The open office has been criticized as a workplace design that causes stress for employees. Some of the primary concerns include an increase in anxiety, increase in employee illness and sick leave, the lack of privacy, and reduced productivity. Plantscaping (also called interior landscaping or interiorscaping) enhances the workplace by adding plants and other features that benefit our workplaces in many ways. It is my belief that the benefits of plantscaping can offset some of the common problems found in open offices.
It has been long documented that experiences with nature can improve our health and help reduce stress. There are veterans with PTSD who are hiking long-distance trails to heal themselves by becoming immersed in nature. Nature has also been used to combat depression and other mental mood disorders. Nature has a rejuvenating and restorative power. This power can be brought indoors to help our offices be healthier, more productive, and less stressful.
I remember going to the doctor as a child and sitting in a waiting room that was painted green. Wooden chairs with no cushions lined the walls and there were magazines and children’s books on a small table. The doctor was our family doctor and I found myself there on a routine basis for illnesses and injuries. One day, I went to the doctor when I had the flu. When I entered the waiting room, I was surprised to see wallpaper lining the room with a forest scene. Plants, both large and small, had also been added to the room. There were new chairs with comfortable cushions, and the children’s books included stories of animals in the forest – almost like I was reading about the surrounding scene. The room felt completely different. I remember just sitting in the chair following the scene around the walls, looking for animals both visible and hidden and taking in the colors of the different trees and plants. The whole feeling of the room was peaceful and, while I was waiting, I nearly forgot about feeling ill or the dread of possibly getting a shot!
My doctor’s office serves as an example of how nature can transform interior space. This notion is promoted by plantscaping, which is trending now but has been around since the 1970s. The central idea is that we are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature. Bringing plants and natural features indoors is a way for us to be more connected and to receive some of the positive benefits of nature. This is true for our homes as well as our places of work and, as discussed below, may help mitigate some of the ills of the open office.
Plants help clean the air to keep employees healthier, produce more oxygen to help employees be more alert and productive, and add a calming influence to reduce stress. Plants also absorb sound, which can help make an open office quieter and less distracting. The following points promote ways that plants can be effective in the open office:
Office water features can range from a small natural display to a large internal water wall. Water features provide soothing sounds and make eye-catching displays in the open office. In dry climates, they can add humidity to the air and reduce the need for humidifiers.
Small water features can be used as a calming influence in quieter areas of the office. A large display, like a water wall, can be used as an attraction, but can also mask open office sounds.
Many open offices have opted for white noise to cover up noisy distractions. Flowing water can be used for the same purpose. I have worked in offices that have piped water and natural sounds on speakers in lieu of the constant static of white noise.
Here are some open office ideas for water features:
In addition to plants and water features, there are many other ways of introducing nature into the open office. Such ways can include natural artwork, daylighting, maximizing natural views out of office windows, and the use of materials like wood and stone in interior office construction. But a central question remains: is plantscaping worth the expense?
I believe that there is a business case that can be made for plantscaping. Here is a summary of findings supporting the notion that plantscaping can improve employee productivity and health, both of which impact the bottom-line of businesses:
Plantscaping can reduce stress, help employees be happier, reduce office sickness, and increase productivity. What business would not want to promote a happier and more productive workforce, not to mention spaces and features that are more attractive?
High-tech industries like Amazon, Google, and Facebook have led the way in moving to open offices, and Amazon is now furthering this concept through promoting the restorative powers of nature in a work setting.
Amazon recently constructed high-tech greenhouse spheres for employees in their downtown Seattle headquarters. With over 40,000 plants, Amazon is using nature on the inside to inspire employees to be creative and to promote a healthy work environment. Workstations and conferencing facilities make the greenhouse spheres an innovative place to work that looks, feels, sounds, and smells like a true natural experience.
I do not believe Amazon went through this expense just to have an attractive icon in Seattle. I think Amazon knows that the power of bringing nature indoors will make its headquarters staff more inspired, more relaxed, and more productive.