Do you ever experience a post-lunch dip at work or have days when you feel you are underachieving? A working environment has a greater influence on our behaviour and mood than we think! We spend our days sitting down, stuck working inside in an unnatural environment. An unhealthy situation that affects But there is something you can do. It is time to take matters into your own hands and start greening your office space!
87% of workers want a healthier workspace
According to WELL Building Standard, research shows that 87% of workers would like their current employer to offer healthier workspace benefits. And these workers are right, because a healthier workspace has a positive effect on so many things during the working day.
Score sustainability points with a C2C certified SemperGreenwall
But there is more. Living walls are not only beneficial for employee health and performance, our SemperGreenwalls are also Cradle to Cradle certified. They make an important contribution to earning BREEAM or LEED points and ultimately achieving a sustainability certification.
Still not convinced?
Here are 5 reasons why it is time to introduce a green wall in your office:
1. Tackle Sick Building Syndrome – improve air quality
A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings worldwide are subject of excessive complaints related to indoor air quality. This problem is known as Sick Building Syndrome – where low quality indoor air leads to a range of symptoms from headaches, sore throats and skin irritation to respiratory illnesses like asthma. Applying green walls in your office building will contribute to air purification and to tackling this problem.
Extensive studies show that indoor plants act as an air filtering system by removing contaminants from the air, making the work environment that much healthier. The plants in a living wall filter particulate matter from the air and convert CO2 into oxygen. 1 m2 of living wall extracts 2.3 kg of CO2 per year from the air and produces 1.7 kg of oxygen. Green walls promote a healthy indoor climate. Complaints such as irritated eyes and tiredness will diminish.
2. Increase creativity and productivity
Plants have a positive effect on people. A green workplace = a productive workplace. Employees of green offices show 15% more creativity and 6% more productivity than their peers in a non-green workplace. Green offices provide a boost to employee engagement and concentration levels, both showing a rise after the introduction of plants into the office.
3. Reduce indoor noise levels
55% of people with an office job work in a traditional open-plan office. The largest annoyance in these offices is ambient noise. This leads to concentration problems, frustration, fatigue and headaches. A living wall acts as a sound barrier in your building. It absorbs 41% more sound than a traditional wall. Applying a green wall results in a noise reduction of 8 dB. This means that ambient noise is reduced and the indoor environment is much quieter.
4. Increase feeling of well-being
Working in a green environment has a positive effect on the well-being of people. The health and mood of employees can be directly affected by the work environment. Changing this atmosphere by applying green is an easy way to make employees happier, healthier and boost energy-levels. A living wall in your work space offers relaxation and reduces stress. The plants add liveliness to any office environment and the bright colours have a positive effect on anyone’s mood. In offices where plenty of greenery is applied, such as indoor living walls, there is a noticeable decrease in sick leaves. This is also reflected in employee satisfaction. Moreover, working or living in a green environment brings people together.
5. Cooler air, less air-conditioning needed
The plants in an indoor green wall function to cool the air in warm summer months. When the indoor atmosphere heats up, plants will start ‘transpiration’. The plants will release excess water into the air from their leaves, and by releasing evaporated water, plants cool themselves and the surrounding environment. This not only leads to a cooler and more pleasant indoor climate. It also means that 33% less air conditioning is required, which in turn results in significant energy savings.
A green wall in your office space is the future
There is no better design than nature. Greening your office is the way of the future. With the many benefits of transforming your office space into a green environment by applying a green wall, there is no reason why you should not go green with your office space today.
"There is no better design than nature."
Want to know more?
Interested in learning more about the possibilities of a living wall project in your region?
Get in touch with us today for more information and a personalised quote for your project.