It’s no secret that adding a few plants to your office can make a dramatic difference to the wellbeing of your employees.

Numerous studies have proven that even a small amount of greenery in the workplace can reduce stress, cut down absence rates, and even improve productivity.

So it’s perhaps no wonder that more and more businesses are taking the whole idea of greener workplaces to a whole new level by bringing the best of the great outdoors into their new office designs.

 

A Conduit for Productivity and Wellness

Over in Seattle, Washington, web giants Amazon recently unveiled their new 70,000-foot workspace that places just as much emphasis on flora and fauna as it does on furnishings and technology.

Known as The Amazon Spheres, the new design is comprised of three large domes made from low-iron glass and painted steel, all joined together to make one large building.

While the architecture alone is enough to turn heads, it’s what’s inside the spheres that are clocking up the most headlines.

Spread across five different levels, Amazon’s latest development contains literally thousands of trees and plants in its multiple offices and break-out areas.

In among the ficus trees, ferns and over 400 other unique varieties of plant life, Interior Design magazine reports that there’s also gentle-flowing stream and waterfall, creating an altogether calming ambience.

Speaking at the launch of the new building, its designer Tara Schneider said: “It’s nature as an experiential conduit for productivity and wellness”

Such an experiment seems to be one that increasing numbers of businesses around the world are keen to replicate.

 

A Fusion of Technology and Nature

Design Boom magazine reported recently on the transformation of Melbourne, Australia-based offices of Transurban, a local infrastructure firm.

Focussing on a subtle fusion of technology and nature, the eight-level building looks to replicate the contrast of urban architecture and nature.

“In our cities, nature plays an important part in offsetting the harshness of the concrete jungle,” said a spokesman at the opening of the new office venue. “Parks, streetscapes, and nature strips all provide respite and promote wellbeing. Similarly, for Transurban, greenery was imperative for their new workspace.”

To that end, the office complex has been designed tree beds inset into the floors, a wealth of hanging pots, planters and shrubbery, and flooring which wouldn’t look out of place in a city footpath.

Further adding to the natural look, the design incorporates heavy large windows and skylights to make the most of natural lighting and a colour scheme which best replicates the natural world.

Yet while these two large-scale designs have been the ones to get all the attention as of late, they’re far from the only instances of companies looking to add more plant life to their office space.

 

A Strong Incentive

In a 2019 study, 63% of office workers said that they would feel better in their place of work if it had more natural elements such as natural daylight, exposed wood and plants.

The survey also revealed that the majority of respondents felt that a lack of these features could be having a detrimental impact on their bottom line, serving as a strong incentive for organisations to start looking outside for inspiration on their new office design.

Are you considering revamping your office with plant life or other elements from the natural world? Would you benefit from expert advice on how to transform your workspace to promote a greater sense of physical and mental wellbeing among your employees?

 Talk to the office design specialists at Spaceway today. Contact us online or call 0800 085 1022