The New Year has always been a mark for fresh starts. Personal New Year’s resolutions are great, but have you thought of any for your office? Most of us spend almost a third of our lives at work- an integrated, well-planned office design and work space significantly affect the productivity of your employees.

Are you considering an office move? There are lot of fit out contractors in the Philippines that believe that positive changes in the office can greatly affect employees’ performance. With the start of 2018, it’s out with the old and in with the new so we’re starting a blog series of office interior fit out trends for this new year to help you decide!

Embrace Nature with a Biophilic Office Design

Speaking of fresh, what screams fresh more than a nature-inspired workplace? The concept for a biophilic design was taken from the idea that humans possess the innate tendency to seek connections with nature.

Research reveals that being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally but also contributes to your wellbeing physically. Research done in hospitals, offices, and schools has found that even a simple plant in a room can have a significant impact on stress and anxiety.

Highly populated cities are generally concrete jungles filled with population and bringing nature into an indoor space brings comfort and calm to the people within it who are normally treated to hectic outdoor environments. With office workers spending the vast majority of their waking hours inside the office, the importance of creating a balance between the inside and out is critical for the needs of a modern workforce.

So how do you incorporate natural elements in your office? Here are five ways you can create a biophilic office space:

Promote Natural Lighting

Inviting natural daylight into the space is one of the first steps to consider in a nature-themed renovation. To make the most of your office’s natural light, make sure windows aren’t fully covered by blinds, and that workers’ desks are faced towards windows, rather than away from them- the recommended distance between workstations and walls with windows is 20 to 25 feet. Skylights can also be installed to bring more daylight into the office by turning the ceiling into a lighting source. Not only does natural light reduces eye strain, it also reduces your lighting costs!

Improve Artificial Light

If you are unable to let natural light into your office, then make your workplace well-lit with artificial lighting. Better artificial lighting in the workplace will also make an impact. Unlike the usual fluorescent and incandescent lighting you find in office settings, LED lighting can mimic sunlight. It’s healthier and friendlier for employees.

Mimic Nature

Bring natural elements in your office renovation by utilizing natural materials, such as wood, stone, granite, cork, and marble. Exposed bricks and concrete floors are textures that also invite a more natural feel. Having a water feature in your office such as wall waterfall can also be included in the design. Moreover, when choosing office furniture, opt for patterns and shape that looks more organic (irregular) rather than geometric ones.

Use Natural Color Schemes

Bring nature into your office by decorating it with earthy tones. This largely involves the colors green, brown, gold, and tan, as well as blue and white to mimic the sea, sky, and clouds.

Earthy colors are by nature calming and have a soothing effect on people- incorporating green accents in offices, in particular, have been found to boost employees’ motivation, enthusiasm and productivity. Use these colors on walls, accent pieces such as partition panels, and even on furniture like fit out free standing tables and accent chairs used in furniture fit out.

Bring In Some Plants

The best way to incorporate nature into your office is by bringing in some plants. Adding plants to the workplace is a great way to filter indoor air pollution, reduce stress, and muffle noise. Small plants like succulents and cacti are great reception desk displays. There are many plants that can put up with a little negligence and do well indoors. These include Chinese evergreens, bamboo plants, and spider plants. However, you don’t necessarily need the real deal to provide the biophilic mood. Although they won’t be able to improve air quality, artificial plants can still be beneficial to your employees’ health- this is because just seeing natural landscapes can improve mood and concentration.

The great outdoors can make a positive difference in your attitude and mental state, but when you work in an office, it’s not always easy to find time to step outside. Do you think a biophilic office design is for you? Drop a call on your trusted fit out contractor in the Philippines today!