Stories | The Forum | Biophilia in the workplace| Fora

Decorative image — Workspaces that breathe: The benefits of biophilic design
A look at five of Fora’s finest locations revealing how thoughtfully curated green workspaces encourage productivity and a sense of health and wellbeing.
Written by
Cathy Hawker

Laura Gatti is an Italian agronomist and landscape designer whose work scales new heights. She planted over 20,000 trees and shrubs on the balconies and roof of Bosco Verticale, twin 381 feet residential towers in Milan that on completion in 2012, immediately became one of the city’s most photographed buildings.

For 20 years, Gatti has worked on green buildings around the world and is passionate about the importance of integrating buildings with nature. “Dense cities have great services but a lack of space, pollution and climate change consequences so the opportunity to bring in nature is a growing trend,” she says. “Biophilia is not a new idea but increasingly it is changing the way we see our built environment.”

The term biophilia, a love of nature and living things, was introduced in the 1980s, and its growing use in commercial buildings is widely credited with improving employee wellbeing. As well as improving the air quality, proven benefits of working in a more natural environment include healthier, happier and more productive staff with enhanced mental and physical wellbeing.

“Multiple studies show the increasing benefits that biophilia and human interaction with nature bring,” says Meesha Patel, Architect at Fora. I always look to incorporate biophilia from the very start of design when we commence spatial planning, looking for opportunities to place plants in communal areas so that they can be appreciated by everyone. I think the trick is to place plants in a concentrated space, making them more impactful and meaningful.”

The Design & Development team at Fora follow this principle of clustering; grouping plants together to zone workspaces, also adding height in specific areas to provide privacy. With so many Fora workspaces to explore, discover the top five spaces that showcase biophilic design at its best below.

In each of these five buildings, the concept of biophilia has brought a fresh and inspiring green perspective to a city workspace. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from those using the space shows the value they place on it, with comments focusing on the indoor-outdoor connectivity, the productivity biophilia encourages and the natural beauty of skilful planting. By using a diversity of plants and placing them within built elements of design, around joinery for example, Fora’s Design & Development team give biophilia a feeling of permanence, providing a home where the plants can thrive and creating a wonderfully immersive working environment.

“For over 20 years, studies have shown the benefits of a workspace with excellent natural light in surroundings of natural greenery so while biophilia is only one of many key elements in good design, it is a very important one,” says Claire McPoland. “We think deeply about the plants we use, including using species not typically found in offices, and work closely with our partners to make sure plants are placed where they will thrive.”

Author’s bio:

Cathy Hawker is a freelance journalist who has specialised in residential and commercial property, interiors and design for over 20 years. She writes on UK and overseas property for a range of publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, HTSI at The Financial Times and The London Standard.

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