Create a green office with 5 essential elements
Organizations spend thousands of dollars to keep their employees motivated, focused and productive. Very few of them have realized the positive effect of a workspace filled with indoor plants.
The University of Texas ran a study over an 8-month period. Participants were split into three groups: an environment with plants and flowers, an environment with abstract sculptures, and an environment with no particular decoration. They were asked to solve problems, and it turned out that they generated more ideas and had more innovative thoughts in the environment with plants and flowers.
Adding indoor plants to your workspace is a cost-effective way not only to boost creativity, motivation and productivity, but also an excellent way to improve the air quality of your living space. The University of Queensland has shown that office plants increase productivity by 15%.
Knowing that greenery helps keep your employees happy, productive and healthy, we have put together a guide to the best plants to bring into your workspace. Let's avoid the dull office plants usually seen in old, monotonous offices.
This is the productivity gain that the University of Queensland links to the presence of plants in workspaces.
Source: University of QueenslandCreate intimate work areas with greenery
The snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) is ideal for adding privacy between work areas without closing off the zones from one another. This green plant blends into most decors and requires very little upkeep.
The indoor plant will survive even if you forget to water it for a few weeks; it is actually better to let the soil dry out between waterings. Its air-purifying properties are highly valued for cleaning the air of work areas: the plant absorbs pollutants and produces oxygen at night. It becomes an excellent choice to make your office a modern, unique and green space.
Sansevieria. Care: light watering, ideally letting the soil dry out between waterings, especially in winter. Sunlight: indirect light. Benefits: air-purifying and very hardy plant.
Furnish dull corners with a tropical plant
The indoor Areca palm is one of the most popular indoor plants thanks to its air-purifying properties. By filtering dry, stale air, the palm produces fresh, humid oxygen.
This plant is ideal for a work environment, as its tropical foliage adds an exotic touch to the space. The palm grows tall and therefore fits very well near desks or in unused areas.
Areca. Care: very hardy plant, watering every 3 days to every two weeks depending on the season; for a better result, mist a little water on its foliage. Sunlight: direct or partial light. Benefits: air-purifying, hardy and large (up to 2.5 m indoors).
Install a living wall
Larger than life, the living wall is breathtaking. Living walls bring a very serene atmosphere to an office, on top of improving air quality.
The Bell campus on Nuns' Island offers fabulous common areas. There you will find the famous living wall connecting wings A and B of the gigantic complex. Employees walk through this green, pleasant environment every day: watering systems keep the plants healthy, and a maintenance employee removes excess foliage from time to time.
Living walls are less complicated to build than one might think. With access to a water outlet, you can install an impressive living wall. Mobile living walls are widely available to create a temporary installation or to limit build costs: Planterra walls are a good example. A permanent wall on a smaller scale will also give a magnificent effect to your office.
Make cubicles pleasant
Adding a refreshing plant with brightly coloured flowers on desks is ideal to lighten the atmosphere and support concentration.
The cyclamen is a versatile plant, ideal to slip onto employees' desks. Its blooms are magnificent and it is possible to have flowers almost all year round depending on the species. This indoor plant adapts easily to its environment and tolerates shade and partial shade. More than 24 species of cyclamen exist, and some are even fragrant; the Cyclamen africanum is an advantageous species, as it reaches nearly 20 cm at maturity and blooms for several months.
Cyclamen. Care: the indoor plant must be watered every week. Sunlight: partial light or shade. Benefits: long bloom and a gentle fragrance depending on the species.
Put an end to cubicle monotony
Lemon balm is a very charming green plant to place on top of cubicles. This fine herb with white flowers gives off a pleasant lemon scent and breaks the monotony of grey or beige work areas.
For better flowering, it is preferable for the plant to be in direct sun, but it will also bloom in partial light.
Lemon balm. Care: easy upkeep; do not add fertilizer, as this reduces its scent. Sunlight: partial light or direct sun. Benefits: easy to care for and a pleasant lemony scent.
Would you like people to talk about you?
When you operate in sectors that are competitive when it comes to recruiting, you have to be creative to attract the best talent and make your employer brand shine.
The company easyCredit, in Nuremberg, did not take it lightly at all. It invested very significant sums in its office spaces, knowing that greenery has a positive effect on the productivity and morale of its employees. Its offices, built in 2015, herald a new era where people come to the forefront of organizational strategy. Here are a few inspiring photos of their new premises.
Turn every employee into an ambassador
Greenery helps keep your teams happy, productive and healthy. To go further and make your employer brand shine, Amélio helps you reveal what truly engages your employees.
Schedule a demo In just a few minutes, spot the levers that move engagement.