Article by Dr Vanessa Champion, Founder / Editor Journal of Biophilic Design
Photo by Jošua Bird on Unsplash
Walk into many contemporary offices and you’ll find a cluster of potted plants in reception, perhaps a moss installation behind a logo and if you’re lucky, a full-blown living wall. These gestures say we care about wellbeing, we care about nature. But how many times does the green aesthetic stop just at reception? Pioneers and advocates of Biophilic Design understand that connecting people to nature is fundamental to the flourishing of the workplace.
What is sometimes missing, however, is an understanding of the difference the deeper principles of Biophilic Design can bring to the health and wellbeing of a workforce, and ultimately a business’ bottom line. If we accept the growing body of evidence that nature-led biophilic design improves cognitive performance, reduces stress, enhances creativity, and supports long-term health, then biophilic design needs to be more than decoration, it needs to be infrastructure.
Just a green aesthetic?
Where “green” is specified, it can be misunderstood that plants will be the cure all without an understanding that they should be part of a more coherent eco system of design. In many workplace projects, if it has any biophilic elements at all, these are frequently just layered on at the end of the design process or worse they are cost-engineered out. This short-term decision-making is budget-dependent, and frequently disconnected from the building’s core systems and the purpose of the business itself.
This approach unfortunately results in environments where nature is visible, but not felt, and ultimately the impact on staff is minimal.
A plant in a pot does not regulate circadian rhythm. A green wall does not, on its own, improve indoor air quality at scale. And a reception feature rarely transforms the daily experience of employees deeper within the workspace.
In this model, nature becomes symbolic rather than functional.
Reframing nature as infrastructure through Biophilic Design
To shift from decoration to infrastructure requires a fundamental reframing: nature is not an accessory to the workplace, it is a performance system. For instance, just as we design for lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, and air quality, we should also be designing for daylight as a biological regulator. We should not be looking at just illumination levels, but dynamic light that supports circadian health, alertness, and sleep quality. These are all specified by Biophilic Design principles.
We should also be considering materiality as a tactile experience, by using natural, bio-based materials that engage the senses and create a deeper sense of comfort and belonging. Can the furniture include wood grain, flooring or walls include stone, the seating use jute or wool? Can artwork or stairwells echo fractals or the golden ratio? Can the paint colours conjure nature (sage green or a local nature colour palette)? Maximise views of nature from desks and seating areas. If the view is of a carpark or there are no natural views or windows, then bring in photographs or art of nature to bring virtual nature views inside. This is especially impactful in healthcare workplaces and schools.
Biophilic Design isn’t just about materials themselves, but also a spatial connection to nature. For instance designing prospect, refuge, complexity, and variability into the layout itself, not just the finishes. Can you install a Nook, or high-backed chairs, create vistas across the office, encourage curved pathways and wayfinding through colour and organic shapes. Introduce movement, sound, and reflection that restore attention and reduce stress.
When approached this way, biophilic design stops being something you add and becomes something you design through.
Why the Gap Still Exists
If the benefits are clear, why hasn’t this shift happened at scale?
There are a few key barriers. Perception. Biophilic design is still widely misunderstood as “plants and greenery” rather than a life-centred, multi-sensory, evidence-based approach. Also process can prevent specification. It is rarely embedded early enough in project briefs or design frameworks. Traditional building performance metrics prioritise energy and cost over human outcomes, although biophilic design can support energy reduction in buildings as well (living walls as cladding on the outside of buildings, sedum and other green roofs, using more natural daylight and less reliance on electric light, plus of course regenerative circular design, etc). Living systems are seen as risky or complex, rather than as manageable and valuable assets and so maintenance is cited as a barrier.
But perhaps most importantly, there is a legacy mindset in workplace design that separates “function” from “experience”. It has been as if wellbeing is a luxury rather than a driver of performance. Things are thankfully changing, and there is an increasing stack of evidence which proves (from case study POE to rigorous academic research) that Biophilic Design improves the health and wellbeing of people. Take a look at Terrapin Bright Green website or The Journal of Biophilic Design (website links below). On both sites you will find references and case studies to inspire you with your next Biophilic Design specification.
Workplace as ecosystem
The most progressive workplaces are moving beyond this divide. They are treating buildings as ecosystems, places where human health, environmental performance, and organisational outcomes are interconnected. In these environments, Biophilic Design is not confined to the reception area. It is embedded in the very orientation of the building, the distribution of light and views, choice of materials and finishes, acoustic and thermal strategies and integrating a seamless inside outside approach.
Design for flourishing, not just function
The future of workspace will continue to evolve, shaped by hybrid working, wellbeing priorities, and climate urgency, which means we are also seeing the role of design changing. It is moving beyond token gestures and there is an appetite for embracing a deeper, systemic Biophilic Design led approach. It means designing with nature as a visual cue, but also as a fundamental layer of infrastructure.
Learning to understand how nature and natural patterns support wellbeing, creativity, resilience, and connection could be the best thing you do all year, not just for your bottom line but also for all life you specify for.
Imagine the design legacy you could leave behind.
Read more case studies and industry examples on The Journal of Biophilic Design website or listen to interviews with workplace designers on the podcast: www.journalofbiophilicdesign.com
See further research publications on Terrapin Bright Green website https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com
References embedded in the article include interviews panel chair Dr Vanessa Champion conducted with speakers from the Workplace Design Show 2026.