INTEGRATING BIOPHILIC DESIGN INTO OPEN-PLAN INDOOR OFFICES CAN IMPROVE EMPLOYEES’ WELL-BEING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.935031Keywords:
Biophilic, Emotional, Experiences With Nature, Indoor OfficeAbstract
The "2023 China Employee Mental Health Monitoring Report" shows that increasing workplace stress and prolonged indoor exposure have exacerbated concerns about mental health, highlighting the necessity of evidence-based workplace design strategies.They spend up to 40% of their time in the office each day, lacking contact with nature, which has a significant impact on their mental health, both directly and indirectly. Although numerous studies have confirmed that biophilic design can bring significant psychological benefits, studies on employees’ preferences for different biophilic elements and how direct and indirect exposure affects workplace mental health outcomes remain limited, especially in high-density technology companies in China. This study focuses on employee mental health, using qualitative methods and six semi-structured focus groups to collect data. The results show that employees generally prefer Biophilic elements that provide direct experiential benefits, especially indoor plants. However, some employees perceived negative effects, such as fear of pests, feeling oppressed by hanging plants, or experiencing discomfort when seeing greenery. Indirect elements, such as natural colors, support emotional comfort through visual stimulation. Green plants, water elements, and Biophilic natural forms have a dual moderating effect on both physiological and mental health. This study contributes to workplace environmental psychology by demonstrating how different categories of Biophilic elements influence employees' emotional experiences and provides design insights for creating more salubrious and more sustainable work environments. Future research could focus on the application of Biophilic elements at different spatial interfaces to explore their stress-relieving pathways.
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