Five Reasons Biophilic Design
Works in Your Industry

Times have changed significantly since the pandemic started and adaptability has become essential. As your workplace evolves to keep up with these changes, you may have noticed that the future of commercial design is shifting towards both functionality and making spaces feel more comfortable and welcoming.

The use of plants or greenery in both public spaces and in homes is not a new idea. Over the past few years, houseplants as décor has become more popular than ever. Likewise, biophilic design and architecture for all types of businesses has gained prominence due to the desire to bring nature to the workplace and within businesses. There's no prediction of that changing anytime soon.

In this article, you can look for answers to questions like:

• What are the benefits of biophilic design?
• Is biophilic design just a trend?
• What industries can benefit from biophilic design?

Continue reading on, or start by shopping through our selection of biophilic options.

Does Integrating a Biophilic Design Really Enhance My Space?

Biophilic design or biophilia incorporates greenery, whether real or fake, into your space and design theme. It may also involve approaching your design in a way that makes guests feel more connected to nature, such as maximizing exposure to natural lighting and using smaller elements like seashell gardens or aesthetic planters.

Some of the main principles of biophilic design to consider:

If live plants aren't right for your space, you may want to consider nature-related accents like murals, fake plants, wallpaper, and artwork. Not only are plants and greenery beautiful to look at, it's been said that biophilia can help enhance healing and improve people's well-being. This is one of the reasons that biophilic hospital designs have become increasingly popular.

What Are the 5 Benefits of Biophilic Design?

Choosing landscaping or biophilia, colors, and various textures in your décor can enhance your space, make your business or facility stand out, and make guests, customers, or patients feel more welcome.

In addition to looking appealing, biophilic design offers other advantages, such as:

1. Health benefits: Feeling connected to the outdoors and nature, even while inside, can reduce stress significantly and enhance feelings of calmness. In fact, a study showed that even 10+ minutes spent in nature or natural spaces can improve one's mood and physiological state. Another study showed biophilic design resulted in 6% reduction in pulse rate and 15% in lowered stress.
2. Enhanced air quality: Plants are proven to absorb pollutants from the environment. They also help with dry air quality, since they increase oxygen levels, reduce contaminants, and add water vapor into the air.
3. Improved employee morale: Your guests and customers spend time in your space and so do your employees—even longer in most cases. During long shifts that can be stressful, employees' moods are affected significantly by their environment.
4. Increased productivity: When people feel less stress and their well-being is improved, their productivity tends to rise as well. Often, people want to leave their desks to get closer to nature. Biophilic design brings nature inside and boosts productivity.
5. Better ratings: Guests who visit or stay at businesses, from healthcare facilities and hotels to restaurants or retail spaces, are more likely to feel comfortable if that space has incorporated biophilic design. This often leads to a good review or positive feedback about their experience, and even more sales and a greater basket size!

Statistics of Incorporating Biophilic Design in Workplaces

The above benefits of biophilic design may have convinced you to change your business or workplace to incorporate naturalistic elements. If you're still wondering whether this trend is right for you, let the statistics talk.

Employees who work in environments that have natural elements have reported:

Is the Biophilic Design Here to Stay?

In short—the biophilic design trend is here to stay and it can benefit any industry or workspace.

When you hear the words "design trend," you may instantly think of interior design schemes for someone's home—and many people even think of trends as a temporary fad. However, you may not think of the ways these popular styles can incorporate trends into your business. The biophilic design trend, for example, is a creative idea to enhance the appearance and feel of your spaces, no matter the industry.

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What Industries Does Biophilic Design Work for?

Many businesses across industries such as healthcare, hospitality, foodservice, education, and even retail are already incorporating biophilic design into their landscaping and interior design. This could mean window boxes or a rooftop garden on your restaurant patio, lush plants in the entryway to your office cafeteria, or fake plants inside spaces like hospital rooms (if allergens and contamination are a safety concern).

When guests come to your establishment, whether it's for a meal, an extended stay, or even an operation, they're looking for a comfortable experience. The great thing about biophilic designs in any space is that a little change can go a long way. You may be amazed at the difference it makes to naturalize various areas in your facility.

^{Sources:
https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/research-green-instinct-biophilic-design
http://plantscapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/6-principles-of-biophilic-design-snapshot.jpg
https://www.planthropy.co/blog/infographic-biophilic-design-with-plants
https://www.verhaleninc.com/biophillic-design-in-the-office}