Heath Boot had been in the corporate marketing world for 22 years before retraining as a teacher. He loved his new role but there was one aspect he couldn’t get used to – the environment within which his students needed to learn.
The classroom he shared with another teacher at Silverdale School on the Hibiscus Coast was a large, modern, open-plan space with 63 children aged 10 and 11.
Such classrooms “can be a visual cacophony of art and design and a clutter of educational information and messaging”, says Boot. Corporate life had shown him multiple examples of workspaces more conducive to thinking and learning.
On top of brightly coloured and randomly placed artworks, the noise levels may not be conducive to work, he says. “The big open-plan classrooms are really challenging, especially for neurodiverse children. And as a teacher, they’re definitely not ideal workspaces.
“I wanted to see if we could improve them, primarily for the children but as it turns out, with benefits for those of us working there, too.” (See Opening doors below for more on neurodiversity and office design.)
With friend Blair McKolskey, whose business, PLN, designs workplace furniture and lighting, a plan for a better classroom environment was germinated. Quite literally – one of McKolskey’s recommendations was biophilia, or connection with nature.
“I’d been investigating getting plants and nature into the classroom and Blair explained the benefits of biophilia, which he’d been doing a lot of work with at his firm. Our proposal was to introduce features of it through simplifying the environment, adding a floor-to-ceiling wall mural of a forest walk from a nearby reserve so the children could connect with it, and introducing plants.”
The plan was approved by the principal, who allocated a small discretionary fund. A $500 donation from the local Kings Plant Barn helped with greenery, and extras were donated by locals, the children and their families. PLN installed curved soft furnishings and acoustic baffling products, including two large acoustic light pendants the firm developed in conjunction with leading designer David Trubridge, a biophilia champion.
And the result? “We couldn’t measure students’ academic performance because that had too many other variables,” says Boot.
“Instead, children were asked to log their mood and readiness to learn four times a day using Kuypers’ Zones of Regulation – a system they were already using on their laptops. Results were compared with a classroom next door that acted as a control space.
The outcome, measured over 2.5 terms, was noticeable: a 12% increase in those “ready to learn” in the biophilic room compared with the standard room, and more than 11% fewer children in the biophilic room recording being in the “lethargic zones” of tiredness, boredom or feeling sick or sad.
The whole forest
The principle of biophilic design is to better connect people with nature – but it’s not just about filling a workplace with plants, says McKolskey. “There is so much more strategically you can do with the introduction of other natural elements in furniture, interior design and architecture – such as introducing art, patterns, shapes, airflow and lighting, for instance.
“Biophilic design calms the brain, minimises cortisol and reduces the fight or flight stimulus, making people more productive or prepared to learn. More companies are looking to incorporate these features in the workspace.”
Among them is BNZ, which, when creating its new-build corporate offices on Wellington’s Customhouse Quay, went to considerable lengths to support employee wellbeing, choosing a site which not only provides harbour views but also maximises natural light.
The only thing people don’t come into work for these days is a screen and a desk.
In the $50 million fit-out, areas with natural light were developed as flexible, open-plan spaces, with rooms requiring fixed walls restricted to the core of the building, says Kristina Martin, BNZ’s national workplace experience manager.
Whereas some employers have mandated a return to the office since the Covid pandemic, many BNZ Wellington staff elect to be on site for more than the minimum days required by managers. The design encourages movement, including by stairs, which are located at the centre of the building rather than tucked away at the side.
“To help make [taking the stairs] more appealing we worked with iwi and a local artist to create a pūhoru design for them, so they’re a really beautiful feature,” says Martin. “The balustrades include the words of a karakia that was specifically written and gifted to the organisation.”
Kitchens are away from workspaces so people need to move away from their desks, and there are “end of trip” facilities such as showers with towels and hairdryers for staff who cycle or jog to work or exercise during the day.
“We also have lots of plants to help the fresh oxygen production,” says Martin. “The building’s been designed with space for people to be able to work on themselves and work well with their colleagues, too.”
There’s a cardio gym and exercise studio on the top floors with broad views across the harbour. The rooftop terrace (with barbecue) has glass panels to protect against the capital’s notorious wind.
Also on the upper floors are a dedicated prayer and parent room with views and a generous social space with bean bags, pool table, air hockey and foosball, and a big screen. A grandstand-style seating area flooded with natural light doubles as a place for large group meetings. All areas feature accessibility so those in wheelchairs or with prams can still attend staff events.
There are also sleep pods, and wellbeing rooms with dimmable lighting. For migraine sufferer Tanya, one of the bank’s corporate affairs team, these facilities have proved invaluable since staff began to move in early last year.
“In the past, whenever I felt a migraine coming on, I needed to go home, which for me is an hour on the train. By that time my migraine’s in full swing. In this building, though, I can take medication and go and lie down in a peaceful place where it’s almost completely dark and then, after about 20 minutes, I usually feel I can return to work.
“Professionally, it’s nice to know I can manage it within the workplace and not necessarily have to keep going home.”
Work areas were designed to reflect the attractions of hybrid working – for instance, spaces with less background noise, which also cater well for neurodivergent staff who require a more flexible work environment. “Desks are unallocated but we’ve provided … different types of focus and meeting rooms, from areas for collaboration to spaces that support quiet work,” says Martin. “Where possible, we’ve used furniture-based solutions instead of built environments, for instance, sound-proofed booths that are moveable.”
As well as staff wellbeing, there are benefits to the firm through greater productivity, less absenteeism, stronger staff retention rates and attracting talent. “We have a responsibility as a large corporate to provide a workplace that allows our people to perform at their best. To do that, we needed spaces that contribute positively to their wellbeing. It’s not just a place to come and work.”
Staff buy-in
Research by data-driven design company Unispace New Zealand found nearly 60% of more than 13,000 employees surveyed said their productivity was affected by having nowhere to rest, recharge or destress at work. Managing director Harry Rowntree says Unispace carries out pre- and post-occupancy surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of new workplaces for the firms it works with. It often finds a lift in staff perceptions of productivity.
Of 1470 respondents to another Unispace survey, 91% said they wanted to have access to a diverse range of spaces and settings for different activities and ways of working. And responses to a similar survey also showed an average 21% lift in office attendance following improvements to the workplace environment, rising to 30% for some.
Staff need to feel valued and, at the very least, that their wellness needs are met by their employers, says Rowntree.
“Productivity increases as a result of new workplace environments can be as high as 61%. At the end of the day, that’s going to benefit the customer.
“The one thing people don’t come into work for these days is a screen and a desk. Instead, they come to collaborate. Thankfully, we’re increasingly seeing the move away from the traditional metric-based approach of cramming bums on seats in the minimal space – the ‘hot-desking’, chicken-coop mentality.”
This change in attitudes is vital, he says. “I’ve heard of an airline in the United States that has a gaming room with sofas and bean bags but the staff call it ‘the jump room’ because if they got caught in there, they’d get fired. As designers, we can do only so much because it’s not just about providing spaces, it’s about encouraging employees to use them.”
One of Unispace’s most ambitious fit-outs has been Meridian Energy’s HQ in Wellington, which was created within the Old Bank Arcade, a category 1 historic building. The plans not only needed to meet the company’s standards around diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, Meridian also set itself the goal of designing to the level required by the Living Building Challenge, widely recognised as the toughest global sustainability standard.
The certification programme includes significant focus on waste minimisation as well as creating environments that optimise staff’s physical and psychological health. Important elements include connecting occupants to light, air, nature and community. Projects also need to exclude environmentally unacceptable materials such as toxic glues, adhesives and certain paints.
Meridian’s goal of meeting these exacting standards within a sensitive heritage space didn’t come cheap, especially since it set out to accommodate hybrid working without compromising core business as a power generator and retailer.
Although the cost of the project has not been disclosed, Nick Robilliard, Meridian’s head of procurement and workplace says “these key things that cater to sustainability and people’s wellbeing and health are a major contributor to the organisation’s success.”
He regularly arrives at work by bike after a commute of several kilometres. He parks it in the company’s seismically reinforced basement facilities and changes into work clothes in 5-star-hotel-equivalent bathrooms complete with towel service, ironing board and drying room for bike gear. In the reception area at the heart of the building, he’s greeted by bird song playing – a contrast to the traffic noise outside – and the air is fresh thanks to a sophisticated ventilation system. Water runs across pounamu taonga – placed under the organisation’s stewardship by Ngāti Waewae – and plantings of native greenery reflect some of the countryside in which the company’s generation assets operate.
The offices are open plan: collaboration is clearly happening yet noise levels are low thanks to woollen acoustic baffles suspended from the historic building’s ceiling. The desks of all executive team members are alongside others in an open plan area.
Extensive thought has been given to lighting and texture, air quality and acoustics. Wooden pod structures for focus sessions were made waste-free and without adhesives, and meet the sustainability criteria of the Living Building Challenge. Another feature to help the building meet the varying needs of employees is concertina-style cardboard room dividers that curve around areas and help with acoustics.
There’s a faith room, a wellbeing room that doubles as a parents’ room, and quiet areas for focused work with soft furnishings to aid with acoustics and privacy.
Robilliard has previous experience of the benefits of taking such care of staff. “When we moved into our previous building on Queens Wharf, which was New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star Accredited building, the number of sick days reduced by two-thirds. The wellbeing aspects of the building would have contributed greatly to this.”
Staff settled into their new space on Lambton Quay in April last year. At the time the project was being completed, only 34 buildings in the world met the Living Building Challenge standards for certification. “Before we qualify fully we’ve got to operate for a year and prove we’re keeping up the standards required, like air-refresh rates.”
This includes those in the open kitchen area in the building’s “prow”.
“It’s a community space where people can catch up and have a great coffee at collaborative-style seating rather than at little tables. This encourages people to talk to others they wouldn’t usually encounter from different business units, which gives a broader connection and depth,” says Robilliard. “We’ve created a culture that means people are going to want to come for wellness and to collaborate and connect.”
He maintains such measures help to attract and retain talent, with customers feeling the benefits.
A study by sustainable workplace consultants Terrapin Bright Green reported absenteeism is likely to fall by around 10% where biophilic aspects are present.
At the Auckland office of legal firm MC (formerly Meredith Connell), the Auckland crown solicitors, this was taken to the max during an office fit-out in 2022, says Anna Hill, interior design lead at Jasmax, the architecture and design firm tasked with the biophilic design. The 5500 sq m workspace includes temperature-controlled indoor terrariums – which involved working closely with services consultants on air quality and with a commercial greenery company to find plants and species that would survive, she says.
The design also incorporated natural light, views out to nature and natural patterns. “Even the workstations are staggered to create more organic movement through the interior. Use of timber, stone and birdsong from the Waitākere Ranges give that full sensory experience.”
Feedback showed it was a huge success for MC that really helped with productivity, says Hill.
Meeting multiple needs
A 2015 study, “Human Spaces: The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace”, found those who work in environments with natural elements such as greenery and sunlight report a 15% higher level of wellbeing; 6% say they experience higher levels of productivity and 15% report a higher level of creativity than those working in environments devoid of nature.
Students and staff using the new Ngā Mokopuna building at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington will be among those to potentially experience benefits from this type of work environment.
“The brief was to build a 3000 sqm structure to support the neighbouring university marae’s wharenui and accommodate Māori studies as well as the university’s sustainability office and that of the deputy vice-chancellor Māori,” says Ewan Brown of Tennent Brown Architects, who designed the building with co-director Hugh Tennent.
The new building replaced five colonial-style cottages. “Not only did the new building need to exist in harmony with the marae and integrate design excellence and te ao Māori, it operates as an educational hub, all while complying with the requirements of the Living Building Challenge,” says Brown.
It was also to serve as a model for future sustainable architecture and an educational tool to demonstrate what’s achievable in an urban educational setting.
Like Meridian’s fit-out, only environmentally approved materials could be used.
The ambitious three-storey “living building” effectively operates off grid, generating its own power and dealing with all water collection and disposal. The timber structure creates a warm and inviting space. Despite there being a busy road outside and brutalistic concrete buildings opposite, the eye is drawn to greenery from every direction, thanks in part to the living garden suspended at level one.
“The plants are those used for Māori herbal remedies – rongoā – which means the building can help educate and be a research vehicle on many levels – on climate, for biological science, and in architecture,” says Brown.
Natural ventilation and light, and biophilic aspects such as suspended lights that move in the breeze, all help create an inviting environment inside. And along with a variety of study spaces and offices, a small, level lecture theatre flooded with natural light offers flexible learning for larger groups. Glass internal walls allow natural light to permeate the building.
“When you’ve got a team in balance they work better,” says Brown. “If everybody’s happy and healthy, you’re going to get the best out of people.”
Rawinia Higgins, deputy vice-chancellor, Māori, says working from the space is like working in a treehouse. “Our offices are all facing the wharenui, and it’s like a wee sanctuary because we’re so high up we get to see the birdlife every day, including three kererū who like to entertain us by chasing each other around. Students love finding the different spaces to set up and do their work. In fact, they often don’t want to leave.
“Because of our commitment to sustainability as tangata whenua, the complex becomes an opportunity to show when diversity of thought and of community can come together and work in harmony. This is what good can look like.”
Healthcare, too
Tōtara Haumaru, a new four-storey building at Auckland’s North Shore Hospital, includes a biophilic atrium dubbed the Healing Garden to improve the wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors.
The Well Foundation charity raised nearly $1.8m for the 400 sq m atrium surrounded by wards and treatment spaces. It is a multilayered, peaceful space with lush plantings, planter boxes and a nurse call system as well as hanging cloud-shaped, biophilic light features that draw the eye up towards skylights.
“It is one of the first of its kind in New Zealand,” says Sarah Hayden of Jasmax, which oversaw the project. “We’re typically more likely to see these types of installations in commercial and education spaces rather than the [public] health sector where the funding’s often not there.”
However, she says, the benefits of gardens and plants in hospital and healthcare settings for patient wellbeing have been established in research by the likes of US environmental psychologist Roger Ulrich.
“Tōtara Haumaru provides a respite space that’s outside the clinical environment for staff, patients and visitors. In a lot of such facilities, staff quite often don’t see the light of day, so it’s really nice to be able to give access to light and greenery. I think we can really start to use good design as a way to attract and retain those critical members of our health workforce we so desperately need.”
Adding biophilic features doesn’t need to break the bank, emphasises Heath Boot, whose students benefited greatly from the classroom changes at Silverdale School despite a tight Ministry of Education budget.
Boot now works in other schools as a supply teacher but is pleased the changes at Silverdale made a positive impact on his students.
“Any small change can have great benefits, whether that’s in education, health or the corporate world.”
Opening doors
Employers are increasingly looking at how their workplaces can be adapted to better accommodate neurodivergent people, says Autism New Zealand chief executive Dane Dougan.
The first step is to understand individual needs by asking staff what arrangements best suit them, he says. “That’s critical, as is making sure that once there is an understanding, it’s known at all levels of the organisation.
“It can be as simple as having a really clear communication, not having a neurodivergent staff member sit next to the kitchen where the noise and smells could create sensory overload, or making sure seating for meetings is as consistent as it can be because creating certainty can really help.”
Having items on hand such as weighted blankets and sensory toys can be inexpensive options, he says. Quiet spaces, adjustable lighting and acoustic measures can make a big difference.
“A lot of it comes down to culture, though, and having flexibility around how and when people work.”
Chanelle Moriah, author of I Am Autistic, wondered if she would ever be able to hold down a job long term. “I ended up burning out really badly and then struggled with my mental health for a very long time.”
That was until four years ago when Moriah, 26, started work at Autism NZ.
“I felt so relieved to have found a workplace that accommodated my needs,” she says. “I’d just thought I sucked at everything and wasn’t going to be successful. Now, I realise my skill levels and abilities weren’t the problem – it was actually that so many workplaces aren’t accessible for a lot of disabled people.”
Moriah, now research and advocacy adviser at the organisation, was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at 21.
“One thing I’ve found really helpful working here is that we have quite a few different seating options.” Moriah uses a wobble stool to regulate symptoms, including during meetings.
“People aren’t fazed if you lie on a bean bag, or sit under your desk to do your work. I find that helpful because it’s a darker, more confined space.
Flexible working hours also help. “I can work my hours whenever I want, and change where I work, and that can be a last-minute decision. It’s very flexible.”
Some hybrid work environments can be challenging for neurodivergent people, says Associate Professor Rachel Morrison, who teaches organisational behaviour and work psychology at Auckland University of Technology’s Business School.
“People on the autistic spectrum tend to prefer predictability and routine, so instead of hunting for a desk, having long-term bookable spaces can be really useful.
“It’s also quite important for neurodivergent people to have choices, which, as well as the choice not to move workstations throughout the day, could mean something like an adjustable desk can be helpful. Making sure tech is seamless will reduce the load for those who do need to move throughout the day, and noise-cancelling headphones or cubicles with higher walls around them help reduce sensory overload.
“The notion that employers should create spaces specifically for neurodivergent people is still quite new, but the key thing is to make sure you’ve got genuine choice so they can best adapt workspaces to suit them.”