Workplace is the place where we spend most of our time, it is usually some kind of office. What to imagine under the term of the office. It is often a four grey wall room, with a window if one is lucky, with a table, a chair and a PC in nondescriptive building. People spend there 8 to 12 hours a day. Quite depressive, isn´t it?
But it doesn´t has to be. Our office should be a place we like, where we feel good, safe and confident, where we are productive, and nobody can be productive in a claustrofobic room. According the studies this problem has an easy solution – the natural materials, especially the wood, a tiny reconstruction with huge effect.
Another item which can not only decorate workplaces and offices, but also make it attractive for employees are plants. Sometimes just a small flower in the pot is exactly what your office need. Office workers often don´t have time to go to nature, therefore the plants in the office can compensate this fact. What more, the plants and other natural materials have according to several studies positive effect on health, mental dispositions, performance and relationships.
What is also more attractive for employees is open space office, which is much more pleasant than traditional type of seating arrangement where workers are seated very close to one another, sometimes without walls or cubicle barriers separating them and sometimes separated by the cubicles.
“People working in spaces with high proportions of wooden surfaces have a heightened sense of wellbeing and productivity. They’re also more likely to find their workplaces relaxing, inviting and energising,“ Canberra University professor Jacki Schirmer explained benefits of opened „woodland“ work space in her research How wood can help create healthier workplace.
This is exactly what company H&V, one of HWZi suppliers, have done, they have completely transformed their workplace, they have opened their working areas, added wooden and other natural components to the office, and of course plants are also included in this new reconstructed place.
Instead of grey walls and ceilings, there are now timber panelling, they have used CLT boards on interior walls, tables and shelves and NOVATOP acoustic panels on the ceilings and for the floor they have chosen Feel Wood solid wood Oak flooring. The timber elements in combination with bright decorations, open space with natural light and plants have created nice and pleasant environment for employees. Company has also made some café areas and resting places, in some of them were used traditional armchairs, in others modern furniture like fat boys.
This new and powerful trend in reshaping workplace is called biophilic design and is based on human needs to connect with nature. The theory behind this is that biophilic design improves both physical and psychological health and even reduces stress. Professor Schirmer wrote that “nature makes us feel good and relaxed“.
Another benefit of natural materials is that there are mostly sustainable and eco-friendly, they are good not only for wokplaces, but also for our planet.
