Crafting an Indoor Environment Post Pandemic
Biophilia and Neuroarchitecture in the Workplace.
Shared Spaces and Sanctuaries.
IN THE CURRENT HIGH-END, grade-A commercial real estate biosphere, it is a tenant’s market; building owners and managers are competing for tenants, especially in the workspace arena.
In turn, these employer tenants are competing to attract and retain talent – and the bar has most certainly been raised. Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and other trendsetting companies have transformed employee expectations of workplaces including recreational spaces, sanctuaries, and other amenities, plus mandatory architectural and design uniqueness, and wow factors, from soaring ceilings to biophilic installations.
Keeping workers happy and motivated is the goal, as employers are discovering that low morale, poor productivity, and regular turnover are costly to the bottom line.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have struggled to adjust to workplace versus remote models, exacerbated by the more competitive race for the brightest talent. As a result, an even greater emphasis has been placed on creating attractive workplace environments. How can we make the office more appealing to encourage employees’ return? How do we make it feel more like home? Four walls and a door with fluorescent lighting surely won’t do it.
As discussed in depth in The Psychology of Positive Spaces, occupants and employees benefit from an aesthetic reaction, achieving lower cortisol levels and increased oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin levels. The results are undoubtedly positive for employers, caretakers, and hosts, as improved morale means greater productivity, faster healing, a more fulfilled workforce, and more satisfied guests.
In contemporary workplaces, designers must address the needs of diverse types of workers and flexible work modes. There should be spaces allocated for quiet work – private spaces or sanctuaries for the individual to rest, contemplate, and concentrate. Employees in these spaces need to feel safe, secure, and able to recharge. The workplace should be designed to invoke parasympathetic response to achieve all these benefits.
Additionally, designed spaces for the workplace must include huddle spaces (shared or public areas) where conversation and collaboration happen, where employees feel encouraged and energized to work together, break together, and share ideas and experiences to establish camaraderie.
Biophilic design elements are gaining importance in mindfully designed corporate spaces.
The post-pandemic work-from-home trend has been evolving to back-to-office, with more interaction between employees/clients and more mentorship opportunities for younger generation employees. The design of the post-pandemic workplace should find ways to increase the number and/or size of collaboration areas and make those spaces more desirable for employees.
These elements, along with accommodations for peripheral intelligence and purpose driven seat assignments, which cater to in-house training and purposeful mingling, help employees experience increased interaction and connection to their peers, fostering better mental health for all.
As humans, we are social creatures, and connection is one of the main ingredients of good mental health. Employers who work with designers who accommodate and adopt this novel approach will retain talent and prosper.
Garden on the Wall®’s expertise in helping to create desirable and inviting workplaces is second to none, working with influential corporate clients, large and small, since 2014.
Garden on the Wall® excels at crafting both private and public green spaces that benefit every aspect of the work experience. Our gardens can be used in refuge spaces, sensory rooms, Zen areas, meditation spots, and other rejuvenating oases designed for workplace and healthcare workers. These spaces help reduce stress, prevent burnout, enhance relaxation, and boost productivity, resulting in greater employee and employer satisfaction.
Garden on the Wall® also enhances staff rooms and communal areas, which are vital for workplace and healthcare environments.
Garden on the Wall® installations not only create attractive collaboration spaces for human connection, but also build a connection between the employees and nature for proven biophilic benefits. Ultimately, a happier and invigorated workforce leads to a thriving organization.
