / square foot Absenteeism records Staff retention rates Review sites (e.g. Glassdoor, Trustpilot, etc.)
Proxy measures (examples)
Tests and quizzes Simulations Comparison with similar organizations (impact seen with them probably similar to impact on us) Case studies References
Tests and quizzes Simulations Designer feedback
Tests and quizzes Simulations Comparison with similar organizations (impact seen with them probably similar to impact on us)
Big Brother is watching you
Direct sources of data may be from automated systems and sensors. Sensors are increasingly being used to give building managers and space planners real-time data on how space is used and the environmental conditions in different parts of a building. This is becoming increasingly important now that hybrid ways of working are becoming more common and workplace usage patterns are changing rapidly.
Data collected on environmental and space utilization parameters allows for rapid changes in layout or environmental management. This ensures that users get as comfortable and as useful a workspace as possible.
Mapping survey data to culture, demographics and location: unveiling the nuances
Understanding the collective preferences of the end users of the workplace – the office workers – is crucial. However, digging deeper into the data is essential. Attempting to map these preferences onto the cultural, demographic, and locational peculiarities of the organization can give invaluable insights. This reveals patterns and nuances that can be easily overlooked in broader surveys.
The benefits of longitudinal studies
Collecting survey data immediately before and after the installation of a new interior design is not especially valuable. People notice the immediate impact of change. However, tracking individual responses over time (whilst meticulously maintaining privacy) is very beneficial. It includes collecting data for an extended period post-intervention. This allows the designer to distinguish the subtle effects of design interventions from the larger waves of, say, a new CEO or a major business shift.
Granular analysis of data over time, ideally with the aid of a statistician, can offer a clear picture. It will reduce the risk of misinterpretations and helps to ensure that design decisions are informed by the most accurate trends.
Longitudinal studies, with frequent data analysis, also allow for post-design tweaks. Whilst easy-to-digest broad data can be appealing, the detail is where hidden gems of insight can be found.
Hidden gems
Demographic studies can hold surprising potential, as long as you know what to look for. For example, a seemingly innocuous study (carried out in the late 1990s) into the plant preferences of staff in a local government office revealed a hidden layer of cultural influence. The headline findings clearly showed a relationship between plant preference and the seniority of the office worker. Closer examination unearthed a deeper connection to gender, rooted in the organization’s history and norms. Men occupied the bulk of the senior positions, whilst there were far more women occupying more junior roles. This highlights the importance of not solely relying on surface-level observations and instead delving into the details woven into the data.
Another small study challenged preconceived notions by demonstrating that job role, regardless of age, could be a stronger reflector of plant preferences than previously thought. Stereotypes, both reinforced and shattered, illustrate the power of data to illuminate the complexities of human behaviour within a specific context.
Ultimately, mapping data to culture, demographics, and location is not about finding definitive answers, but rather about uncovering the rich tapestry of influences that shape how people interact with their environment. By exploring the nuances found in data, evidence-based design transcends mere aesthetics and can be a tool that transforms workplaces into spaces that truly resonate with their users.
Measuring the right thing!
If the aim of a project is to improve employee wellbeing, then there is no point in measuring the organization’s Net Promoter Score. Likewise, measuring indoor air quality is unlikely to tell you much about a company’s brand reputation.
Having said that, there are likely to be some interesting interactions. Improving indoor air quality may well have an impact on productivity, especially if carbon dioxide levels are kept low, leading to greater alertness and less fatigue. However, you won’t know if productivity has been improved unless you actually measure it. Similarly, whilst improving employee wellbeing may lead to a better NPS score – happy staff are probably going to give better customer service after all – NPS isn’t, on its own, going to be a reliable measure of wellbeing.
Here are some possible aims of a design interventions with some of the metrics that could be used.
Project aim
Possible metrics
Improved productivity
Revenue (or profit) per employee Revenue (or profit) per unit area of office space
Reduced absenteeism
Work days lost, long term absence, etc.
Increased office space utilization
Time spent in the office Workspace occupancy Sensor data
Improved wellbeing
Survey data: complaints of SBS, symptoms, reasons for absenteeism, etc. Health monitoring data
NPS data Ranking in reviews / indices (e.g. Glassdoor, Leesman, Trustpilot, etc.)
Improved colleague engagement
Staff engagement surveys, e.g. Q10, Hays Group,
Improved customer engagement
NPS Customer comments and complaints, reviews, etc. Customer satisfaction surveys Trip Advisor scores (for hospitality sector) Trustpilot scores (for service providers, retail, etc.) Increased footfall or dwell time (retail sector) Increase in return custom (retail, healthcare and hospitality) Customer referrals (retail, healthcare, hospitality)
Improved sustainability
GHG emissions normalized against revenue or per capita (rather than against floor space) Reductions in energy costs
Add value to your interior design
If you are involved in design, consider an evidence-based approach. This is especially important if you are an interior landscaper who wants to add value to your service. If you need help in putting together a programme, or if you need assistance designing surveys and other elements of data collection, then please get in touch. Check out my services page for information about my specific areas of expertise and consultancy.
Even before the pandemic, the nature of office work was changing. There was an increasing shift to creating more purpose-based workspaces that accommodated different styles of activity, such as collaborative working or quiet focused work. This also led to an increase in the use of non-allocated desks (let alone private offices), so there was no guarantee, or expectation, that an office user would be at the same desk every hour of every day.
Then, the pandemic forced huge numbers of office workers to work from home, and many of them found it preferable. This has led to a rise in hybrid working, but has also acted as a catalyst for evolution of workplace design.
A decade’s-worth of change seems to have happened in about 18 months and many employers have completely remodelled their office space as a result: partly to attract workers back to the office by making them more comfortable and homely, and partly to adapt them to new ways of working.
However, with all the changes in workspace design, many offices are still less than half full for several days a week. A recent report quoted in The Guardian suggests that the Monday to Friday office occupancy rate across the UK is 29% for the first three months of 2023, and slightly less in London, compared with typical pre-pandemic levels of 60%-80% (according to data from Remit Consulting).
Where is everyone?
As a result of this, it is quite likely that suppliers of business-to-business (B2B) services are going to be impacted. Those companies selling discretionary B2B services, such as interior landscaping (my area of interest), are probably going to be especially exposed.
B2B companies that already have a nicely diverse mix of customers in terms of sector, size, and geography are probably going to be able to absorb some of the possible shocks, for reasons I’ll discuss later. However, those that are heavily dependent on one part of the marketplace, such as large corporate offices, might find themselves living in ‘interesting times.’ This is especially true where B2B service providers are not a directly-employed contractor, but appointed by a facilities management company.
What does this mean for interior landscapers?
The benefits of interior landscaping and workplace wellbeing are pretty much understood and accepted, so I don’t think there will be a large-scale chuck-out of plants as a cost-saving measure that we have seen in the past (such as the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis). However, if offices are only – on average – one third full, then it stands to reason that there will be a significant reduction in the floor space needed for organizations. Those empty floors won’t need plants, art, ambient scenting or coffee machines.
There is an upside for those businesses agile and imaginative to grasp the opportunities. Those office workers not commuting as often will still be working somewhere – and not necessarily at home. They will probably be spending more time working in places such as local co-working venues (several being set up in the suburbs and small satellite towns), coffee shops, or even in hotel lounges. All of these settings (often called third spaces) would certainly benefit from some nice plants – ideally supplied and maintained by a good interior landscaper. By offering their services to these spaces, interior landscapers can ensure that their plants continue to be seen and appreciated by workers, even if they are not based in a traditional office environment.
Even when the workforce is remote, employers still have a responsibility for the health, safety, and wellbeing of all their staff. It stands to reason that some of those discretionary B2B services could be reimagined as something to enhance wellbeing in the home working environment.
Many interior plant companies, especially those that have the infrastructure in place to deliver plant displays, could adapt quite quickly – some have already by offering mail order houseplants. Those companies could easily refine their offer by providing plants that are especially well suited to home working environments.
A well-designed home office
These could include plants that are easy to maintain (and maybe even be set up in such a way as to make plant care especially straightforward), and be properly matched to the home worker’s office environment. Advice and guidance on selecting the right plants for the space, together with instructions on plant care could be given, alongside tips on how to create a more effective home office space.
Workspaces are not as full as they used to be and hybrid and remote working is more common and more popular than ever before. Even with incentives (and demands) that people ‘return to the office’, there seems little evidence that office occupancy rates are getting back to pre-pandemic levels any time soon, or even ever. Indeed a recent report quoted in The Guardian suggests that the Monday to Friday office occupancy rate across the UK is 29% for 2023 to date, and slightly less in London, compared with typical pre-pandemic levels of 60%-80% (according to data from Remit Consulting).
Home workers have needs as well as office workers, and employers have a duty of care to their home-based colleagues as well as those in the office.
Here we discuss how the pandemic has accelerated the evolution of the workspace and why personal control over the working environment can benefit organizations and workers alike, especially when it comes to the air that we breathe.
Personal, portable air purifiers and monitors empower workers to maintain a healthy working environment, whether at home or in the office, and give reassurance to employers that they are fulfilling their obligations to ensure that their staff are safe while they are working.
Accelerated evolution
Even before the pandemic, the nature of office work was changing. There was an increasing shift to creating more purpose-based workspaces that accommodated different styles of activity, such as collaborative working or quiet focused work. This also led to an increase in the use of non-allocated desks (let alone private offices), so there was no guarantee, or expectation, that an office user would be at the same desk every hour of every day.
The pandemic forced huge numbers of office workers to work from home, and many of them found it preferable. This has led to a rise in hybrid working, but has also acted as a catalyst for evolution of workplace design. A decade’s-worth of change seems to have happened in about 18 months and many employers have completely remodelled their office space as a result: partly to attract workers back to the office by making them more comfortable and homely, and partly to adapt them to new ways of working. However, with all the improvements in workspace design, many offices are still less than half full for several days a week and those workers that do go to the office are often scattered widely around the place.
Inviting Big Brother to watch over us
Another element of our lives that has changed considerably over the last 10 years, and especially rapidly in the last five, is the use of technology to record aspects of our health and wellbeing. The first Apple watch was launched as recently as 2015 and, as well as being a smart timepiece, it can track many aspects of personal health and fitness. The data generated are available for detailed analysis and lifestyle changes can be encouraged.
Smart watches and smart fitness devices provide a minute-by-minute history of activity and health – including data about health whilst at work. These devices can be used to provide objective evidence of the health of employees in an organization.
And employers have an obligation to ensure that their employees are working in a safe and healthy environment – wherever they work.
Other smart, connected devices are also found in the workplace, providing valuable data in real time. These include occupancy sensors and, importantly for wellbeing as well as building management, environmental sensors such as air quality monitors.
The pandemic also increased awareness of indoor air quality, especially once it was recognized that Covid was transmitted in the air. Air monitoring is a useful tool here. For example, carbon dioxide concentration is a good proxy measurement of ventilation rate – the lower the CO2, the more the air is being refreshed from outside. Higher ventilation rates clearly result in the concentration of airborne pathogens being reduced. However, CO2 is not the only thing worth measuring – increasing ventilation might reduce CO2 and virus concentration, but it could mean bringing in other pollutants from outside, which also need to be measured and controlled. Some recent research has shown a relationship between relative humidity, CO2, temperature and virus transmission – this has led to an interesting algorithm that has been deployed on some air monitors that gives an indication of Covid risk(1) (see this Whitepaper, published by RESET).
Creating wellness instead of fixing problems
Alongside the development of health and wellness tracking devices, there has been a proliferation of voluntary standards designed to encourage and demonstrate how buildings impact the environment and the people that use them.
The WELL building standard is one of the best known. It rates a building’s ability to sustain and promote wellbeing across a wide range of parameters. Since launching in 2014, many thousands of buildings around the world have been certified. Other standards include Fitwel and the Living Building Challenge. A very useful comparison of 15 environmental and wellbeing standards can be found here.
However, these standards primarily relate to how a building works rather than how people work. There is an overlap, but the standards have not yet caught up with hybrid, or completely remote, ways of working. How can we know whether our working environment is healthy?
When offices were predictably occupied, it was very easy to ensure that the working environment met legal and voluntary standards. The environment rarely changed and, if it did, it changed in a predictable and manageable way. Data were collected and facilities managers were able to control the environment of whole buildings from their computer.
This is still, of course, possible. But the control of whole buildings, or even fixed zones within buildings, is a bit of a blunt instrument when you don’t know where your employees are, when they will be in the building, or what they will be doing whilst they are there. At worst, it means making sure that the whole building is lighted, heated and air-conditioned just in case someone wants to use part of it. This is potentially wasteful of energy and resources.
Obviously, smart technology, such as occupancy sensors and light sensors can help, but even then, it is often the case that a large zone in a building is ‘switched on’ even if only 20% of the desks are occupied, and the occupiers of those desks scatter themselves as far and wide as possible.
In these cases, the building provides a safe working environment, even if the resources deployed are used inefficiently and expensively, but how can an organization discharge its health and safety obligations to remote workers – especially those that are new to remote working, or doing work that was previously wholly office based?
Empowerment
Over recent years, a lot of interesting research carried out in the UK and The Netherlands(2,3) has demonstrated that empowerment of the working environment yields huge benefits to workers and their employers.
Data can be very empowering. As discussed earlier, wearable technology and connected devices provide a huge amount of real time data about health and the environment.
Indoor air quality monitors can be very empowering. If they are visible and showing that there is something not quite right about the air, then the evidence required to make a complaint to the facilities help desk is provided. As well as the office worker seeing the data, the facilities help desk should be able to see the same information. Not only that, but there will be a record of the data, so trends can be observed and potential problems identified and fixed quickly.
Sometimes, people are reluctant to complain, for fear of being regarded as moaners. However, a dispassionate air quality monitor can empower and embolden people to encourage their employers to manage the environment better, or even hand over control, where practical, to the users of the space concerned. Where organizations are struggling to retain and recruit, such a visual demonstration of provision of a decent quality working environment is very helpful.
An air quality monitor might be one way to resolve arguments between facilities managers and building users – the decision to open a window can be validated by an improvement in the particular indoor air quality parameters that mattered to the user at the time.
This applies to home-based workers as well as those permanently in the office. Although the solution to the problem may not be in the hands of the facilities manager, it can still be facilitated by the employer.
Taking the solution with you
Portable, personal air purifiers, such as Vitesy’s Eteria, offer employers and their staff the ability to manage one very important aspect of their working environment – the air they breathe.
It is a low power personal air purifier that creates a ‘bubble’ of cleaned air around the user, regardless of the size of the room. Instead of cleaning the air in the whole space, it is possible to optimize the quality of the air just where it is needed – around the person. Eteria uses information from the smart air quality monitor module to control the power of the purifier unit when it is connected.
Important indoor air pollutants can be removed or reduced below safety thresholds in approximately one hour, and the low air velocities means less noise. Low air velocities also means less air turbulence, which means that pollutants are not stirred up and spread around the room.
The air monitor component is very small, powered through a USB cable and is separate from the purifier. The purifier only works when connected to the monitor, but the monitor works all the time, providing data in real time and accessible through an app.
This means that it is possible to have a monitor on the desk at home as well as monitors on desks in the office – whether they are assigned workspaces or hot desks.
The purifier unit is very lightweight and can fit in a small bag or briefcase, making it easy to transport between home and the office.
(1) Raefer Wallis, Anjanette Green, Bela Nigudkar, Shichuan Xi, Stanton Wong. (2022) RESET Viral Index v1.1
(2) Knight, C., Postmes, T., & Haslam, S. A (2010). The Relative Merits of Lean, Enriched, and Empowered Offices: An Experimental Examination of the Impact of Workspace Management Strategies on Well-Being and Productivity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied Vol. 16, No. 2, 158–172
(3) Nieuwenhuis, M., Knight, C., Postmes, T., & Haslam, S. A. (2014, July 28). The Relative Benefits of Green Versus Lean Office Space: Three Field Experiments. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
The short answer to this is “often”. There is a lot of day-to-day variation, especially when the weather is quite active: a stiff breeze will disperse air pollution quite effectively. However, on average, most pollutants are at higher concentrations during the winter, and this is due to two main factors.
First, when it is cold we burn more fuel. These are fuels to warm our homes, such as gas or oil in a boiler, wood or coal on a fire, or fuels for power stations to generate electricity. All these combustion processes put pollutants, such as fine particulates and sulphur dioxide, into the atmosphere close to ground. We also burn more fuel in vehicles because the cold and wet weather makes walking and cycling a less attractive option for travel.
The other main factor is the weather. Often, we experience prolonged periods of cold, still weather. This is a result of high pressure systems that build up and trap pollutants close to the ground. This is especially pronounced in urban areas with high concentrations of people and traffic, but even in the countryside, pollution from home heating (especially wood burners) can become a local problem.
When you combine the generally poorer outdoor air, which will find its way indoors, with the greater amount of indoor activity that happens at this time of year, then it is pretty certain that indoor air quality will deteriorate unless you do something about it.
What do we mean by Air Quality and why does it matter?
The atmosphere is composed of approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon and 0.1% of all other gases (including 0.04% carbon dioxide).
About 80% of the entire atmosphere is within 15km (10 miles) of the earth’s surface (which is only 0.2% of the earth’s diameter) – a fragile and wafer-thin envelope upon which all life depends.
The air that we breathe is made up of a mixture of gases, vapours and very tiny particles. Some of those components are essential for our survival (oxygen, being the most obvious example), most of the rest are harmless, but some can be troublesome, even in really low concentrations. Those troublesome components are what we would define as pollutants, and they are made up of particulates and a variety of chemicals (some of which are naturally-occurring). These pollutants can have an adverse impact on our health.
The amount of pollutants in the air that we breathe determines what we call air quality, and air quality can vary considerably from place to place and season to season and is influenced by weather, climate, volcanic activity and, most profoundly, by human activity.
Did you know…?
Poor air quality is responsible for 10 times as many deaths per year than malaria. According to the World Health Organization, poor air quality is responsible for 7 million premature deaths every year, including over 3 million premature deaths caused by household air pollution (overwhelmingly in developing countries).
In the United Kingdom, a rich nation, poor air quality contributes to between 28,000 and 36,000 premature deaths a year. Public Health England states that ‘In the UK, air pollution is the largest environmental risk to public health’. Between 2017 and 2025, the costs to the NHS as a result of air pollution are estimated to be in the order of £1.6 billion.
Having said that, the concentrations of most pollutants in the UK is now about a third of what they were in 1970, largely as the result of cleaner vehicle fuels and the near elimination of coal as a fuel for electricity generation and domestic heating.
Poor air quality affects our health in many ways. The WHO estimates that in 2016, worldwide, some 58% of outdoor air pollution-related premature deaths were due to ischaemic heart disease and stroke, while 18% of deaths were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections respectively, and 6% of deaths were due to lung cancer.
What causes poor indoor air quality?
The quality of indoor air is determined by the concentrations of a variety of components, and can be divided into those that are generated in the home and those that are brought in from the outside. They can also be divided according to their nature.
The most serious pollutants found in the home, and outside, are fine particulates. These are tiny particles, usually of soot emitted from vehicles and other combustion processes. They are between 2.5μm and 10μm in diameter and can be breathed deeply into the lungs, where they remain or break down – they don’t get coughed or sneezed out of our airways like dust and pollen. For comparison, human hair is typically between 50μm and 90μm in diameter. Other pollutants that can affect our long-term health include a variety of volatile organic compounds, as well as other combustion products such as various oxides of nitrogen and sulphur.
Ozone produced and trapped in the lower atmosphere can also be harmful (when it is at the top of the atmosphere it provides vital protection against UV radiation).
Very many of the pollutants we find indoors are carried in from the outside – especially if you live in an urban environment or near a busy road. However, a lot are also generated within the home.
Cleaning products, room scenters and cosmetics all contain volatile organic compounds, as do alcoholic drinks and foods (if they didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to smell them). Additionally VOCs can be emitted from products such as adhesives, particle boards, paints and wood stains – and even Christmas trees. That fresh, piney smell is loaded with terpenes and other VOCs. Levels of many VOCs can be 5 to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors, and VOC concentrations of as little as 25mg/m3 have been found to induce airway inflammation and irritation.
Homemade pollution: what is it and how do we know?
I’m very interested in seeing how indoor air quality changes in my home, and I have a couple of monitors that give me the information I want, including the monitor that comes with Vitesy’s Eteria air purifier. I am also a RESET accredited professional, the training for which gave me some very useful insights and knowledge.
Here are the charts for my living room over a seven-day period in November 2022 (recorded on a professional-grade Air Gradient monitor):
Particulates
The first chart shows the concentration of PM2.5 particulates. These are the fine particles that can be breathed deep into the lungs. There are some concerning spikes (although very short-lived) and I think that they correspond to the times when my log burner was first lit, before it started to burn most efficiently. In some indoor environments, high levels of particulates will be generated by smoking – second-hand tobacco smoke is a major contributor to poor respiratory health.
Carbon dioxide
The middle trace relates to carbon dioxide. This is not, in itself, a serious pollutant, but is a very good proxy measurement for ventilation, and it also relates to the number of people in the room. There are some very good reasons for measuring carbon dioxide – especially in places like offices or schools, but less so in the home. Recent research has shown that there is a relationship between carbon dioxide (as a proxy for ventilation), humidity, temperature and the risk of catching airborne viruses, such as SARS CoV-2 (Covid), and many air monitor manufacturers have incorporated an algorithm to give an indication of risk.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
The next chart (below) is a record of total volatile compounds (tVOC). These can be generated in many ways and they spread around the air very quickly. In my case, I suspect that the spikes corresponded mainly to cooking.
Interestingly, on six occasions, VOC concentrations went above 25mg/m3, which is the level at which irritation and to the airways of sensitive people can occur.
External pollutants
I live in a semi-rural area away from busy roads. Whilst there is some traffic, most of the pollution inside my home is generated inside my home. Some external pollutants will find their way indoors (possibly by going up my chimney and back into the house when a door or window was opened), but local air outdoor quality at the time was very good – it has been windy and wet, which means that pollutants are well dispersed.
Knowledge is power. If you know what the air quality is like in the home (and outdoors), then you are in a good position to be able to do something about it.
Air purifiers, such as Vitesy’s new Eteria and their Natede products, are not only excellent at removing pollutants, but they are packed with top quality sensors, which can supply up-to-date information via the web to a smartphone. The screenshot here shows VOCs recorded on the Eteria air purifier that I have in my living room.
Once you know about the various air quality parameters, you can then do something about it – or let a smart device like Eteria do it for you.
As well as the suite of sensors in the device, there is an algorithm that tells it when to act, and with how much effort.
However, air purifiers can only operate over a small distance – unless you have room for a fridge-sized device, so there are other things you can do.
First, look at the data and see what is getting close to acceptable thresholds. If carbon dioxide is high, opening a window for a few minutes will be enough to refresh the indoor air. You might also be able to flush out some VOCs as well. However, if the outdoor air is cold and still, there is a risk that you might bring something nasty indoors.
The other thing you might be able to do is stop the activity that is causing the problem, or minimize the effect. If cooking is adding pollution, then use an extractor. If using a wood burner, then make sure that it is as efficient as possible, the flue is clean, the doors are closed and the wood is well seasoned.
With portable air purifiers, like Eteria, you can move the device closer to the source of the problem. The light-activated catalyst inside the machine can break down VOCs very quickly.
One thing to remember is that having information about indoor air quality should not be alarming.
Air quality monitors are completely dispassionate. They record and report on objective data and make no judgement about the activities that led to the data. High VOCs might be as a result of a room scenter, new perfume, a delicious meal or even a Christmas tree – the machine doesn’t know. However, if you do get an alert when you don’t have a reasonable explanation, you then have the option to start looking for the cause, which might be less benign.
Vitesy air purifiers (Eteria, Natede Smart and Natede Basic) are distributed in the UK to domestic and commercial customers by Nemesis Ltd
If you would like to learn more about indoor air quality or Vitesy’s excellent products, get in touch.
Last week, I visited the Workspace Design Show in London. It was a fascinating experience and there were lots of new, spangly products to help organizations create better, more effective workspaces, as well as some excellent talks and discussions.
It got me thinking about what it is that makes for a good office experience, and the characteristics of the best office environment that I have worked in.
I have been home-based for the last 14 years, but my various home offices over the years have not been the best offices that I’ve worked in.
One of my home offices (but not my current one)
That office was in an ageing building belonging to the head office of a multinational FTSE 100 plc where I worked for a little over 10 years in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
So, what made it special?
It wasn’t the condition of the building, that is for sure. It was built in the late 1940s, with additions from later decades. The heating was ancient, the network was flaky, the windows were tatty (although they were openable) and every so often, a vein of asbestos would be found, necessitating disruptive and costly removal.
However, there were many things to like about it.
First, almost everyone, no matter how junior, had there own office, or shared with one other person. They were adequately furnished, but every office was different, and every one reflected the person that used it – we were able to personalise our workspace considerably – plants, pictures from home, etc. I was allowed to choose the colour on the wall when the office was redecorated (after the asbestos had been removed), and I even brought in a coffee machine and a radio!
Another reason for it being a good place to work was its layout. Everyone tended to leave their doors open, meaning anyone walking along the corridor could pop their heads in and have a chat – usually work related, but not always. The building was very long and narrow, with toilets at opposite ends, and the post room / copier room also at a far end. This meant that several times a day, dozens of colleagues would walk past the office or pass each other in the corridor. It was a very social space, and it was a creative and productive space as well.
There were other features that made it a good, productive and creative environment, not least the nature of the work that was carried out there. As well as offices, there were laboratories and workshops. It had a collegiate atmosphere with a lot in common with academic institutions, despite it being a very commercial operation. However, there were two features that really stood out.
First, due to the nature of much of the work that was going on, especially in the laboratories, breaks were at fixed times and everyone went to the canteen at the same time – a really good time to talk to colleagues in different departments, and a really good place to exchange ideas and solve problems. A lot of lateral thinking went on in those coffee breaks and many of those conversations turned out to be serendipitous.
Secondly, there was the fact that the buildings were set in landscaped grounds. The site was a country house set in several acres of gardens, so absolutely atypical of 99% of workplaces. But those grounds gave everyone that worked there access to space to decompress, relax and reset – or just enjoy the greenery.
Evolution
All that was achieved through a process of evolution and when I worked there, had developed over a period of roughly 50 years.
Of course, things change, and a new CEO decided that what the company really needed was a swanky open-plan floor in a posh, new office building in an expensive part Central London. The company crashed out of the FTSE 100 shortly afterwards, but I’m sure the two events weren’t entirely connected.
I recognise that my workplace was unusual, and had much more in common with an academic institution than the cut and thrust of a technology business or finance company. The building was owned by the company and its location was on the outskirts of a small town, not in a big city, but there are some lessons from that style of working that could be considered in modern metropolitan office buildings.
Having visited many office buildings in the last couple of years, most of which were barely a quarter-full, I have been struck by how organizations are desperately trying to create workplaces that will attract people to work in them – especially now that hybrid working patterns are taking hold and a lot of people would rather work from home.
The exhibitors at the show certainly had lots of ideas: zones for collaboration, pods for focused work and wellness rooms to recover from stress. Sofas and screens abounded, and of course, plants featured heavily (a good thing, of course). Every one of those solutions, however, lacked something really important – the ability for office workers to really realise something of their own identity. And as has been explained in older posts – identity realisation is the key to productivity. My friend Dr Craig Knight explains more here.
Whilst some degree of autonomy is available (the choice to work in a zone, pod or hot desk, for example), there is very limited ability to personalize individual workspaces. Despite huge budgets to create comfortable, ergonomic and efficient workspaces, and the provision of many amenities, such as high quality catering and recreation spaces, the new office building still remains far removed from the home environment where you can arrange your working environment to suit you.
Is it possible to recreate the style of office working that I experienced 25 years ago in a modern office building?
I don’t know. It would require people like HR managers and brand managers to relax a bit, and it might mean a different approach to space management, or even the architecture of office buildings.
Of course, my personal experience of what made for a good environment is just that – my own, personal experience. What worked for me might not work for anyone else at all, and the current design and management of workspaces might actually be the best possible way – feel free to comment.
Lots of people are selling products that are supposed to improve indoor air quality. They may be air purifiers, filter systems, complex green walls or even pot plants. Many claims are made, but how do you know whether the systems you are buying are doing what you need them to do? This is where air quality monitoring comes into its own.
(By the way – I’m not trying to sell you an indoor air quality monitor, or any form of air purifier. However, I can help your business set up an IAQ monitoring project and even help you on your way to gaining a RESET certification for your buildings, which will also help you with WELL and Fitwel certifications – please get in touch if you want to know more).
Why monitor indoor air quality?
Good indoor air quality is often thought of subjectively. Human perception of good air quality is difficult as our senses evolved to deal with environments that were unpolluted. As long as we could detect smoke, which suggested an immediate threat (or, conversely, the possibility of a cooked meal and convivial company), air quality was not much of a concern to our plains-dwelling ancestors.
Inside buildings, we often only notice an issue with air quality when it directly affects our comfort. We might describe the air as heavy, fusty, stale or stuffy. Stuffiness (often as a result of elevated carbon dioxide from our exhalation, combined with warm temperatures and high humidity) can be alleviated by opening a window. Carbon dioxide (and airborne viruses, such as Covid-19) inside the building is diluted by bringing outside air in, and humidity and temperature might also be made more comfortable. This improvement to our comfort, achieved by a perceived improvement to indoor air quality, is not the whole story.
Opening the windows might risk exposure to other harms that are not readily detected by human senses. Fine particulates, volatile organic compounds or various oxides of nitrogen or sulphur are not usually detectable by human senses, so how do we know whether they are present?
Only by using calibrated IAQ monitors that measure, record and report key parameters of air quality can you then set out to manage air quality and reassure the users of the building that their safety and comfort is being looked after.
Without data from air monitoring, any management of indoor air quality is pretty-much based on guesswork, which is inadequate for the proper management of risk in a building.
My new white paper explains how and why organizations should develop an indoor air quality monitoring and management programme, which you can download here.
A few weeks ago, I completed my training and passed an exam to become a RESET Accredited Professional (AP) – one of approximately 500 around the world, and one of 51 offering services in the UK.
RESET is a data standard relating to the monitoring, recording and communication of indoor air quality. By being an accredited professional, I can now advise organizations and help them deploy an IAQ monitoring and reporting set-up that provides credible and independently-verifiable data on several key IAQ parameters, which can then be used to inform decisions on what IAQ solutions to deploy.
All too often, IAQ products and services are offered without sufficient evidence to demonstrate efficacy, or even need. Sometimes, some quite outlandish claims are made and impressive statistics are quoted that might be completely irrelevant to the context of the space concerned (interior landscapers – I’m looking at you. You can’t keep banging on about so-called NASA research on using plants to improve air quality if you don’t know how to measure it).
If you don’t know where to place an air monitor, how to interpret its data or even whether the monitor is accurate, then how can you be sure that your interventions to improve air quality are working? This is where a data standard is really useful.
The RESET approach is not a design standard – it doesn’t tell you what you must put in your buildings to improve air quality. RESET is a data standard. This means that if your organization is RESET certified, then you (and the users of your building) can be sure that the monitors you use measure the key IAQ parameters correctly (carbon dioxide, VOCs, temperature, humidity and fine particulates), and that the data provided by those monitors is handled, recorded and reported securely and impartially.
RESET also requires that IAQ data is made available in real time to the end users of the building (not just the building manager). This empowers users (e.g. office workers) to hold employers to account for the health and safety of their environment and can even help people make their own decisions about adjusting the environment to be more comfortable and healthy.
For me, being a RESET AP allows me to offer genuinely evidence-based solutions to my clients. I know how to set up an IAQ monitoring system, and I can then apply my knowledge of indoor air quality to recommend the most appropriate solutions (or point my customers in the direction of someone who knows better than me).
RESET is aligned with WELL, Fitwel and the Living Building Challenge, so if you are pursuing one of those standards, having a RESET-certified project will allow you achieve the relevant prerequisites relating to IAQ monitoring and reporting.
Biophilic design need not be confined to office buildings and other commercial spaces. The benefits of biophilic design can be obtained in the home office too, and without having to spend a fortune. This post explores the benefits of biophilic design and gives some very simple and cost-effective tips to help you thrive in your home working setting.
What is biophilic design?
Biophilic design is a design process that brings the theory of biophilia into the built environment. Biophilia is a theory rooted in evolutionary biology and genetics, and was first popularized by Edward O Wilson in his classic book, Biophilia, published in 1984. Essentially, the theory reminds us that we are animals that have spent over 99% of our evolutionary history living in environments, such as the open plains of Africa. During that time, our survival as a species depended our senses being fine-tuned to that environment, and our reliance on various species of plant, animal and fungus for food, shelter and fuel.
It is only a few short centuries since we ceased being hunter-gatherers and domesticated ourselves to live in artificial environments, such as cities. In less than a thousand generations, we divorced ourselves from our natural environment and the sensory stimuli that we need to thrive.
Biophilic design is a way of creating environments that rebuild some of those sensory and biological connections, which reduce stress and increase wellbeing and happiness. Consider the domestic chicken. As a wild animal, the jungle fowl is a forest-dwelling bird that thrives by scrabbling around on the ground, picking up a varied diet of seeds, leaves, insects and other invertebrates. When domesticated and placed in conditions of intense population density and cramped conditions, they fail to thrive. However, the free-range hen, even though far from its jungle home, has an environment much closer to its natural conditions, and can lead a less stressful life, often living longer and requiring fewer veterinary interventions.
The battery human, also once released into a free-range environment (even though we are still constrained by our physical environment and societal expectations – hunting and gathering in the streets of our cities will be frowned upon) will thrive, and biophilic design is one way of creating such an environment.
The home office environment
The office worker has, in many instances, been let loose from the constraints of the office. During the pandemic, the cathedrals of capitalism were deserted and the shiny factories of data processing and document production went quiet. Even now, offices are significantly less occupied than they were before Covid-19 and, despite the frantic calls from the owners and managers of underused and expensive property assets, it looks likely that working from home, at least part time, will remain a normal part of working life.
As a result, the newly liberated office worker was forced to create a new working environment in their homes.
For some, this has been easy – there may be a spare room that can be used, or space at a large dining table, or even a garden building that can be used. However, for many, especially younger people living in expensive shared accommodation, creating a usable space has proved a challenge.
Good weather in the spring and summer gives opportunities to take breaks outdoors, whether in a garden, a public spark, or even a walk around the local streets. However, wet and cold autumn and winter weather means that the outdoors is a little less appealing. We need to consider how to create a working environment that maintains some of those connections with the outside world. So how do we do it?
Some simple tips for a biophilic home office
Give yourself a view
If possible, arrange your workspace so that when you look up from the keyboard or screen you can see out of a window. Even if the view is of another building, it will be something distant to focus on, and that will ease eye strain and bring give you a sense of what is going on outside – it might hello you decide whether to venture out on a break, or hunker down in the warm, but whatever the weather, you will connect to the world outside.
Open a window
An open window will refresh the air and flush out excess carbon dioxide and other pollutants generated from within the home. It will also bring the sounds of the outside world in – you may hear voices or birdsong or the sound of the wind. It might also be traffic noise, but even that can sometimes be a relief from silence.
Buy some houseplants
This is the eye-catching, Instagram-friendly intervention that will illustrate the pages of the colour supplements and lifestyle websites. However, it is an effective way of bringing some life indoors. Houseplants need not be expensive or huge. Ikea, for example, has some terrific plants and pots at very good prices (and I am an expert on indoor plants, so you can trust my judgement on this). They add green interest to the indoor environment and also demand some care. Watering (not too much), cleaning and trimming and arranging plants can be very therapeutic.
Follow your nose
Our sense of smell is our most primitive – detecting chemicals in the environment (which is what the sense of smell is all about) was the first sense to evolve in the animal kingdom. We often react to scents instinctively and before we are consciously aware of them, so we can use fragrances to create a multi-dimensional sensory environment very easily. The range and quality of home fragrances is more comprehensive than ever before, so there is bound to be something appealing. I’m not going to go down the road of recommending particular scents for particular settings or tasks – we risk straying into pseudoscience – just choose something that you, and your housemates, like.
Water
We use our sense of hearing and smell to detect the presence of water, often before we see it – this is a survival mechanism. As wild animals, we needed to be able to find safe water – not just to drink, but to find prey that also needed a drink.
The sound of rainfall or babbling streams can be found easily just by asking Alexa (or other smart speaker system). A fish tank or small indoor water feature can also be soothing.
Take care of your skin
The skin is your largest sense organ, but often the least stimulated in the working environment. As well as stopping your insides from falling out, your skin is home to sensors that detect temperature, pressure, movement and resistance, shape and texture and even changes in humidity and static electricity.
Don’t starve it of sensation. Use different textures around your workstation and allow your skin to be stimulated. Create a breeze (not a draught), experience some sunlight, walk barefoot, wear less if the temperature (or your need to be on a webcam) allows it or even take a shower for pleasure rather than utility.
Comfort is the key
Biophilic design isn’t just about plants. It isn’t about bringing nature indoors. It is about being comfortable – physically and mentally. Comfort brings happiness and happiness is the key to both life satisfaction and also job satisfaction. A little investment in comfort can pay huge dividends for the individual and employers relying on home-based workers.
Over the last three months, as spring has turned to summer, and the weather in my corner of England has been spectacular, I have been acutely aware of how the landscape has been transformed by the colour green. The green things in the landscape have also changed, from the vibrant fresh shades of new foliage, to darker greens as leaves mature, or from the deep greens of cereal crops as they begin to ripen towards yellower shades and ultimately to golden brown.
Sensitivity
The human eye is especially sensitive to green. The shades that we name as green fall right in the middle of the visible spectrum and extend from the citrusy yellow greens to minerally blue greens. I have been told that humans can distinguish as many as 350 shades of green (although that may be an artefact of language – how do we really define green, especially at the extremes of what might reasonably be described as green?)
How many shades of green?
Symbolism
Green is a hugely symbolic colour too. Pagan religions from all over the world have symbols, such as the Green Man of North European folklore. These often represent both the power of nature and its sustenance. Green is sometimes related to magic and the presence of spirits too.
There was even a time – within living memory – that green cars were regarded as unlucky (at least that is what my grandmother told me. She was aghast when my father bought a mint green car in the 1970s, but that might just have been a comment on his taste).
Rosslyn Chapel Green Man – photo by Johanne McInnes. (licence CC by 3.0)
More positively, green represents sustainability and environmental responsibility. Green also means progress. Green for go is the universal convention for traffic management and for a safe state of affairs.
All of this symbolism can be directly linked to the colour’s ubiquity, and that is also directly related to the life giving quality of a green pigment called chlorophyll, without which, no complex life on Earth would be possible. You can almost feel the force of life coursing through green spaces in nature.
Green workspaces
Workplaces have been given the green light to re-open as the worst of the pandemic eases. Some have taken the opportunity to go green: plants screens and moss walls are being specified to ensure physical distancing and aid with pedestrian traffic flow.
Other workplaces are embracing the environmental opportunities that are afforded by allowing more people to be home based (for part, or even all of the time), reducing commuting time, emissions and energy bills and being available for those that cannot work anywhere else, or for when face-to-face collaboration is unavoidable. This might even lead to a significant reduction in office space occupancy, as this article in the Guardian recently explained.
Some are looking to a more human-centred future. Instead of offices being a place to go for all work, they might be hubs for collaborative effort: occasional places that are both sociable and productive.
Workplace managers are going to have to consider whole new interactions of disciplines in the very near future: space, furniture, technology, connectivity, restoration and recuperation, and new approaches to managing people. All will need repackaging to create work environments that people want to use.
Unfortunately, a large number of workplaces are doing their best to recreate the pre-pandemic state, but with perspex and cubicles. A look at some of the FM web sites and magazines shows just how uninspiring some of these places can be. High screens, often in shades of grey, blocking not just the view of a colleague, but preventing views of the broader interior landscape or even through a window. Such spaces are, no doubt, hygienic, but they are also emotionally sterile too.
Maybe, our new-found appreciation of nature and a greater understanding of how we, as animals, respond to the rhythms of the seasons can help us create better working environments as a result.
In a fragile economy, those organizations willing to invest in creating more humane working cultures will be in the best place to attract and retain eager and talented people. Fortunately, those investments need not be huge in terms of cash and capital, but instead may require taking a little time to learn and reflect on what has been learned.
If you would like more detailed advice on creating workspaces that are humane and effective, please get in touch.
I am strongly of the belief that biophilia is far more than the emotional and psychological connection to nature that is most often suggested as the basis of biophilic design. For me, true biophilic design is about creating physical and psychological comfort. It involves creating a sensory environment where our senses are stimulated congruently.
Physical comfort depends on our brain interpreting the inputs of sense receptors, which allows us to create an internal map of our environment. This helps us know how to behave: whether to fight, flee, feed, shelter, nurture, create, etc. Stress hormones can prime us to move quickly, whereas our pleasure centres can encourage us to stay put and indulge more.
An environment that allows our senses to work in concert should be comfortable and, in a workplace setting, will enhance effectiveness (thence engagement, productivity, job satisfaction, etc.)
Designers can be very good at addressing many of our sensory needs, but all too often, our largest sensory organ is ignored.
Our skin is densely packed with sensors that react to temperature, air movement, pressure and even static electricity and chemical irritation. Our skin sensors tell us when a surface is safe to grip or walk on. We have sensors that provide feedback about the things we pick up, bend, twist, press, push and pull. Other sensors tell us when we are being exposed to excess heat or cold.
Human beings are unique in nature in that we are the only species that covers most of its skin, thus depriving us of a huge amount of sensory information. However, that particular behaviour is a relatively recent innovation. Modern humans have only worn clothes for about a third of their time on Earth, and there is very little evidence to suggest that our hominid ancestors ever saw the need. As with our other senses (although to a lesser degree), evolution hasn’t caught up with the changes we have made to our habitats through migration and building – we are still essentially adapted to living wild on the open plains of Africa.
Depending on the nature of the sensory inputs through our skin, we can experience great pleasure or immense pain. Those experiences are enhanced the more that the skin is exposed.
One of the reasons we find draughts so annoying is that our skin is detecting air movement over only small parts of exposed skin, but not the rest. As a result, we get conflicting sensory inputs. Our neck and face might feel chilly, turbulent air currents, but the rest of us is wrapped up snug and warm. We have to use mental effort to understand what is going on.
In workplaces, we deprive ourselves of tactile and haptic experiences. Surfaces are smooth (for easy cleaning, as well as aesthetics) and we spend so much of our time still, apart from tapping at keyboards or picking up the phone.
So, what is the answer?
There are few opportunities to expose the skin to the environment in most workplaces. Society is probably not yet ready for naturist offices (although homeworking during the pandemic lockdowns offered many the chance to experiment), so any tactile and haptic stimulation needs to be directed at whatever skin is exposed (face and hands in the main), or be felt through clothing.
But it is not enough just to stimulate the skin, there can be purpose behind it.
Textures can be used very effectively to demarcate spaces and indicate safe, or preferred routes (think of textured pavements near pedestrian crossings). They can also be used to indicate status and authority – thick carpets and soft textiles are often associated with luxury and opulence, as are natural materials such as wood and stone. Whilst the general office accommodation in a building might be a sea of laminate desks and hard-wearing carpet tiles, the executive floors tend to be more cosseting. These areas have an abundance of more natural materials and they often feature more interesting and varied textures.
The indoor climate can also be managed in a way that is more in keeping with our sensory needs. I’ve already mentioned a reason why draughts are irritating, but other aspects of thermal regulation are important too. Heat and humidity, as well as air flow, can have a significant impact our comfort.
Humidity is especially important as far as comfort is concerned. Too humid and the air is clammy and our clothes get sticky and damp, which is not comfortable. Too dry, and our skin needs artificial moisturising to prevent itching and irritation.
In a typical workplace, our environment is pretty much fixed, or variable within a very limited range. In open offices, personal control is very limited. Office workers can neither change the environment nor their behaviours beyond a narrow spectrum.
When not in the office, we can make adjustments to our behaviour to adapt to a changing environment. Uncomfortable skin can be made more comfortable by moving from one place to another, by adding or removing clothes or by taking a refreshing shower. We can choose to walk on carpet or a hard floor, or sit on a soft cushion or wooden bench. We can often change some elements of the environment ourselves, by changing the temperature, for example. We have agency.
I first wrote this in May 2020, during the fifth week of the first lockdown in the UK. Most office workers were working from home. Perhaps, for the first time in their working lives, people were able to manage their working environment in ways that are not possible in an office building. Whilst it might have been lonely to be away from colleagues, it is likely to have been a more physically comfortable place to be. I wonder how much people will miss their control over their sensory environment when they return to the office. Maybe this is one reason why remote and hybrid working remains popular).
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Kenneth Freeman | Purposeful Places 