Greendesign & Interior

Plants require a lot of care and the addition of greenery in buildings is often a last hurdle in the design arrangement. In addition, plants in specific sterile environments such as hospitals also entail risks in some cases, and some may also cause allergic reactions to humans. This has resulted in a mostly subordinate position of plants within buildings, although they have a very positive influence on the environment, both from an aesthetic and psychological perspective, improving the activities of staff and the health of patients. Research by Ambius and the University of Groningen in collaboration with PRISM have shown that working environments enriched with plants have a worthwhile, lasting effect for up to 15 to 19 percent for job satisfaction and concentration. Plants make work environments more enjoyable and increase the sense of hospitality, while employees simultaneously experience an improvement in air quality and sense that they can concentrate much better. In addition, plantshave a beneficial effect on productivity.

Research from the University of Cardiff, in collaboration with academics from the British University of Exeter and the Australian University of Queensland, came to a similar conclusion: indoor planting leads to a 15 percent increase in productivity. According to the researchers, this conclusion is at odds with the current economic zeitgeist and the applicable "bare" minimal management techniques. Because with the “New Flexible Way of Working" there was also a preference for a modern, empty and thus impersonal office space, without a fixed workplace and working hours.

Various studies also show the added value of plants in hospitals. For example, research conducted by Roger Ulrich, Chalmer University of Technology, into physical and mental health benefits of more "green" in hospitals. Exposure to natural elements is associated with decreased levels of diastolic blood pressure, heart activity, muscle tension and stimulation of electrical activity in the brain within just 5 minutes of being around vegetation. Exposure to green spaces related positively to depression, anxiety and an overall increased emotional capacity is also noted. It can reduce the impact of stress, increase psychological well-being and support recovery from ilness resulting in shorter hospital stays, therefore lower healthcare costs, lower intake of (pain) medication and higher satisfaction of the patient's stay.

1. https://www.ambius.nl/blog/planten-op-de-werkvloer-15-meer-productivity/

2. https://www.mt.nl/series/5-winsterende- reasonen-voor-planten-op-kantoor/87175

3.https: //www.researchgate.net/ Health_Benefits_of_Gardens_in_Hospitals.pdf

Healthy Behavior - the definition of "health" has shifted in recent years from a focus on "ilness" to a focus on "human" and "man's ability to adapt and take control". How can smart systems help them with this? How can we make better use of the positive effects of green on health and well-being in living, working and living environments (in cities)? All are relevant questions that are asked within the Creative Industries. The majority of the working population is in office buildings 3-5 days a week (about 5 million people, looking at figures from Statistics in the Netherlands regarding the Dutch workforce) and a poor working environment has a huge impact on the well-being of these people . In fact, adults spend copious amounts in offices, most of this time at desks and workstations. Research on physical characteristics of workplaces shows that it can influence employee health. Scientific research has shown that plants, among other things, make employees happier and more relaxed, so that they can concentrate better and are sick less often, thus increasing productivity (studies show an improvement of 15%). Natural elements have a restorative effect on mental fatigue. Attention-restoration theory (Kaplan R Kaplan S. The experience of nature: a psychological perspective. New York Cambridge University Press 1989) suggests that the mind is like a muscle. Exposure to nature involves direct attention characterized by fascination. This has a restorative effect on the mind, countering fatigue – much like rest has on a fatigued muscle. However, as Annemieke Smit of Alterra (Wageningen University) emphasizes, why does the large-scale application of plants in buildings take such a long time to arrive despite the major benefits? A possible reason is "because there are not enough hard numbers yet, there are too few innovative, applicable green solutions." With the Florapanel, Green Design's Studio van Rey wants to respond tactically by, among other things, giving architects the 'tools' to design buildings from the inside in an innovative way and making plants an integral part of the design. Below an example of the architectural possibilities through Photoshop: