Why Nature Belongs in the Office

With Mollie Beresford & Jax Borland, Designers

February 2026

Biophilia is the inherent human need to connect to nature which, even today, continues to be critical to people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing.

With a huge shift towards urbanisation, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and the inevitable change to our landscapes, it’s no surprise that the benefits of being in natural surroundings feels obvious to most of us.  Outdoor recreational activities continue to be popular and serve to rejuvenate us.

- this need has long been recognised for design which connects humans to nature.

But what about our workplaces?  Can biophilic design really connect humans, in the built environment, back to nature?  Are we able to improve people’s wellbeing, productivity and sense of calm by designing spaces which bring the outside’s benefits in? 

Biophilic design, through the use of natural materials, plants, natural light, water, ventilation and natural patterns, aims to make the indoors healthier and more restorative.  It’s not a trend, it’s an evolution of design which has become, for Form Design, standard practise.  This isn’t a tick box exercise but seeks to address some of the problems associated with traditional office design – sterile cubicles, burnout, disconnection, low productivity, ‘office fatigue’ – by creating ‘a good habitat for people, as biological animals, in the places we live, work and reside’ (Stephen R. Kellert).

Nature and the Mind

Research has shown that offices where plants are present show 32% less fatigue and 45% fewer headaches.  Nature is able to powerfully engage the mind via involuntary fascination (effortless attention) – a key concept in environmental psychology and biophilic design.  This effortless attention allows the brain’s capacity for voluntary, directed attention, used in focus work, to restore.  (Rachel & Steven Caplin’s Attention Restoration Theory.)

A study in the UK and Netherlands showed that workers’ productivity levels increased by 15% when based in natural offices, adorned with plants.  (‘The Relative Benefits of Green Versus Lean Office Space: Three Field Experiments’, Journal of Experimental Psychology).

It has also been evidenced that productivity increases in well-lit environments and that heart rate decreases when listening to, or being near to, running water.

Currently, lighting conditions in most spaces are designed to meet the visual needs of individuals but do not take into account circadian and mental health. This presents an opportunity for projects to provide lighting conditions, optimised for humans, resulting in improved health and wellbeing.

Designing the Outside Inside

So which principles of biophilia - literally ‘love of life’ - are designers able to apply to our workplaces?  Visual links, or views, to the outside world are fundamental, as are natural and biologically based material choice and finishes. Natural patternation – symmetries, fractals, spirals, waves – can have a significant impact on our psychological state and wellbeing.  Natural light, or circadian lighting which mimics it through adjusting colour temperature and brightness through the day, supports the human body’s 24 hour rhythm.

Not quite so common, as yet, olfactory stimuli, for example brand specific scents, have been implemented by our clients, as have sense stirring soundscapes such as bird song and running water.

But how can we incorporate natural light, ventilation and greenery in small or urban offices?  Well, if a designer is fully aware of the space they’re working with, practises good design and thinks outside the box, other angles can be leveraged. Not only the office footprint is open to adaptation, but walls, ceilings and other surfaces too.  Simple solutions, such as having openable windows, gives users the ability to control their environment with minimal additional cost.

And what role can materials play in achieving a natural aesthetic?  Wood, stone and water, for example, can play a part in relaxing the brain and eye. The multi-sensory nature of these elements incorporates textures and shapes, not purely visual cues.  Natural choices are also more sustainable, helping us drive efforts to move away from manufactured products, with natural patterns connecting us to lived experience.

As workplace design consultants, when we offer up a material palette, it’s important to take the opportunity to convey the beneficial effects it has on our bodies and the implications of these to an organization.

Digital technologies can also offer a glimpse into nature – we’re talking virtual greenery, light boxes, digital nature walls – and are worth further investigation.

Human and Organisational Impact

When we consider how biophilic design can contribute to employee collaboration and engagement, presenting opportunities to walk or travel encourages social interactions and incidental meetings. Plan for open layouts with natural corridors, leading users to other departments or functions, and this ‘promenading’ can increase a sense of belonging and community.  Together with airflow and access to outdoor views, it provides a feeling of ‘breathing out’ in comparison with traditional work settings. Lower absenteeism and higher levels of job satisfaction can result which, in turn, help organisations strengthen their brand through retention of their people.

Simple Steps to Implementation

Cost is never far from decision making but, when a full redesign isn’t on the agenda, reorganising desking so that workstations provide everyone with a view, in-house planting and maintenance, sound scaping with speakers and implementing natural imagery are smart lower budget options.

Manufactured alternatives to biologically based materials are often cheaper but, with knowledge of the benefits to most organisations, the increased return on investment is beginning to be recognised.

A Future Alongside Nature

The hope is that the next generation of hybrid and flexible workplaces will be more akin to the environments users enjoy working from.  The more appealing elements of ‘working from home’ – lunchtime in the garden or personalisation of work settings – are now more commonplace and are already helping to draw people back to the workplace.

If we stop looking at ourselves as separate to nature and, instead, value the connections we have to it, offices of the future may look more like gardens!  There are now more generations in the workplace than ever before and attracting and retaining talent is still high priority for most companies.  A connected, calm environment is one which appeals to most and can assist in attracting the best people.

When we think about sustainability, the principles underpinning WELL Building Standard (for health and wellness) or LEED certification (for buildings’ environmental impact) intersect with those of biophilic design.  Access to water points, assessment of material composition and choice of space to support different working types, for example, all serve to optimise workplace health.

The WELL Building Standard is a vehicle for buildings and organisations to deliver more thoughtful and intentional spaces which enhance human health and wellbeing.  It includes science-backed strategies which aim to promote human health through design interventions and operational protocols, with an emphasis on light, materials and mind.  Given the high prevalence of mental health conditions among the working population, the workplace is increasingly being seen as an important target for mental health promotion, prevention and interventions.

Pinsent Masons’ Edinburgh office, interiors by Form Design Consultants, was the first in Scotland to achieve WELL Certification.  It features high quality air filtration, circadian lighting and views of Edinburgh castle, with a palette of natural materials and planting to boost productivity and creativity.

CBRE’s Scottish headquarters, interiors also by Form Design Consultants, is the first project in the UK to be certified under the latest WELL building Standard (v2) and achieved Platinum status.  The interior features a strong focus on sustainable and healthy design.

Another of Form Design Consultants’ projects, Virgin Money’s headquarters at 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, prioritises wellness particularly with its restrooms, a feature gaining more importance since the Pandemic and designed with WELL office design principles.

Rewilding the Workplace

Returning to the idea that the built environment separates us from the natural environment, it follows that we are cut off from the benefits we can enjoy from experiencing it when inside.  Biophilic design needs to bridge the gap between the two worlds.

If we, and organisations, recognise the importance of this, and the human and financial return on investments made, we can start to map a path to healthy future workplaces in which everyone feels cared for and is able to reconnect to what makes us human.

Photo: Virgin Money, 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow