‍The Evolution of Workplace Amenities

The corporate real estate landscape is experiencing a fundamental shift in how amenities are valued and implemented. Traditional perks like fitness centers and cafeterias are no longer sufficient to attract and retain tenants. Today's successful properties must create environments that actively promote well-being, enhance productivity, and foster connection through evidence-based design strategies.

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Research indicates that properties incorporating biophilic design elements can command 7-10% higher rents and experience significantly lower vacancy rates. This economic advantage stems from increasing tenant recognition that workplace environments directly impact employee satisfaction, productivity, and talent retention. Studies show that companies with strong biophilic elements in their workspaces report up to 15% higher employee satisfaction rates and 20% lower turnover.

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The Science of Space: Neuroarchitecture and Performance

Understanding how built environments affect human cognition and behavior has become crucial for CRE success. Neuroarchitecture and neuroaesthetics research demonstrates that thoughtfully designed spaces can reduce stress, enhance focus, and improve overall cognitive performance. Studies show exposure to natural elements can lower cortisol levels by up to 15% and increase productivity by 8-12%.

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Emerging research in neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation reveals that physical environments significantly influence both neurological and immune responses. Properties that incorporate elements supporting positive biological responses show measurable improvements in occupant health metrics, including 25% reduced stress-related complaints and 15% decreased absenteeism. These benefits translate directly to tenant ROI through improved workforce performance and reduced healthcare costs.

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Salutogenic and Restorative Design Principles

Salutogenic design focuses on creating environments that actively promote health rather than merely preventing illness. This approach, combined with restorative design principles, creates spaces that help occupants recover from mental fatigue and stress. Research indicates that employees in environments incorporating these design principles show 15% higher engagement levels and 20% improved cognitive function.

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Regenerative design takes this concept further by creating spaces that not only support human health but actively contribute to environmental well-being. Studies show that buildings incorporating regenerative design principles experience higher tenant satisfaction rates and significantly improved lease renewal rates, particularly among environmentally conscious companies.

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Mindful Design and Human-Centric Spaces

Mindful design principles emphasize creating environments that support psychological well-being and cognitive performance. Research has demonstrated that thoughtfully designed spaces incorporating natural elements can increase focus by up to 15% and creative problem-solving abilities as much as 20%. These environments promote what neuroscientists call "soft fascination," allowing the mind to maintain attention without fatigue.

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Post-occupancy evaluations reveal that spaces designed with these principles experience higher utilization rates and significantly improved tenant satisfaction scores. The integration of preserved nature elements creates environments that support both focused work and collaborative activities, leading to measurable improvements in team performance and innovation metrics.

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Evidence-Based Amenitization Strategies

Biophilic elements consistently rank among the highest-impact amenities for both tenant satisfaction and ROI. Natural elements, particularly preserved gardens and moss walls, create immediate visual impact while offering sustained benefits for occupant well-being. Studies show that offices incorporating these elements experience up to 15% higher productivity rates and 25% improved employee satisfaction scores.

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These installations provide measurable returns through enhanced leasing velocity, higher tenant retention rates, and increased property value. Properties featuring prominent biophilic installations report faster lease-up rates and command premium rents compared to conventional spaces. Additionally, these elements contribute significantly to WELL and LEED certification achievements, further enhancing property value.

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How about Faux Plants and Artificial Greenery? Are they good for CRE applications

With the development of production technology, there is an uptick in replicating the natural plant species and even green walls with faux greenery, and artificial green walls. However, artificial plants and synthetic green walls present a significant contradiction in biophilic design, although they’re much cheaper investment. Made from petrochemical byproducts like plastic, PVC, and polyethylene, these elements not only fail to provide true biophilic benefits but actively contribute to poor indoor environmental quality through VOC off-gassing. Their electrostatic properties make them powerful dust magnets, leading to rapid deterioration in appearance and potentially compromising air quality.

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Most importantly, research shows that our brains do not register artificial elements as natural, nullifying the psychological and physiological benefits of biophilic design. Using plastic or other synthetic materials to represent nature is fundamentally at odds with sustainable design principles.

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The chemicals in these fake and faux greenery almost immediately start to evaporate to the environment, increasing the VOC in these CRE locations, negatively effecting the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of these environments. Sick Building Syndrome is the result of the chemicals leaching to designed space, literally making the occupants sick. Moreover, these artificial installations ultimately become landfill waste, making them an unsustainable choice that fails to deliver the evidence-based benefits that corporate tenants increasingly demand.

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Optimal Implementation: Preserved Nature Solutions

Preserved gardens, moss walls, and planters with preserved foliage offer an ideal solution for implementing biophilic design principles. Unlike living walls that require extensive maintenance and infrastructure, preserved nature installations deliver consistent aesthetic and psychological benefits without ongoing resource demands. Research indicates that these installations can maintain their beneficial effects on occupant well-being for 10+ years with minimal to no maintenance requirements.

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Strategic placement throughout common areas, lobbies, and tenant spaces creates a cohesive biophilic experience that supports both design trends and practical considerations. Cost-benefit analyses show that preserved nature installations offer 25% lower initial costs, and hundreds of thousands of dollars saving from maintenance compared to living walls while providing comparable psychological and physiological benefits to occupants. Since both living plants and preserved plants are natural species of botanical elements, they invoke the same Biophilic effect on the human psyche.

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Health and Safety Considerations

In the evolving preserved garden industry, material health and safety certifications have become essential for property owners and tenants. Third-party testing and compliance documentation ensure that biophilic installations contribute positively to indoor environmental quality while supporting tenant wellness initiatives.

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Garden on the Wall^® (GOTW) leads the industry with unmatched credentials, including CDPH VOC compliance, HPD v2.3 certification, and comprehensive third-party testing. Their 1,850+ successful installations since 2014 and industry-leading 7-year warranty demonstrate their commitment to excellence, sustanability and transparency in biophilic design solutions. As the premier provider of preserved nature installations, they continue to set new standards for longevity, quality, sustainability, and innovation in corporate real estate amenitization. With GOTW installations offer 10 – 12 years life expectancy that can be extended to 20 plus years thanks to their unique rejuvenation program, GOTW offers the longest life cycle, the lowest cost of ownership, and surely the most value for the investment. Who would know value better than Commercial Real Estate professionals?

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CRE professionals know that the budget needs to be allocated for a specific product is not only the initial investment spent for the product. It also includes the maintenance costs (if any), the lifecycle assessment of the product, and finally the replacement costs. When all these three-pronged expenditures put together, a preserved garden / moss wall that has an unparalleled 20 plus year lifecycle offered by Garden on the Wall^® surely brings the most value, and the lowest total cost of ownership in their field. It is also important to remember that GOTW gardens, moss walls and planter inserts have the most aesthetic, and unequaled number of third-party testing to prove the sustainability & materiality of their products. With that, when it comes to Value Engineering a specification because of its initial investment, most CRE professionals warn their clients about these three-pronged expenditures they need to consider, instead of assessing only the initial investment.

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The future of corporate real estate lies in creating environments that actively support human health, productivity, and connection. By implementing evidence-based amenitization strategies through preserved nature installations, property owners can position their assets for sustained success in an increasingly competitive market.

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Conclusion: Investing in Evidence-Based Amenitization

The future of corporate real estate lies in creating environments that actively support human health, productivity, and connection through evidence-based amenitization strategies. Properties that embrace these principles through preserved nature installations position themselves for sustained success in an increasingly competitive market. Key takeaways for maximizing ROI through strategic amenitization:

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• Focus on evidence-based design elements that deliver measurable benefits
• Choose preserved nature installations for optimal balance of impact and maintenance
• Prioritize solutions with proven longevity and documented health benefits
• Consider total cost of ownership when evaluating amenity investments
• Partner with Biophilic solution providers offering comprehensive testing, certification and compliance

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By implementing these strategies thoughtfully, property owners can create spaces that not only command premium rents but also foster tenant satisfaction and long-term loyalty. As the workplace continues to evolve, those who invest in evidence-based amenitization will find themselves at the forefront of the corporate real estate market, ready to meet growing demand for spaces that promote both wellness and productivity, utilizing proven and expert providers like Garden on the Wall^®.

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