For over 27 years, Benholm Group have pioneered the use of plants for interiors, not only as an eye-catching focal point, but also to promote the natural health benefits that being surrounded by plants can bring. Known as ‘Biophilic Design’, the use of plants in providing cleaner air and connecting us with nature, when coupled with natural light, certain colours, acoustics, and fragrances has long been proven to have a positive effect on both mental and physical well-being.

This concept has now been brought to the forefront of a new research study led by Sustainability Lead + PhD Researcher, Joyce Chan-Schoof to question if we can apply a social and economic value to biophilic design.

We know that a connection with nature is good for us, but what are the tangible co-benefits and how can we communicate these economic outcomes to decision-makers who create our working environments? Can biophilic design add value to the workplace; not only through improving air quality and aesthetics, but can it have a tangible impact on employee productivity, retention, absenteeism, satisfaction, engagements and up-skilling?

“When we talk about biophilic design, people often just think about having indoor greenery, but it’s a much broader concept – it's about creating a connection with nature” - Joyce Chan-Schoof

Given that employees are often the largest cost for a business, can biophilic design actually contribute to saving companies money by ensuring that staff are healthier and happier at work?

During an in-house pilot study, 6 participants will carry out their daily work at a designated workstation in a 30m2 office space at London based PLP Architecture. Over the course of 8-weeks the environment inside the office will be changed from an average office space into a multi-sensory experience by providing rich, natural stimuli to the participants such as lush, green, living planting, access to natural light and outside views, new natural décor, patterns and colours, plus sounds from nature – a scenario that will be an immersive, biophilic 'wow’ space.

Benholm Group’s experienced design consultants have been chosen to bring the office space to life with lush greenery, to ensure that all plant species thrive in the climactic conditions of the room, and contribute to creating a healthy and relaxing environment for the participants. Benholm Group are providing a variety of living plants for the study including trailing plants, floor standing and desk-top planters as well as a living wall. Plus, Benholm Group’s specialist maintenance technicians will be maintaining all greenery throughout the study to ensure they remain vibrant and healthy.

Project collaborators are Sustainability Lead + PhD Researcher, Joyce Chan-Schoof, PLP Architecture and their in-house research and development team PLP Labs, Horticulturalists and planting designers Benholm Group, Biophilic Design Consultant Alexander Bond, and lecturer, author and expert in multisensory design, Professor Derek Clements-Croome. Together they will measure indoor environmental quality objective data throughout the testing period, and participants will complete questionnaires after each scenario change.

“Without data, we will not be able to prove the business case for biophilic design. We want to make a more direct link to the upfront, budget planning stage of the design brief so that it encourages companies to start having biophilic design in their projects. It will in half the battle for design teams because you won’t have to negotiate once the design is done to introduce biophilia – it should be in the process” says Joyce Chan-Schoof.

Adrian Byne, Sales & Marketing for Benholm Group comments: “At Benholm Group we have long understood the value that plants can bring to every space. To have the opportunity to collaborate on a research study which will prove the social, economic and environmental benefits of biophilia for the built environment is a fantastic opportunity, and we look forward to seeing the results in a few weeks' time”. The research study is set to begin in May and will conclude in July 2022, after which time the findings will be launched during a special event and publication.