Maximising the productivity of employees may be down to how well the office furniture is arranged, whether the environment is designed well, and how the space “works”. According to a recent study, employees who work in more natural environments are 6 percent more productive and report overall higher levels of well-being and creativity.

The Impact of Office Environments on Employees

The report, entitled The Global Impact of Biophilic Design, describes how office design is affected by the presence (or absence) of natural light, decorative plants, windows, and a private desk space. The absence of one or more of these elements has an adverse impact on the well-being of employees. Key findings include:

• Almost half of workers around the globe (47%) have no natural light in their workplace.
• 58% have no live plants in their workplace.
• 19% have no natural elements around them at work
• Almost one fifth (19%) desired a quieter office environment, citing noise as a stressor.

Does Biophilic Design Improve Productivity?
Biophilic Design is the skill of bringing natural elements into spaces humans inhabit. It lies somewhere between interior design and architecture, introducing nature into the workplace to satisfy the needs of every human being to connect meaningfully with their environment. The main focus is on urban spaces in city centres and towns where people congregate for leisure or work. The Human Spaces global study shows biophilic designed offices result in calmer, more restorative workplaces where increased productivity and creativity is related to improved individual behaviour. This leads to better organisational outcomes, including lower stress reports, higher satisfaction levels and improved perceptions of well-being and happiness with the organisation as a whole.

Improved Office Spaces Lead to Improved Engagement
The study, led by Professor Sir Cary Cooper, CBE, is the first of its kind to detail the global findings of survey responses from 7,600 office workers. Cooper, who heads the Organisational Psychology and Health department of Lancaster University hopes the report will “inspire business owners and commercial designers to take a new approach and prompt everyone to think about their own unique workplace and how best it can support people to thrive”. One case study mentioned is from United States company Genzyme Corporation, who re-designed their corporate headquarters along biophilic lines. Their entrance detailed a stunning glass atrium with chandeliers designed to reflect sunlight, they built indoor gardens with water features, and increased the amount of windows reaching their offices. 18 months later 88% of employees reported the new views and access to natural elements had improved their sense of well-being. Additionally, 75% cited improved co-worker relationships as a result of the building’s new design.

Key Aspects of Biophilic Design

Natural light and windows
The study discovered the presence of natural elements positively linked to well-being at work. When asked if they had a window at work, those who reported they did not commented that this lack of a view related to the stress they felt working in that office. Those with greener views or views over water, or the seaside, had significantly lower levels of stress. 44% of respondents wished their office had windows offering natural light.

Indoor Plants and Water features
The colours green, blue and brown were shown to be accent colours which had a direct impact on employee well-being. The presence of natural colours decreased reported stress levels, whereas it was found the colours of gray actually increased stress levels felt by office employees. The desire for plants and water features in an office was requested by 20% of those surveyed.

The Calming Waters
Those who worked in an office next to a coastal location strongly desired a view of the sea. Globally, 17% of workers said sea views would improve their sense of calm and relaxation at work. Many mentioned offices they had worked in with sea views were more relaxed environments.

Colour and Space
There was a strong sense that light and space provides greater levels of well-being. Many expressed a desire for brighter colours (15% of survey respondents) alongside a quiet working space (19%). Tangible benefits measured by the study showed employees who have good light and space, record better well-being, productivity and creativity scores.

Presenteeism and Productivity Loss
Presenteeism is defined as showing up for work even if ill, or putting in face-time while showing low engagement or productivity during the day. Employees feel valued and supported at work when biophilic design is incorporated into the workplace. Making some changes by bringing nature in can reduce the productivity loss due to presenteeism in the workplace. Workers in offices where natural elements such as greenery and sunlight were in place, reported 15% higher creativity levels, 15% higher well-being levels and 6% higher productivity levels. Any business would be wise to take note of the gains to be made through adopting biophilic design into their workspaces.

Sources:

http://humanspaces.com/global-report/the-case-for-biophilic-design/

http://www.worldgbc.org/files/6314/1152/0821/WorldGBC__Health_Wellbeing__productivity_Full_Report.pdf