One of the most amazing discoveries about plants is the affect they have on our working ability.
- Prof Virginia Lohr (Washington State University) found that plants helped to relief stress and therefore could help improve productivity levels. Since then a number of researchers have followed this line of enquiry with some incredible resulting data. Our concentration is improved by 23% at the same time.
- John Berg found this was particularly true for those who sit in front of a computer screen for four hours or more every day (who doesn’t?).
- Along the way Dr Roger Ulrich conducted research which found that plants stimulate the way we think and our creativity by as much as 45%.
Right up to date
- Dr Craig Knight, a psychologist who has looked at well-being and performance in the workplace are affected by changing management patterns and space design. What he has found has amazed and astonished. Decorated offices, rather than lean ones, especially if the employee has some input prove to encourage better productivity, creativity and well-being. Office decoration includes artwork and plants. His findings have suggested that in these cases productivity is increased by at least 32% if not 38%.
- Co-authors: Dr Craig Knight of the University of Exeter, Professor Alex Haslam, from The University of Queensland’s School of Psychology and led by Marlon Nieuwenhuis of the University of Groningen in The Netherlands (now of the University of Cardiff). The research conducted in real offices and real time (over several months in the UK and The Netherlands) found that enriching a lean office with plants improves performance.Studying both the short and long-term effects of plants in the office found that they significantly increased workplace satisfaction, self-reported levels of focus, and perceived air quality.“Simply enriching a previously Spartan space with plants served to increase productivity by 15%,” commented lead researcher Marlon Nieuwenhuis.The research was published in Journal of Experimental Psychology and the synopsis appeared in many publications.
- World Green building Council research 2014 - An independent research study by Green building Council members JLL, Lend Lease and Skanska found that lighting and views of nature, noise levels, humidity and clean air were import factors in health, satisfaction and job performance.