Thinking of adding some greenery to your office but have limited space? Here’s our list of advantages to choosing a vertical garden.
If you’re one of the millions with a 9 to 5 office job, chances are you spend the majority of your day in an office, closed off from the real world and focused on the artificial light of a screen. “The strain from staring [at a computer screen] over long periods of time can cause harm to your vision, though many effects are temporary. Beyond that, you can also experience headaches and migraines,” says Business Insider. When you have a small office with limited alone space, it’s important to introduce an element of the outside world to not only help with health, but also to lift company spirits and to deal with the effects of unnatural light and cramped office spaces on employees. In fact, The Guardian says that plants have a huge effect on morale: “When plants were brought into the offices – one plant per square meter – employee performance on memory retention and other basic tests improved substantially.”
A space efficient and low maintenance solution to bringing plants into your office is to install a green wall. Here are our five advantages of choosing a vertical garden:
1. It fits into any space
One of the biggest advantages of choosing a vertical garden is that it can be built into any space, no matter the size, and doesn’t require any tricky installations or renovations. And, if your office is already small, it allows you to introduce the greenery and live plants you want without overcrowding your space or needing to do a major staff reshuffle. Says Harvard Business Review, “Studies of people with and without views of nature – as opposed to either no views, or views of built environments – have found that a view of nature makes workers less frustrated, more patient, more productive, and physically healthier.” Depending on the kind of environment you want to create in your office, there are many different plants you can choose to grow vertically and some do better indoors than others.
2. It’s more socially responsible
A vertical garden not only takes up less space than a traditional garden, it also reduces water usage by up to 80%! With green offices becoming all the rage, social responsibility and being water-wise is something most businesses are conscious of. If you use a GrowUp vertical garden system the unique watering system ensures that you’re re-using and recycling excess water instead of pumping in a fresh supply. Plus, installing a vertical garden system could potentially earn you Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits, as it can act as a form of insulation, increasing the energy efficiency in your office.
3. It’ll help reduce noise
Working in such close quarters with your team, it’s essential to be cognisant of the effect of noise. “A 2014 study by Steelcase and Ipsos found that workers lost as much as 86 minutes per day due to noise distractions,” says Harvard Business Review (HBR). It’s been proven that plants absorb sound, and a vertical garden gives you the chance to take advantage of this. As HBR explains, “Similar to planting trees along a loud highway, plants boast sound absorbing capabilities that can work just as effectively in an indoor environment as an outdoor setting. Furthermore, plants have other significant health benefits, including improving oxygen levels in an office.” Depending on the look you want to go for, anything with a rough or thick bark will absorb sound, and the denser the foliage the better.
4. It creates a more attractive space
Bringing beauty into an office helps liven up your space and gives people a sense of happiness. Says The Productivity Report, “Having a workspace that makes you happy probably seems like common sense, but it’s the kind of thing many of us simply forget to spend time cultivating.” Your office is also the face of your business, so you want to make your space both attractive and welcoming.
5. It creates a healthier environment
Did you know that the air inside a building can be up to 100 times dirtier than outside? According to Business Insider, “you're exposed to a variety of unhealthy gases and chemicals” inside your office building. Needless to say, carbon dioxide munching plants help circulate oxygen and produce cleaner air, and because these plants are being cultivated indoors, they’re not tainted by outdoor influences like pollution and dust. A study done by NASA confirms that certain plants play a vital role in cleaning chemicals from indoor air, and a study done by GreenMyLife also showed that plants in the workspace can increase attention span, improve creativity, lower stress, and stabilize mood. With a vertical garden, you can have more plants in a smaller space, which means you’re getting more clean and fresh air, ensuring your staff and visitors are healthier and happier.
Whether your goal is to make your office more inviting, healthier, or more environmentally friendly, a vertical garden is a perfect accessory for any office, contact us for more information.
