According to The Biophilia Hypothesis, human beings crave nature. It’s only since the Industrial Revolution that humans have spent more time indoors than out, which goes against our genetic conditioning. We thrive in the outdoors, and being connected with nature is, in fact, an adaptive function of our physiology and psychology that restores our creativity, focus, and engagement with our surroundings and activities.
Is it any wonder then that modern office design which includes plants, natural light, and other elements in Mother Nature’s recipe book is more conducive to a productive, happy employee workforce?
Plants Breathe Life Into Our Environment
No one wants to breathe stale air, and as few as one plant for every three employees can reduce CO2 levels by 20%. Freshening our air improves life for allergy and asthma sufferers, and means greater performance and productivity by employees.
Humans feel simultaneously calm and energized when surrounded by greenery. There is a reason many business leadership retreats are held in outdoor, woodsy, or mountainous locations: the environment helps us think, helps us connect with our inner thoughts, and allows us a perspective we just don’t get in a modern office building. By bringing the outdoors in, we can capture a fraction of the level of mental centeredness we’d get from a full-fledged vacation or weekend retreat.
The beauty of bringing plant-life into the office isn’t just in how they look. It’s in how plants and nature make us feel. In a more natural environment, we work better. It’s that simple.
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