Why you should have plants at your workspace

When talking about plants in offices what comes to your mind? Is it an inviting bouquet of flowers at the reception of the company, an interior garden or a minimal designed space with well positioned plants? Each of those solutions has its own style, but they all have one thing in common: greening the workspace has enormous benefits.

Finding a balance between the use of a space and the benefits it brings to its users is essential. People feel enthusiastic and full of life at home because they created a design and organization of space that fits their needs. But the time we spend in offices has become a big part of our day. They have almost become our second home, so it has become very important to feel comfortable.

This is where plants contribute. You cannot always design your workspace or construct a garden to relax in your coffee breaks, but you can improve the quality of space and productivity of its users by adding the proper plants in the right place. This is because plants not only brighten up an area, but they also make the workplace healthier for employees.

A good indoor climate contributes significantly to the well being of its users. In order to have a healthy environment at work a few factors need to be taken into consideration: good furniture, natural lighting and fresh air. In many workplaces the air is too dry due to air conditioning and it contains harmful substances from the building materials and office electronics. This leads to health problems such as a dry throat, headaches, irritated eyes or coughing. However, you can avoid them by placing air-purifying plants. Plants regulate humidity and release oxygen. They also absorb heat and harmful and chemical substances.

Another benefit of plants in offices is that people experience the workspace as more pleasant and warm. Consequently their stress and fatigue is reduced. In addition, research shows that anyone that spends more than four hours a day in front of a PC screen feels better and is more productive when plants are placed next to their monitor. Also when positioned in the right way, plants can be used as visual screens. At the same time they filter sounds and in that way diminish noise pollution in and around the office.

Did you know that plants even offer benefits when placed outside buildings? For example, deciduous plants placed on the sun-facing side of a building keep the heat out during the summer and likewise keep cold out during the winter. The company’s energy costs can be reduced this way with almost 20%.

So let us summarize why you should have plants in your workspace:

• Plants reduce headaches, coughing and irritation of the eyes by 30%.
• Plants reduce stress and fatigue among employees
• Employees using PCs feel better, are more productive and concentrate easily with plants placed near the monitor
• Plants cut absence due to illness, reduce symptoms associated with poor working conditions
• Plants emit oxygen, clean the air
• Plants can help save energy, reduce pollution and noise
• Plants offer a good return on investment.

Is your workspace a green jungle or a concrete prison? What would you change after reading this?