Office Planting

We spend most of our time indoors. Whether at work or at home, we don't have enough time or flexibility to connect with nature. But what if there was a solution to this problem? What if we could bring the outdoors in?

Biophilic design is about incorporating natural elements into our workspaces and homes so we can stay in touch with nature even when we're indoors. More concretely, biophilia seeks to restore contact with nature by creating healthier living and working spaces. It is the concept of our innate attraction to nature and natural processes and is the philosophy behind everything we do at Meristem Design.

Our Planting Services

We offer four ways to make your premises more attractive and improve the quality of your life:

1.Living green wall and divider.

Live green dividers are ideal for creating individual spaces within an open space or for marking a space such as a reception area or a cafeteria.

In space separation, climbing plants or hanging pots will dress a rigid and designed structure allowing light to pass through and creating a light partition without the impression of isolation. The feeling of working in the open air...

Living walls allow you to create a unique composition, very full for a "tropical" look or with coloured lichen to recall your graphic charter. A real centrepiece that will make a lasting impression and promote the well-being of your employees!

 2.Office Plants

Potted plants can be easily integrated into all your workspaces: entrance hall, waiting room, offices, corridors... The smallest pots or tubs can also be placed on desks for example. Thanks to a wide choice of plants and bespoke planters, spaces can be personalised in small steps, giving your employees a decorative touch and a breath of fresh air.

Do you want to green your spaces without having to manage the purchase and maintenance? You can choose to rent your plants, they will be delivered directly to your premises and maintenance service will take care of them throughout the year!

Benefits of office plants:

Live plants have many benefits to indoor environments. As well as being visually appealing, they improve air quality by removing toxins from the air and counteract the drying effects of central heating or air conditioning. They also improve the acoustic properties of office spaces by reducing noises and echoes. It’s for this reason we don’t use any artificial plants in any of our projects, in corporate spaces, or anywhere else. Our commitment to sustainability means we only use real living plants, which create a more positive impact. To get the most out of our office plants, it’s recommended they are put in an area that has some direct sunlight, or areas with lots of windows and natural light, ideally with steady humidity levels. This allows our biophilic interior design to flourish, allowing the best growing environment for our plants, and maximising the benefits of the plants. 

4.Maintenance

We offer a complete service for businesses wishing to enrich their environments with nature. We provide a dedicated office plant maintenance service, in order to maintain the beauty and quality of your plant displays. Our highly trained plant maintenance team will; water feed, prune, top dress, pest control and clean your plants to keep them in perfect shape.

Meristem has two electric vans, which are used for a range of services, from installation to maintenance visits. We embody what we are trying to achieve in a greater sense; a greener world in every sense of the word.

What is Biophilia?

The word biophilia comes from the Greek 'bio' (life) and the suffix 'philia' (who loves). The term, therefore, means 'love of life'.

Visual contact with nature is enough to give us positive effects. Unconsciously, we find what has enabled us to survive and evolve for thousands of years. A green, light-filled nature, surrounded by water and a safe place; our brain remembers it. This connection with nature is essential for good health and has given a new concept its origin: biophilia!

Initiated by the American psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in the 1960s, the concept of biophilia was later largely developed by the American biologist Edward O. Wilson in the 1980s, who published the famous book Biophilia in 1984.

Unfortunately, the extreme urbanisation of our lifestyles has gradually distanced us from this innate and vital link that we have with nature and the living.

Our need to be connected to nature can be satisfied through biophilic design (pattern, shape and texture). The key is to incorporate natural elements into the design of buildings and spaces.

Biophilia at work: nature as a source of well-being.

Our workplace is the place where we spend the most time, so it seems essential to make it as pleasant as possible on a daily basis. Thanks to the evolution of working methods, the well-being of employees has become a priority and many solutions are now available to us to make our workspaces places of life.

In addition to a well thought-out layout and quality equipment, the greening of offices or "biophilia at work" has become a key issue for several years now. An architectural concept that responds to the innate, instinctive need of humans to integrate with the natural world, to be constantly connected to nature both indoors and outdoors.

Indeed, integrating plants in the workplace has many benefits for the well-being of employees: reducing stress, increasing concentration and productivity, boosting creativity, purifying the air... The properties of plants can be beyond comprehension, yet all studies are unanimous: plants have many benefits for the well-being of employees.

White papers, such as "The Economics of Biophilia", have shown that the use of natural materials and the evocation of nature in a workspace can increase profits and save money.

 WHY IS BIOPHILIC DESIGN IMPORTANT?

55% of employees do not have access to any greenery. A new study into ‘presenteeism’ – the tendency of employees to report to work, but be less focused due to low well-being or disengagement with their role – presents employers with an imperative to consider biophilic design as an option which can boost well-being and provide areas in the workspace for respite and renewal. Global figures to estimate its cost to employers do not yet exist, but figures from the UK suggest the scale of the issue, costing businesses £1 billion a year according to the significant Foresight study into mental capital and well-being.

With a decreasing connection to nature and both an increasing pressure on urban spaces and the use of technology, we have less opportunity to recuperate our mental and physical energy. Introducing elements of nature into the urban environment has been demonstrated, through research, to reduce stress, blood pressure levels and heart rates, whilst increasing productivity, creativity and well-being.

Businesses like Google, Apple and Amazon have heavily invested in Biophilic Design in order to improve their employee's engagement, concentration and productivity, while creating an environment where people like to work.

In this context, greening has a role to play in the office environment! In 2004, the American company Genzyme Corporation completely redesigned its office space by integrating natural light, transparent partitions, indoor gardens and an atrium with chandeliers reflecting sunlight. 18 months after the new design, they found that :

• 88% of employees had a significant increase in well-being,

• 75% said that the building design increased their sense of connection with colleagues.

Another study from Cardiff University reported the same facts. They compared the productivity of two offices, one with natural elements and one without. They found that the offices with natural elements had a 15% increase in employee output after only three months.

These results prove that inlaid elements can be a lever for creating a positive work environment.

BIOPHILIA BENEFITS:

A recent study by Humanspaces called ‘The Global Impact of Biophilic Design’ looked at 7600 environments over 16 countries with Biophilic elements.

• Retail: the presence of vegetation & landscaping has been found to increase average rental rates on retail spaces with customers indicating they were willing to pay 8-12 % more for goods and services.

• Homes: can become more calming & restorative, with 7-8 % less crime attributed to areas with access to nature and can command an increase of 4-5% in property price.

Here are seven biophilic tips for maintaining a connection with nature at home or in the office.

1. Encourage natural lighting (the kind our brains prefer).

2. Use natural-looking colours, materials and patterns. Green, blue, yellow and red has a positive influence. Grey tones promote stress.

3. Put a lot of plants inside and outside (you need constant eye contact with the plants).
   From the inside, plants should be seen through the window, with evergreens for the winter.

4. Play with water (fountain, aquarium, pond, etc.). Seeing and hearing water is good for the mind. Instinctively, it tells us that we don't have to look for it anymore and that we can move on.

5. Feel the passage of time by varying the light and temperature around us, so that we experience morning, day and evening. These cyclical variations are important.

6. Open the windows to feel the air (movement and temperature)!

7. Green your workplace to stimulate your neurons
   Greening is one of the easiest biophilic tips to apply. Place succulents on your windowsills, direct a climbing plant on a screen, hang a plant frame and place desk plants next to the computer; in short, use plants wherever there is light. Choose plants that are easy to grow and robust and will forgive your frequent absences.

Case Studies

e Office

Our brief was to 'green-up' eOffice and add some tactility while creating a relaxed working environment. With limited space to work with, we used ceiling and wall mounted planters to maximise the number of plants we could bring to the office.

Pipoca Restaurant

Pipoca restaurant is a busy vegan restaurant in Brixton London, suitable for vegans, flexitarians, meat-free Mondayer’s or just people who are hungry and want a delicious meal.

When Meristem consulted with Pipoca’s owner, Claudia, she wanted the overall theme of restaurant to reflect “a touch of the Amazon”. To cater to these needs, Meristem Design got to work, installing hanging baskets with a range of plants, a green living wall splashed with red flowers, and one planter with a beautiful tree from North Brazil.

FOREVER BETA'S GREEN OFFICES

Take a look at the photo's from our recent install at East London based, Forever Beta's new office space. We think our planting scheme has really made this space sing!

Our brief was to 'green-up' Forever Beta's new office space and add some tactility. The blank canvas of a pared back, industrial warehouse with exposed services was a great start. Our key planting elements complement the industrial style in their metal simple forms. We also added a nod to Forever Beta's signature red logo in the use of red rope for hanging planters. Our design is made up by 4 key planting elements.

Photo Credit: Stoica Office Interiors

The Shard's Green Oasis Room

The brief was to design a ‘garden room’ as an escape from the rest of the office. The room occupies an amazing location overlooking the Thames, from the 12th floor of the iconic Shard building at London Bridge.

We designed a bespoke trellis system for the back wall, and the ceiling of the room. Artificial plants trail from above, meaning no irrigation was needed. Living Ivy plants, and Jasmine trailed up the back wall trellis helping to create a subtle screening on the glass partitioning. Cracked fiber optic lighting adds to the ethereal effect of the overhanging greenery.

The install was completed by Woodall's design and build, and the design by Meristem.

Photo Credit: Woodalls Design & Build