Connecting people, places and plants: biophilia with Junglefy, Australia
Welcome to episode 060 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we discuss the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate and hospitality. This episode I’m in Australia talking to Suzie Barnett, CEO of Junglefy, a full service living infrastructure specialist focused on bringing more plants into our cities.
Junglefy began life as a landscaping business and evolved over the last 13 years into one of the world’s leading green wall, green roof and urban greenery businesses.
Suzie is on the Board of the Living Future Institute of Australia, Chair of the Biophilic Design Initiative and was pivotal in establishing the Green Building Council of Australia. She’s an industry powerhouse in other words and this conversation didn’t disappoint.
our Discussion topics related to biophila
we discuss the all-important ‘why’ behind integrating this type of abundant greenery into a building or public space
their involvement in scientific research studies quantifying Return On Investment on indoor breathing walls in terms of productivity, feelings of wellbeing and improvements in air quality
why it’s so important to consider upfront not just the initial investment cost on a living wall system, irrigation and lighting as well as ongoing maintenance
their ideas for sharing outdoor living facade maintenance costs with local councils in reflection of their community benefits and the outputs of their tech-enabled product development process in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney
Full transcript follows, please excuse any typos!
Matt Morley
Could you start by giving us a quick intro to the Junglefy business? I'd be particularly interested in understanding how its products and services have evolved over the years?
urban greenery and green walls
Suzie Barnett
Yeah, absolutely. So our main purpose is to cultivate that critical connection between people, places and plants. And we are a full service organization. So we grow the plants, we consult early on in the design process of the built environment to make sure we can give the latest information on how these products should be installed, and also maintained. And then we do the installation and the maintenance.
Our systems are modular so that gives our clients an opportunity to have a much longer life for the plants than other systems. Has it always been that way? No, we started out life 13 years ago as a landscaping business but we had a lot of people asking for these things called green walls so the owners decided to start a sister business called Junglefy.
They had both businesses running at the same time, the landscaping business and the green wall business. And the green wall business was, I think the thing that excited them the most, and they saw the future in the market. They decided to close down the landscaping business and purely focus on green walls, which has evolved a lot over the last 13 years to look at roofs and facades and different types of products fit for purpose, depending on the opportunity and what the clients are looking for.
At the beginning, Junglefy was very much involved in the latter stages of the project. So we would get involved once the design had been done. It had already been contracted out to a builder, but it's very hard at that time to get the best outcomes. because you're at the very end of the process.
Today, it's very different. We get involved at the very beginning of the process before real estate developers and architects even conceptualize what they want. And clients come to us and say, what's possible, what can we do? And what's even more encouraging over the last couple of years is they're also thinking longer term, how can we design this for the longer term as opposed to that aesthetic of just looking good on day one. And then after year one, year two, year three, you know, it starts to degrade, whereas we design it to look good at year one, year five year 10, you know, well into perpetuity. And I think that's probably the biggest evolution of what we do.
the business case for adding plants, biophilia and nature into real estate
Matt Morley
What are the key drivers behind your clients decisions to to start working with you, what makes them decide they need to bring some of the outside world in with greenery, with indoor landscaping, possibly a green wall?
Suzie Barnett
It's a combination of all of those things. So originally, and still, to some degree, some people are very much driven by just the aesthetic of plants. They look amazing. People love them. But they don't really understand the deeper purpose of plants and why people love them. And I think that's what's starting to be understood in the market.
So plants look good, but they have a very strong purpose in that they connect people to that place. And they connect us with nature, which is fundamentally one of the most critical things we can have in our built environments because they have been designed really for, I call it for domination.
You know, they're engineered and they're designed in a way for us as humans to dominate nature. And what we're now seeing is an opportunity to rethink that and look at how we can design and build with nature at the forefront. So it's inclusive to, are they still? Are they still being driven by return on investment? Absolutely. But what we're seeing is a very strong return on investment for those who do include plants in the right way, fit for purpose and for longevity.
So, a couple of years ago, we actually commissioned an organization called the Center for International Economics. They are people who take data and convert it into dollar terms. And this is something that normally only governments ask for because they're paying tax, they're spending taxpayers dollars.
benefits of green walls - productivity, positivity, air quality
We asked them, what would that look like using our scientific data for our return on investment, for a particular product that we have called breathing technology, which is an activated green wall essentially. They told us that the return on investment, if you installed a breathing wall inside would be $3, if you spent $1, you would get $3.44, in return, because of the productivity gains, and the response that people have to having plants and nature inside, because they're very active at cleaning the air, removing nasty pollutants, such as co2, particulate matter, vocs.
Thanks to that biophilic response that we have with nature, if we put a breathing wall externally, the CIA report told us that you'd get $1.95 in return. And these are big numbers, these are return on investment numbers that we know the market needs, because what we're doing is still challenging the industry, it's still considered quite niche, and quite new, even though we've been doing it for 13 years and other companies around the world.
The property sector is very much price driven. We had to convert that feel good notion of plants, making people happy, into real dollar terms, and that's where we're at now. And we're starting to see that driving decision making now beyond just it being an aesthetic, we're finding the scientific research we do is driving that as well.
So developers and owners want to be able to provide a strong business case, to get the funding, or to convince you know, the CIO, entire economic times, it all comes down to dollars. So the combination of scientific research and economics is is definitely driving decisions.
It's quite frustrating, because the science on plants and our relationship to them is, is probably the largest global body of evidence you will see on anything. And yet people still question its value. Yet we see it's starting to resonate, I feel optimistic that this information is starting to hit the market, and the early adopters are using it to their advantage.
Matt Morley
I know one of the questions from a client will be - “okay, great. It's gonna cost x to setup, the upfront investment and installing a wall indoors or out, then what about ongoing costs?
From your experience, when would a living will be a sensible choice and in what circumstances should it perhaps be avoided or replaced with an alternative? There must be some instances where you just have to be honest with the client and say, look, this is going to be a challenging space to maintain long-term.
when to install a green wall and what are its challenges
Suzie Barnett
You're absolutely right, it's as much as what you say no to is what you say yes to, because for us as a business, every single plant we install is our brochure in the future. And even and it's not just ours, it's a whole industry, because we're leaders in the industry. So every failure of a greenwall is someone's reason not to do it in the future.
The initial capex cost is definitely a barrier for adoption for some because you've got different decision makers and different budgets, and what a developer will want to do may not align with the interests of the company managing that development in the longer term.
So whatever decisions they make, if they make poor decisions on lighting, if they under invest in lighting, if they don't invest in the right, fit for purpose living wall system, then they're not the ones paying for it down the track when the problems mount up, it's going to be the the future owner, facility manager, or tenants, you name it. So that is certainly one of the biggest challenges.
We've certainly said no to projects, when they have not wanted to invest in the correct lighting or irrigation system because we're also the company that's maintaining it, and we don't want to create more problems in the future, we only want to create a really good solution. The way around that really comes down to education and making sure that those who are making early decisions, are aware that they're making decisions on behalf of others in the future.
We have done this so many times, and we have so much experience, we are in a position to walk away if we don't feel like they make the right decision. That's fascinating how many people come back, when they realize, you know, this is what we really want, and we appreciate it, they want that kind of advice.
So I think in the future, or for anyone out there thinking about this, the advice I would give is, Do not think that this is a set and forget kind of decision. You can't say yes, I want plants, I want them to look pretty just on day one, you must be thinking longer term; the benefits of the plants totally outweigh any of the costs.
green facades in green buildings - living infrastructure
I spent over a decade working with the Green Building Council of Australia. And they facilitate and manage the Environmental Rating System Green Star which is equivalent to LEED or BREEAM globally, and Green Star had a perceived cost, so people would sometimes say “we can't do it, it's going to cost too much”.
We're seeing the same now looking at any kind of living infrastructure or nature based solution. And I think what's going to happen is we just need to keep educating the market and make them see that the cost is actually an investment and what you get from that investment is more benefit than financial investment.
Factors to consider before installing a green wall
Clients must think about lighting, accessibility, how will it be accessed in the future, if it's in a really hard to access place, so you can't get to it on a ladder or ropes then the plants will eventually fail because they need to be looked after just like us. So access and future maintenance is really important. Plant selection is absolutely critical. It's all about the light and it's all about what types of plants will survive inside on a north facade versus on an east or west facade.
Plants are pretty predictable actually when it comes to which can survive in those environments. And they have to see that regular maintenance is actually an investment that saves money over time. The analogy I use, Matt is, no one buys a car thinking that the day they hand over the money, and by that they never have to do anything to that car ever again. In fact, they know that they will have to get it serviced regularly. And if they do, they will get a lot more out of the life of that vehicle than if they did nothing and just drove it into the ground. Our products are exactly the same, except that the plants are living and they can be replaced quite easily!
public-private collaboration for green facade maintenance costs
The other concept that we've been considering, and obviously, this is much bigger than Junglefy, this is an industry wide idea that we're starting to talk to people about, is this idea of sharing the investment in maintenance, particularly for exterior applications. So when you think about it, a lot of our local councils, you know, they plant the trees in our streets, they maintain them, they look after them. And they do it for the benefit of the community, because we know the trees are they're creating biodiversity habitat, they're cooling temperatures down there cleaning the air to some degree, you know, they and they look amazing. A leafy Street is what adds value to any property.
So what we're finding fascinating in our conversations of late is, why aren't living facades considered the same way? Because they are also giving an enormous benefit to the community, not just to the users of that particular building? There's no shared investment there. And I see a future where potentially, there may be a contribution by local councils or other government departments. Because the benefit of those plants on facades, whether it's a green wall, a breathing wall, or green facade is community wide, not just to the benefit of the users of that building.
product innovation in green wall design
Matt Morley
So it's interesting, because you've got concept, design, plant selection, installation, ongoing maintenance, but there's also this piece of the front end around manufacturing the technical components too. Not every company out there does this and I find it to be one of your sort of USPs.
Suzie Barnett
Yes, we have taken our knowledge, our 13 years of experience and we've invested a lot in in research and development around products and our research partnerships with plant scientists at the University of Technology Sydney has also helped us to evolve our products from a very much a scientific and an engineering perspective. So unlike other living wall applications, we're not just putting plants in a pot and whacking it on a wall and hoping for the best we've actually delved deep into the science and the engineering behind how that plant will survive long term.
The first innovation that we came up with was our, our module itself. It's a square module. We purpose grow the plants into that module so that when they're installed on site, they're already grown in and established and will last longer. They don't go into shock because they're already established. And the X frame is our system of installing that on site. So you literally, we actually love seeing the X frames, once they're installed, they look like a beautiful piece of industrial design. And then we wait. So we do that on the project. And then whilst the building is undergoing other forms of construction, the plants are always the things that go in last, because once the plants are there, they need looking after. So we do all of our work up to a point, which allows us to install it in the schedule and timeframe of that construction project.
Then we wait until the project’s sort of at the very last days, which is usually the highest stress point, but then the plants come in. And what's always amazing to me is, once the plants are in people on that site to stop and go, Wow, how amazing is that? Whereas up to that point, they're a little bit like, what are you doing? And it's not till they see the plants that they realize how impactful it is, and it's literally a matter of a day.
Biophilic in public infastructure projects
Our latest innovation is we've taken our standard module and X frame, and we've put multiple, sometimes eight, sometimes 10, on what we call a mega module. At the moment we're installing mega modules on quite a controversial project in Sydney, their ventilation shafts as part of an underground tunneling project called the WestConnex. But this is a piece of functional infrastructure that sadly we need in our cities at the moment because we are still driving around in cars. And what the government decided to do was actually cover those ventilation shafts with plants and we came up with our mega module concept, which means they literally get craned on already planted, already installed. Now they're they're creating an amazing opportunity for biodiversity to establish themselves and can connect to the ventilation shafts with the parklands, so the surrounding it.
So the application of our modules, because they're modular, they can, they can be in very, very small applications, or very, very large. We've also come up with a way to rotate them for easy maintenance purposes.
So that means you know, we've put rotating walls on car parks and on the side of very busy motorways so that when you maintain them, you literally flip them. So they're facing the opposite side, it's very safe to maintain and easy.
science-backed research into benefits of green wall systems
Then our breathing technology, which is an activated living wall system, we have our standard jungle firewall, then we have our breathing wall. And the breathing wall is what we've invested most of our research into with the scientists at University of Technology Sydney, the results of our breathing wall have astounded them. And I have to say a little bit the industry, sometimes they think we're making it up, because it does sound too good to be true. But honestly, every piece of research we've done on this particular product has been peer reviewed.
So it is very much backed by scientific research. And our breathing wall is literally a system where we have created what we call a plenum, which is an air cavity behind the wall, we've introduced small fans, they're not very big, they don't use a lot of energy. They're literally the size of a computer fan or something you'd see a pipe about as big as your palm. And what the fans do is draw polluted air into the air cavity or the plenum behind the breathing wall, the air has nowhere to go but through the root systems of the plants through the back of our breathing module, directly into the root systems. And it's the plants root systems that actually remove the nasty pollutants that are circulating in our air.
As I mentioned before it's all about particulate matter, carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the Breathing wall has been proven scientifically to remove those pollutants faster than any other type of plant system on the market today. And there's a lot of other benefits as well, it reduces air temperature, it pushes out higher volumes of clean air, which means you're getting a lot better air quality. If it's applied internally, that's really what's driving that $3.44 return, because you're getting basically a biofilter. working as hard if not harder than the high tech system.
Matt Morley
I think it's absolutely where the industry needs to go Suzie - integrating this extra component of tech to enhance the tangible impact of these walls is the way to answer the doubters and take it to the next level.
Suzie Barnett
To be clear, it's actually quite low tech. We produced a version of our breathing tech, which we call our breathing stand. And it literally is to replace the volume of pot plants you would need to do the same thing. So our breathing stand, uses about 140 plants, it has its own lighting, it has its own water reservoir and irrigation. And the combination of those elements creates an opportunity to produce cleaner volumes of air in an indoor environment, then you would literally need hundreds of pot plants that are taking up valuable real estate on your floor plate.
Matt Morley
It's exactly that, the sheer quantity of plants required to have a tangible impact on the indoor air quality versus taking up floor space, it' always comes up in interior design projects in particular.
One of the things that caught my eye on your site was this Manly Vale carpark case study - not somewhere typically we're looking for examples of biophilic design.. tell us about that?
green walls for car parks and other public real estate
Suzie Barnett
Yes, absolutely. So the original design of the car park was typical of any other car park basically - it was a facade covered in steel, it was quite artistic, you know, it looked quite pretty. But the local community 100% said, No, not in my backyard. I do not want this car park. And so the government had a tricky situation on their hands.
Fortunately, somebody introduced them to us at Junglefy and we suggested our breathing technology. And that's how we innovated actually the rotating, breathing wall because it's a car park and it's a government project and they wanted the safety of maintaining it from the inside.
So what we did is we covered that carpark entirely in our breathing technology, we basically created a biofilter for a car park, which is unheard of really - usually car parks are the ugliest things but highly functional. We've now created a car park that most people don't even realize it's a car park when they drive past. They think it's some fancy bar or retail facility because it looks so beautiful.
The local member of parliament called us into his office at Parliament House and said, What did you do? Why does the community want this so badly? And we had to then explain, you know why people love nature and plants and that looking down on the carpark covered in plants actually makes them feel good as opposed to looking at something that's concrete and steel and full of cars.
So we were able to transform a very functional and require an asset to something that the community wanted. And, you know, we're hearing similar feedback on the ventilator. shafts as well like these, these assets that we have in our cities that can now perform multiple purposes. And I think this is what we have to do, we have to look at every asset, every built environment surface as an opportunity for urban greening, and do it in a way that that doesn't just look pretty it has to perform as well and actually give back more than what, what it takes.
Matt Morley
I know one of the initiatives that you're supporting is the national biophilic design award with the living future Institute. I in fact studied with them online a few years ago, I fully recommend that course too!
Suzie Barnett
This is really exciting, because the International Living future Institute has had a biophilic design awards for some time, and they have been global. But what we noticed is that there wasn't a lot of representation from Australian projects. And so the living future Institute of Australia, of which I was a board member for the last six years, and also worked on their biophilic design committee, I actually chaired the committee for some time, we came up with the idea of of localizing those design awards to really start to inspire people in Australia around biophilic design.
Australia is one of those amazing markets that when we move, we can move quite quickly. And it only takes a handful of projects to lead the way and create a point of difference that then creates competition in the market. I think it's one of my favorite things about working in property here.
On the sustainability side of properties, seeing them compete on the best sustainable, or the most resilient and restorative buildings that we're now seeing come online. So for us for Junglefy, you know, we see the Living Future Institute of Australia and the Living Building Challenge and the biophilic design competition as leading the way.
These are for built structures, not just concepts or designs. So they've been built, they're being used, they're paving the way for the future. And I think that's really incredibly important to recognize, because some of the early adopters, you know, they actually do pave the way for others. There's lessons learned in every single project. We just get better and better at it.
Without awards like this I don't think people see what's possible, or learn the lessons to be able to do it better next time.
botanical design in architecture and interiors with wayward plants
A conversation with Wayward Plants Associate Director Tom Kendall covering their work creating biophilic public benches, large scale plant donations as an ethical business practice, designing botanically inspired playgrounds, a botanical memorial for nelson mandela in liverpool and their nature-inspired sustainable interior concept for a stella mccartney retail store in london
the green & healthy places podcast explores the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate and hotels
Episode 059 took us to London, UK to chat with Tom Kendall, Associate Director of Wayward Plants, a botanical design collective on a mission to bring urban communities back into contact with the natural world.
Our conversation covers their work creating biophilic public benches that convey a message about inner city air quality, large scale plant donations as an ethical business practice, designing botanically inspired playgrounds, their work designing a botanical memorial for nelson mandela in liverpool and their nature-inspired sustainable interior concept for a stella mccartney store.
lemonary by wayward plants
Matt Morley
Let’s start with a question about your ‘better air benches’. There are so many different ways of bringing nature back into the city nowadays, it is one of the things that really inspires me personally and I think we share those same values.
How can something as seemingly banal as a public bench become much more functional and play an actual role in purifying the air within the city?
improving Air quality in the public realm
Thomas Kendall
Yes. So this was a collaboration with business improvement districts (BID) down in south London. And it was kind of interesting because it didn't start out as a bench, the initial proposal was supposed to be a gateway, it was supposed to be something big and grand.
After some really interesting discussions with the BID, we decided to change it to try and in a way take up more space. And to become more purposeful and useful within the public realm.
We knew there were other people who were doing other kinds of more ‘threshold gateway-esque strategies’ in London then anyway. So we wanted to try and find a way to integrate ourselves in a little bit more of a purposeful environment, we also knew that we were going to initially be sited in Borough Market, which is obviously this amazing sort of threshold and space of exchange, of constant flux and change.
We needed something that had an element of transition to it. And for us, this idea of a simple bench was I guess, the key that unlocked that for us, we wanted something that was going to be colorful, something that was going to be very simple yet interactive. And also obviously, that one of the key parts of us has to be something green.
Unusually for us, we ended up working with a monoculture of ivy in this instance. So we filled these very simple mesh cages of benches and we filled them with English IV, which is known to be really good for air quality. And we knew we were never going to fill them with enough to actively change the air quality. But for us, it was very much about raising awareness, which is also why we didn't want to be stuck in one site.
So whilst we started out in Borough Market, the whole point with the benches was that they were mobile, they could go out and fill space. Four years later, now, I'm still getting texts from friends being like, “Oh, I just saw your bench on this street” or “I just sat in this square and had my lunch on your bench”. There's something so wonderfully human and intuitive about them, that people really warm to.
borough market, london
Healthy buildings, outside air quality and raising public awareness
Matt Morley
So let me dig into that a little bit... If we had, say, a closed environment such as a healthy building interior, or specifically a workplace environment where we might be aiming for a much more tangible set of data and outputs. For example purifying the indoor air and improving productivity but when you're working in the public realm, perhaps the sheer scale of the problem is so huge that that you're never going to be able to make a meaningful impact on the air quality in that particular area of London. So do you set out with a different mission in a sense, just to raise awareness amongst the general public?
Thomas Kendall
Yeah, that was definitely one of the client’s key concerns with this was to have a wider discussion on air quality in Southwark obviously, it's a huge conflict points, so many congested roads, curbside deliveries, all day long and the amount of pollution varies so much, even down to like the huge spike in Christmas, because of Amazon deliveries to everybody's offices.
We knew there was a problem. but we only had a budget of £30,000. You're not going to solve all of the borough’s pollution problems for that clearly! There's there's always two strands - one is just the simple factor of enjoyability. In the public realm, the basic user interface of creating something that people will regularly use and then there is the lesson to be learned from that brief experience.
It's not we try not to make it like a giant placard, you know, we don't want to put a big billboard in front of you saying air pollution is wrong, it's usually a little bit more passive or subtle. So on the benches, we included a series of educational quotes or facts about the area and the pollution levels or different plants that can benefit our health and the environment.
air quality monitors and the role of data
We also had a series of sensors that were up for six months on them that were measuring the pollution in the different areas of particular, in particular, and that they sort of as they moved around, there was some data that was collected, just showing the amount of pollution in these different spaces, that was also then streamed to the business improvement district’s website.
In this way we did manage to get a really interesting look at the pollution levels, and how just moving two streets away from the main thoroughfare the amount of pollution would lower and there's now actually a green map that's been created of walks around Southwalk based not just on that data but on a much broader series of investigations to create different pathways to get to work or school for example avoiding pollution.
moor lane community garden by wayward plants
botanical design interventions in the community for added biophilia
Matt Morley
Let’s shift onto the Moor Lane Community Garden project and the idea of creating or co-designing effectively, and architectural interventions in the form of a garden in the local community as a way to bring an element of nature back into that that particular corner of the city. Talk to us a bit about that.
Thomas Kendall
Yes, Moor Lane was a really interesting one when it comes to engagement, because there was already a small community garden there and a huge future proposal involving the whole redevelopment of that particular street. So we were initially invited in actually as a mediator between the City of London and a series of local residence groups, where there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect happening.
Our first role there was to act as a middle person to help them communicate, and to find out what was missing, what wasn't being communicated effectively, and where things might be improved. Initially, we just having a lot of conversations, we didn't even dive into design. In fact the first three meetings were all about conversation and communication. And out of that we discovered that the future proposal had zero relevance to the site and zero relevance to the community. That was their problem.
We were eventually asked to not only come up with a green intervention for the site but also to challenge the entire future proposal for it. The future scheme had no relevance to the Barbecan, and it didn't reference its architecture, it didn't reference the community.
Not only were they concrete objects that we created in the end, but they were also etched in to exposed aggregate in the same way that the Barbican had previously been hand carved. There were certain color themes inspired by the area too as well as referencing old and new planting.
It was great for us, because as well as these conversations, we got to then invite people in to do planting in the project, too. So we had a really nice hands on aspect to it beyond the design and engagement. And then following up on that, obviously, there was a big report we put together that detailed every conversation, everything that had ever been said, as well as how it integrated into the designs.
Now in fact we're back on site, again, looking at how our designs have impacted it. And we're now redesigning the new planters, to include some of the details and motifs that the community thought was specifically poignant or interesting from what we did.
Even our own design got re-critiqued re-engaged with at the end of the whole thing, and the community groups came in and told us what they didn't didn't like about those and what was successful and what they would like to see go forward. It meant putting ourselves on the frontline to be critiqued.
sustainability and social responsibility in botanical design
Matt Morley
Is see that as being part of a wider concept of giving back and incorporating a community aspect into your work, which some could say is a version of corporate social responsibility (CSR) or ESG. It's certainly a cohesive approach within the overall framework of being a business working in the space of sustainability and biophilia that you to make an effort to, to give back via plants. Tell us about that.
Thomas Kendall
So this was something that started even before Wayward was Wayward. In a way, the very first thing that sparked this conversation for us was seeing a plant thrown out of a window in New York City, strewn across the street, it was incredibly dramatic, there was a couple shouting above, some sort of weird divorce argument I think!
Well, we picked up this plant from a broken home, we took it home, cared for it, brought it back to life, repotted it, and then we gave it to a friend. And the conversation we had with that friend was more in depth than I think most conversations we've ever had. And if a single plant had activated, this new conversation with somebody that we thought we knew quite well, we thought ‘well, maybe this is a thing’.
Plant donations as a way to give back through biophilia
It was an act of exchange and a way to use nature to explore human stories. And so we started off with one plant every year, we've gradually expanded on this. So moving to like 10 plants, 50 plants, 100 plants, so creating what we call ‘plant adoptions’, where we now invite people where we collect plants from unwanted homes, and we invite people into spaces, and they have to fill out an adoption form, and prove to us that they're going to be good plant parents by drawing or describing the home it's going to go to, and only once we deemed them a good plant parent will they then get the plant in exchange. And it's become this fantastic web. It's like exploring people's stories with gardens and nature. And it's not even just about filling out the form. Sometimes it's just the conversations that you have, again around these events.
We now use this as a tool for exploring public space and for large scale engagement. And so we also now give away through the same scheme, usually around 10,000 plants a year from the RHS Flower Show, Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court Flower Show, so we now give everybody about 10,000 plants a year to schools and community gardens, mostly sort of in and around London gradually gradually working our way out a little bit further afield as well.
Matt Morley
It's a really unique approach to giving back. We've collaborated on a biophilic design interiors project recently together and it was a very strong calling card for Wayward, being able to contribute to a greener, more ethical supply chain. create a supply chain and a network of consultants and other sort of service providers within that project.
Biophilic design and plants in kids playgrounds
I know that there's a playground that you're involved in recently, Asteys Row in London, I find playgrounds really interesting proposition they can often be so cold and heartless. But there's so many options simply by adding some biophilia and connecting the kids back to nature. Now, I often take inspiration from playgrounds I see in places like Germany, and Scandinavia, where they just seem to have completely reinvented what a kid's playground can look like. And then I see some other ones here, around me in Spain that look pretty, pretty frightening and harsh. But tell me about as these rows row playground because I know that was one you are deeply involved in yourself.
Thomas Kendall
Yeah, so Asteys Row was really interesting projct to be a part of because it was already embedded between two gardens in a way. So it's part of the New River Walk in the middle of Islington, London but when we first got faced with it, it was this very tarmac heavy, brutal, sad, grey crumbling space, a remnant from the 70s.
Again, through conversations with the locals, we started to gather stories about what it used to be the fact that there used to be speculations around streams running through it, there were a whole sort of weird little myths about who remembered what, but the key for us was this connection between the two existing gardens, and there's this amazing boulder garden that runs through part of the New River Walk right into where this playground space was. But there was no connection between it at all it was this is like they just sliced through it, and got rid of it.
rewilding the city for more biophilia
We saw it as an act of rewilding, we wanted to kind of bring this boulder garden back into fruition. It was also when we went on site with kids, as we did when we did our community engagement work for that we didn't want to get stuck in a local town hall talking about it, we went onto the playground. And we actually basically played with kids for half a day, in the space, both in the playground and up and down the area. So really, they we got the kids to take us on tours, rather than us going out taking them on tours.
We decided to take all the lessons learned from the existing garden, that was an amazing topography and landscape and bring that into the playground, whilst also having to handle all the many things that come with a playground, you know, health and safety issues, a ball court, which is never going to be the most appealing thing, especially on a sort of slightly tight Council budget. But it was we were actually really impressed with the way that the council really took the ideas on when we mentioned this idea of a boulder garden.
risk benefit analysis in healthy green playground design
We worked with a lot of amazing play safety inspectors as well, who brought the idea of a risk benefit analysis into the project. So we're no longer that concerned about a few falls or trips or hazards here and there. It's actually now about risk benefit analysis. So if the risk is great, but the benefit is greater, then that's actually deemed to be a positive thing.
And for me, the whole thing really it came out of very much replicating the existing landscape as well as learning from my own childhood, you know, I grew up on a farm near a beach. But there's sort of translation of how I played as a child. And my natural landscape. And the lessons I've learned from that, alongside working in talking with these children, and their appreciation of the natural landscape, sort of brought it all in.
Then we you know, as well as that, that, that's just the general topography, we then play with plants and planting as well on the site, we like introducing new trees, creating moments of play in interactions where the kids felt like they could disappear and hide from their parents and then reappear and emerge, even though they were never really out of somebody's sight. So it was a really nice way of integrating the whole of the History site as well as the way it was very much used by its existing community, and then just exaggerating it and and enhancing it.
Botanical design as part of biophilic design - an outdoor memorial project
Matt Morley
Some people might describe Wayward’s work outdoor biophilic design, others might call it, creative landscaping in some instances so you can go from a playground to something like the Nelson Mandela outdoor memorial project up in Liverpool where again, you're using nature for its mental wellbeing and quasi-spiritual benefits.
I think we all connect with nature on some level, often provoking feelings of calm for example. So how do you go about taking something like that and applying it to a memorial? And why in Liverpool?
Thomas Kendall
The Mandela project is an absolute privilege to work on, as you can imagine. And when we first got approached about this, we were a little unsure if we would be able to find our place within the project but when we started researching and reading, we discovered this amazing use that he himself had for gardens.
Within the prison that he was in, he used the gardens to grow food, both for himself and the other inmates because as you can imagine, the food was not particularly great on Robben Island all those years.Then he also used it as an act of exchange between them and the prison guards to allow books to come into the space. So he used it as this tool for both sustenance and education.
He would turn the quarries into temporary classrooms during lunch. They would then educate each other. And it was all through this exchange of edible foods for books and other educational materials.
In his act of kind of digging the garden over, and he had to grow plants, he'd also then be hiding his manuscripts. So the gardens were originally built, either just dug in the ground or dug into oil barrels, which would be cut in half as a very sort of simple on site piece of infrastructure. We've replicated these oil barrels in form and scale on site, there's going to be 32 of these simple cylinder shapes that are going to have his words on. And that's the reference and the way to Mandela and his approach to gardening.
What we were really keen on is that it wasn't just a memorial or just a public artwork, I don't think we will ever do just a public artwork, it will always have to be interactive, it will always have to be education, it will have to be a place that's accessible and inviting. And so very much in the way that he turned the quarry into a classroom we wanted to turn the island that this project is going to be on, in the middle of Prince’s Park in the middle of a lake and on this island, we wanted to turn it into essentially a theater, or at the very least an outdoor classroom that is active and engaging.
Even now, it's kind of amazing, we go into schools in Liverpool, and we've been doing workshops as well with kids there. And they already understand this at the ages of 9,10,11. They already understand this relationship that Liverpool had with Nelson Mandela. And they understand the importance of this. Hopefully, when they come to use the space, in the end, they will treat it as a classroom and as a theater and as a space to engage and learn and meet as a community. And not just as a memorial. But underneath it, there will still be his words gently carved in and around the space.
stella mccartney store, london botanical installation by wayward plants
botanical interior design narratives in sustainable retail
Matt Morley
It's an example of the role of narrative and big ideas that drive your projects Tom, there's always a lot going on behind it for anyone who's prepared to engage with that experience rather than just seeing the visual aspect, there's always an experiential component clearly.
When you're working indoors in an interior space of say 300 square meters in a retail store, such as the project you did for Stella McCartney, flagship, how do you go about trying to create that same experiential component and integrate those big ideas around bringing the outside world in through biophilia using certain types of plants? It must be a very different mindset, right?
Thomas Kendall
So in a way, there was a lot of similarities, they're both very personal projects, very much dealing in a way with the image of an individual. So obviously, Nelson Mandela, he had his particular approach to gardens and Stella McCartney, she herself has a very particular approach to the environment and sustainability.
With with Bond Street store, we knew that her interior design team were very much trying to explore something new, when it came to retail, they weren't just trying to create a store, what they really wanted to look at was how to integrate elements of her life. And her own experiences into the space.
There'd be a lot more personal conversations around her upbringing and growing up and how it started to translate into sustainable fabrics and finishes, as well as treating the whole building more like a home, there was a welcoming hallway, there's this almost sitting room upstairs.
This idea of a garden is core to any domestic situation, to the sense of the home. But then obviously incomplete counterintuitively to that we needed the kind of polish expected of a flagship store on London’s Bond Street.
So lots of the finishes and stuff that were going into the design of the store itself with the all this beautiful polished brass and concrete work and playing with materials and things there was a lot of process going on invited us to go right the other way and try and keep process to an absolute minimum and to really focus on very raw simple combinations of elements.
We were speaking to a lot about her father's Island up in Scotland and her relationship to stone, we proposed this idea of a boulder garden, right in the middle of the store, very weighty but at the same time relatively calm, sort of meditative. She felt a huge resonance with this idea. She's a big believer in sort of geological crystals and things as well.
The sustainability angle was important so we made sure that every stone in the place was sourced within the UK, carved within the UK, or the mosses either came from local growers, or were recycled from Chelsea Flower Show, and built into the garden. So then yeah, it became this very interesting conversation between the simple raw material of the stone and how to integrate it into into a beautiful green retail environment.
Matt Morley
It's a really unusual case study. And I think one that adds a lot of substance to your to your credentials, as well.
If people want to follow along and read more about what you're up to, where where's the best place for them to go, or to see what you're up to?
Thomas Kendall
Maybe just to have a look at our website https://www.wayward.co.uk/ we treat it like a live news feed as well, I have to confess, we're not the greatest on Instagram at the moment. But we're getting there slowly. We're too busy being outdoors rather than just online!
If you do want to get involved with any of our plant re-homing schemes as well. There's links on there that you can either sign up to as a school or community or as a volunteer. And yeah, usually for sort of have a look about usually around April or when there's usually some really good opportunities to come and volunteer and collect plants with us and enjoy the flower shows.
Thank you very much Matt.
The Health Benefits of Biophilia Plants in Interiors
How to select the right species and add to an interior design concept with plants for a healthy, biophilic interior.
Whether used in commercial biophilic interiors, such as offices, hotels, and gyms or as part of residential biophilic design, plants add personality to any space and come with various health and wellness benefits to supercharge any interior with Vitamin Nature.
The biophilic design leverages the innate tendency of humans to seek connections with nature, connecting human beings with our evolutionary history by reintroducing living systems and plant life into soulless, polluted urban contexts in some unfortunate locations.
How Does the Biophilia Hypothesis Help Interior Designers Create Healthy Spaces?
The biophilia hypothesis, developed by biologist Edward O. Wilson in the 1980s, suggests that humans have an innate and instinctive connection to nature and other living organisms.
It posits that our well-being, physical, and mental health are intricately linked to our interaction with the natural world and living systems. This hypothesis has significant implications for interior designers striving to create healthy indoor spaces. Urban designers can also benefit from understanding and applying biophilic design principles to improve health and well-being in urban environments.
Incorporate Natural Elements
Interior designers can incorporate natural materials such as wood, stone, and water features to evoke a sense of nature. These natural elements help create a more inviting and calming environment.
Maximize Natural Light
Designers should prioritize maximizing natural light in indoor spaces. Large windows, skylights, and strategically placed mirrors can help bring more natural light into the interior, enhancing the connection to the outdoors.
Use Biophilic Patterns
Biophilic design includes patterns, shapes, and textures that mimic those found in nature, such as fractals and organic forms. These patterns can be incorporated into interior finishes, fabrics, and furnishings.
Create Views of Nature
Designers can strategically position seating and workspaces to offer views of nature, whether it's through windows overlooking greenery, water features, or natural landscapes.
Integrate Indoor Plants
Incorporating indoor plants, living walls, or green roofs can help bring nature indoors. These improve air quality and enhance the overall aesthetic and well-being of occupants.
Provide Opportunities for Interaction
Interior spaces can be designed to encourage interaction with nature, such as creating outdoor seating areas, rooftop gardens, or indoor atriums where people can relax and connect with the natural environment.
Use Natural Colors
Choosing color palettes inspired by nature, such as earth tones, greens, and blues, can contribute to a calming and biophilic interior atmosphere.
Selecting building materials and finishes from natural, sustainable sources, like reclaimed wood and stone, aligns with the biophilic design principle and creates a tactile connection to nature.
Provide Water Features
The sound and sight of water through indoor fountains or aquariums can be soothing and evoke a sense of connection to natural environments.
Create Multi-Sensory Experiences
Biophilic design can engage multiple senses, including touch, smell, and sound. Incorporating elements like textured materials, natural scents, and ambient nature sounds can enhance the overall experience.
Leveraging the biophilia hypothesis in interior design creates healthier and more aesthetically pleasing spaces and contributes to improved mental well-being, reduced stress, increased productivity, and a stronger connection to the environment.
It aligns with the growing interest in designing spaces that prioritize occupant mental health issues and comfort in a sustainable and holistic manner
Plants in Interior Spaces
Plants play a central and integral role in biophilic design. This design philosophy recognizes the innate human connection to nature, also known as nature biophilia, and seeks to connect people with nature in the built environment.
Biophilic design incorporates natural elements into interior and architectural spaces, including plants.
Here’s how plants contribute to biophilic design:
Strengthening the Connection to Nature
Biophilic design aims to create spaces that evoke a sense of nature and bring the outdoors indoors. Plants through potted greenery, living walls, or indoor gardens serve as a direct link to the natural world, enhancing this connection.
Enhancing Visual and Aesthetic Appeal
Plants add beauty and visual interest to interior spaces. Their various shapes, colors, and textures create a visually stimulating environment that can reduce stress and enhance overall aesthetics.
Improving Air Quality
Many indoor plants purify the air by removing common pollutants. Incorporating air-purifying plants into a biophilic design enhances the visual appeal and contributes to a healthier indoor environment.
Promoting Well-Being
The presence of plants has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase feelings of well-being. Additionally, the presence of plants has been shown to reduce blood pressure, contributing to overall well-being. The biophilic design leverages these psychological benefits by strategically placing plants in areas where people spend time, such as offices, homes, and healthcare facilities.
Supporting Biophilic Patterns
Biophilic design principles often incorporate elements like fractal patterns found in nature and can be mirrored in plant arrangements. These patterns have been associated with relaxation and reduced stress.
Enhancing Acoustic Comfort
Some larger plants can help absorb sound, reduce noise levels in interior spaces, and contribute to acoustic comfort.
Providing Opportunities for Interaction
Biophilic design encourages interaction with nature through indoor gardens. Indoor gardens and living walls offer opportunities for people to engage with plants, whether through caring for them or simply enjoying their presence.
Creating Restorative Environments
Natural settings, including plant-filled spaces, have a restorative effect on mental fatigue and cognitive function. Biophilic design incorporates plants to help occupants relax and recharge.
Adapting to Seasonal Changes
Biophilic design can incorporate seasonal variations in plant selection, allowing occupants to experience different aspects of nature throughout the year, which adds interest and variety to the environment.
Supporting Sustainable Practices
Biophilic design often aligns with sustainability goals by promoting indoor plants that require minimal water and maintenance. This reinforces the connection between human well-being and environmental stewardship.
Plants in biophilic design are not merely decorative elements but essential components that foster a stronger connection to nature, enhance well-being, and contribute to a more sustainable and visually appealing built environment.
They create spaces that promote physical and psychological health while aligning with our innate affinity for the natural world.
Scientific Research on Indoor Plants' Wellness Effects
Scientific research has consistently demonstrated the positive impact of plants on health in interior spaces. Numerous studies have explored the physical and psychological benefits of indoor plants, and the following is a summary of key findings:
Air Flow and Improvement:
In 1989, the NASA Clean Air Study found that the power of plants went far beyond absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen; many can also filter harmful chemicals from the air, such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene—all commonly found in everyday objects that surround us all the time in cities such as furniture and building material.
Stress Reduction and Well-Being:
Research published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress responses.
A study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology showed that the presence of indoor plants can improve overall well-being, including feelings of comfort and relaxation.
Enhanced Cognitive Function:
Studies conducted at the University of Exeter found that introducing indoor plants in office environments led to a 15% increase in productivity and improved cognitive function.
Research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that introducing indoor plants in a workspace can increase creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Mood Enhancement:
A study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology reported that indoor plants positively influenced mood, with participants feeling happier and more comfortable in plant-filled spaces.
Reduced Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Symptoms:
Research conducted by the Agricultural University of Norway showed that introducing indoor plants reduced symptoms associated with SBS, such as dry throat, dry skin, and fatigue.
Faster Recovery and Reduced Pain:
The American Society of Horticultural Science published a study indicating that patients recovering from surgery in rooms with indoor plants required less pain medication and had shorter hospital stays.
Improved Humidity and Comfort:
Studies have shown that indoor plants release moisture through transpiration, which can help increase humidity levels, improve respiratory comfort, and reduce the incidence of conditions like dry skin and sore throats.
Noise Reduction:
Research in the journal HortScience demonstrated that large, leafy indoor plants can help absorb and diffuse sound, reducing noise levels in interior spaces.
Positive Biophilic Effects:
The concept of biophilia suggests that humans have an innate connection to nature. Studies have consistently shown that indoor plants can strengthen this connection, reducing stress and increasing feelings of well-being.
These studies collectively provide strong scientific evidence for the positive impact of indoor plants on health, well-being, and indoor environmental quality. Incorporating plants into interior spaces is a practical and effective way to create healthier and more comfortable living and working environments.
Can Ikigai, Barcelona - biophilic interiors by Biofilico
Mental Benefits of Plants in Interior Spaces
Stress Reduction and Mental Health: Interacting with indoor plants can help reduce stress and anxiety. Caring for plants, such as watering and pruning, can be meditative and calming.
Improved Mood: Indoor plants have been shown to boost mood and promote well-being. Their presence can create a more pleasant and positive atmosphere.
Enhanced Creativity: Some studies suggest indoor plants stimulate creativity and problem-solving, making them valuable in workspaces and creative environments.
Increased Productivity: Indoor workplace plants have been associated with increased productivity and concentration. They can help reduce mental fatigue and improve focus.
Improved Air Quality: The quality of the air is better, resulting from plants’ oxygen production, and air filtration capabilities can lead to improved mental clarity and alertness.
Physical Health Benefits of Plants in Interior Spaces
Air Purification: Many indoor plants can remove pollutants and toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene, contributing to improved indoor airflow.
Humidity Regulation: Plants release water vapor through transpiration, which can help increase humidity levels in indoor spaces. This is particularly beneficial in dry environments and can help alleviate issues like dry skin and improve respiratory comfort.
Noise Reduction: Some large, leafy plants can absorb sound, reducing noise levels in interior spaces. This can create a more peaceful and comfortable environment.
Faster Healing: Studies have suggested that indoor plants can accelerate the healing process for individuals recovering from illness or surgery. Patients with access to greenery tend to require less pain medication and experience shorter hospital stays.
Eye Comfort: Indoor plants can help reduce eye strain and discomfort associated with prolonged screen time by providing a soothing natural element to focus on.
Biophilia Benefits: Biophilia, the innate human connection to nature, is nurtured by indoor plants. This connection can lead to reduced stress and an overall sense of well-being.
It’s important to note that while indoor plants offer these benefits, they also require proper care and maintenance. Overwatering or neglect can lead to mold growth and poor air circulation, which can have negative health consequences.
Therefore, it’s essential to choose plants that match your commitment and care for them accordingly to maximize the physical and mental health advantages they offer in indoor spaces.
Natural daylight and indoor plants
Light Requirements for Indoor Plants and Natural Daylight
The amount of light required for indoor plants varies depending on the type of plant. Different plant species have different light requirements, which are typically categorized into three main categories:
High Light: These plants require direct or bright indirect sunlight for several hours each day. Examples include succulents, cacti, and many flowering plants.
Medium Light: These plants thrive in indirect sunlight or in areas with filtered or dappled light. They can typically tolerate lower light conditions than high-light plants. Examples include pothos, spider plants, and peace lilies.
Low Light: These plants can thrive in areas with minimal daylight, such as rooms with small or shaded windows. They can adapt to artificial lighting. Examples include snake plants, ZZ plants, and cast iron plants.
For interior designers looking to maximize available natural light and supplement with artificial lighting for plants, here are some strategies:
Maximizing Natural Light
Use Reflective Surfaces: Incorporate light-colored and reflective surfaces, such as mirrors and light-colored paint or furnishings, to bounce natural light deeper into interior spaces.
Optimize Window Placement: Position furniture and shelving to allow natural light to reach as many plants as possible. Avoid blocking windows with large obstructions.
Choose Light-Friendly Window Treatments: Select window treatments like sheer curtains or blinds that allow natural light to filter through while maintaining privacy and controlling glare.
Keep Windows Clean: Regularly clean windows to ensure maximum light transmission.
Consider Skylights: If feasible, incorporate skylights or light tubes to bring natural light into interior spaces with limited windows.
Supplemental Artificial Lighting to support bringing the natural world inside
LED Grow Lights: LED grow lights are energy-efficient and come in various spectra to cater to different plant needs. You can use these LED grow lights in areas with insufficient natural light or as a supplement to extend the daily light duration for plants.
Position Lights Strategically: Place grow lights above or beside plants to mimic natural sunlight. Adjustable fixtures allow you to fine-tune the light intensity and direction.
Use Timers: Install timers or smart plugs to automate the lighting schedule for your plants, ensuring they receive the right amount of light each day.
Choose Full-Spectrum Lights: Full-spectrum LED grow lights closely mimic natural sunlight and provide a balanced spectrum for photosynthesis.
Consider Light Reflectors: Reflective materials around plants can help maximize the use of artificial light by directing it back toward the plants.
Adjust Light Duration: The duration of artificial lighting should match the specific needs of your plants. Most indoor plants require 12-16 hours of light per day.
By combining these strategies and selecting plants from the natural world that match the available light conditions, interior designers can create indoor environments that support healthy and thriving greenery while enhancing the overall aesthetic and functionality of the space.
Choosing the Right Plants for your Biophilic Interior
When choosing plant species to use in your next eco office interior or biophilic home, you should consider a few things to ensure your plant plan is sustainable and practical; let’s face it, nobody benefits from dead foliage.
Here are three questions to consider:
What kind of light is available? Low light doesn’t necessarily present a problem, but it does mean you must choose plants that can thrive in dimmer conditions, such as Spider plants and Pothos plants.
How much time can you commit to maintenance? A good biophilic design should enhance your life, not disrupt it. Plants that require less watering, like Snake plants and Aloe, tend to be hardier and won’t put a damper on your schedule.
Which plants like or dislike each other? Placing your plants beside the wrong neighbours can be the difference between thriving greenery and stunted stems. Ensure you know who likes to bring out the best from your sprouts.
Best Indoor Air purifying Plants
Best Indoor Air-Purifying Plants
Indoor air-purifying plants are a natural and aesthetically pleasing way to improve indoor airflow and air levels by removing certain pollutants and toxins.
Here are some of the top air-purifying plants suitable for indoor use:
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata): Snake plants are known for their air-purifying abilities. They effectively remove formaldehyde, benzene, and other common indoor pollutants. They are also low-maintenance and can thrive in low-light conditions.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum): Spider plants greatly remove pollutants like formaldehyde and xylene. They are easy to care for and can adapt to various indoor environments.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum): Peace lilies are excellent at removing indoor air pollutants, including ammonia, benzene, and formaldehyde. They also add a touch of elegance to indoor spaces.
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata): Boston ferns effectively remove pollutants like formaldehyde and xylene. They require regular moisture and indirect light to thrive.
Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis miller): Aloe vera not only purifies the air by removing formaldehyde and benzene but also has healing properties for minor burns and skin irritations.
Dracaena (Dracaena spp.): Dracaenas come in various varieties and are known for their air-purifying capabilities. They can help remove pollutants like xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde.
Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii): Bamboo palms effectively remove indoor air pollutants, including formaldehyde and benzene. They also thrive in low-light conditions.
Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica): Rubber tree can remove indoor air pollutants like formaldehyde. They have attractive dark green leaves and can grow into a statement piece in your space.
Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii): Gerbera daisies are known for removing trichloroethylene, a common indoor pollutant. They also add vibrant color to your indoor environment.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum): Pothos is a hardy plant that can help remove indoor pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene. It’s a great choice for beginners due to its low maintenance requirements.
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema): Chinese evergreens purify indoor air effectively. They’re also low-maintenance and thrive in low light.
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia): ZZ plants, like snake plants, purify the air by absorbing toxins. Their succulent-like structure withstands drought and missed waterings, making them low-maintenance with gorgeous foliage.
Areca Palm (Dypsis): Areca palms are effective air purifiers, removing toxins like formaldehyde and xylene. They also add humidity to the air, enhancing overall indoor air quality.
Philodendron: Philodendrons purify the air by removing toxins like formaldehyde and benzene. Their beautiful foliage adds aesthetic appeal while improving indoor air quality.
English Ivy (Hedera helix): English ivy purifies the air by effectively removing mold spores and common toxins like formaldehyde and benzene. Its attractive, cascading foliage also enhances the visual appeal of indoor spaces.
Remember that while these plants can help improve indoor airflow, they should not be relied upon as the sole method of air purification in environments with high pollution levels. Proper ventilation and other airflow measures may also be necessary for more effective results.
What are the best case studies showing the benefits of indoor plants in creating a healthy workplace?
While numerous case studies and research findings demonstrate how indoor plants contribute to creating a healthy office environment, a few notable examples are frequently cited to illustrate the positive impact of plants on workplace well-being. Here are some of the most commonly referenced case studies:
NASA Clean Air Study: While not specifically an office environment, this seminal study conducted by NASA in the late 1980s identified a range of houseplants that effectively remove indoor air pollutants. It laid the foundation for using indoor plants to improve air quality in various settings, including offices.
Texas A&M University Study (2010): Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted a study examining indoor plants’ effects on employee well-being and productivity in a controlled office environment. The findings indicated that the presence of plants significantly increased productivity and reduced stress levels among employees.
Ambius “The Power of Plants in the Workplace” (2014): Ambius, a leading provider of interior landscaping services, conducted a comprehensive study that surveyed over 7,600 office workers across 16 countries. The research found that office plants positively impacted airflow, reduced stress, and improved overall well-being and productivity.
University of Exeter Study (2014): Researchers at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom conducted a study investigating the effects of office plants on worker productivity. They found that introducing plants into the office environment led to a 15% increase in productivity.
The WELL Building Standard Case Studies: The WELL Building Standard, a performance-based system for measuring and certifying building features that impact health and well-being, includes numerous case studies highlighting the benefits of incorporating plants into office designs. These case studies showcase how plants contribute to improved ventilation, reduced stress, and enhanced workplace employee satisfaction.
IKEA’s “The Green Cube” (2016): IKEA created a temporary office space in Milan, Italy, known as “The Green Cube.” The office was filled with indoor plants designed to demonstrate greenery’s positive effects on employee well-being and productivity. The project received significant attention and is a practical example of biophilic design in the workplace.
These case studies, among others, provide valuable evidence of the positive impact of indoor plants on ventilation, employee health, and workplace productivity.
They demonstrate the potential benefits of incorporating greenery into office environments and offer practical insights for interior designers and employers seeking to create healthier and more productive workspaces.
Top Case Studies on Indoor Plants for a Healthy Home
University of Technology Sydney Study (2015)
Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney conducted a study investigating indoor plants’ impact on perceived air quality and well-being in residential settings. The results showed that indoor plants can effectively reduce pollutants and improve perceived air quality.
University of Reading and Royal Horticultural Society Study (2015)
This research examined the impact of indoor plants on well-being and airflow in homes. The study found that houseplants can remove significant indoor air pollutants and contribute to a sense of well-being and happiness among residents.
RMIT University Study (2016)
Researchers at RMIT University in Australia studied the benefits of indoor plants in residential environments. The findings suggested that indoor plants can improve airflow, reduce stress, and enhance home cognitive function.
Ambius “Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Home” (2016)
This study conducted by Ambius, a provider of interior landscaping services, explored the impact of biophilic design elements, including indoor plants, in residential settings. It found that plants contribute to improved air quality and home well-being.
Bayer Environmental Science Study (2020)
Bayer’s “Global Green Spaces” research initiative examined the role of green spaces, including indoor plants, in urban environments. The study emphasized the importance of indoor plants in enhancing air quality and well-being within homes.