Reap What You Sow Recap

Recap:

Reap What You Sow LIVE

Contents

04 Reap What You Sow

08 How the day unfolded

12 Gallery

14 What our guests said

21 Video Highlights

22 Additional resources

A message from our Director Our strapline #WhereCreativityBlossoms took on a whole new meaning with the collective energy of so many passionate #biophilic designers in one space.

Thanks to everyone who helped, supported, attended, and contributed towards making this event a big success.

Adrian Byne Benholm Group Director

Reap What You Sow: Valuing Workplaces that Grow Good Ideas’ is a biophilic design study published by PLP Labs with academics from Loughborough University, the University of Reading, and biophilic experts Benholm.

The report details the process of measuring and monetising the well-being and environmental value of biophilia in architectural design. It explores how design decisions can be given a monetary value to enable real estate clients to fairly evaluate the worth of these interventions alongside other project costs.

Three different physical environments were implemented during the study.

The scenarios were designed to represent non-biophilic and various biophilic environments.

Baseline A cubicle-like workspace, i.e., a nonbiophilic environment with no views out (windows with blinds).

Typical A standard open plan workspace, i.e. minimal biophilic elements in the existing workplace, such as small potted plants and views out from halfheight view windows. This scenario represents a typical workplace.

Immersive A biophilic workspace, with a dramatic increase in biophilic elements i.e. green potted plants with lush foliage introduced to the workstations, including green walls and hanging planters, with some coloured and aromatic plants. The participants relocated next to a full-height window with dual aspect views out. *British Council for Offices (BCO) financed an earlier pilot study on the use of wearables to collect meaningful data from office workers. This previous research informed the study on the measurement and value of biophilic design.

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200% Participants were monitored through qualitative (questionnaires, interviews, journaling with diaries) and quantitative means (air quality, VOC, CO2, temperature, humidity, light, heart rate, steps, sleep quality, noise level, brain waves) The final results of the study found that biophilic office design is worth more than a pretty penny – with a marked 200% increase in well-being and environmental value compared to a normal workspace!

Given the multitude of factors contributing to this remarkable outcome, we extended an invitation to the study's authors for an interactive panel discussion at our HQ in Falkirk on the 28th of September. The purpose of this event was to explore the intricacies of the figure's calculation and provide our guests with an opportunity to pose their queries directly to the authors.

Reap What You Sow LIVE panel Vanessa Champion PhD Founder and editor of the influential Journal of Biophilic Design podcast and magazine; Vanessa has cultivated a platform that has been a driving force in the exploration of the interplay between nature and design.

Professor Derek Clements Croome Professor Clements-Croome is an Emeritus Professor in the School of The Built Environment at the University of Reading in Architectural Engineering research.

His projects focus on the impact of wearables on office workers, and health and mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Joyce Chan-Schoof Joyce is a PhD Researcher at the Design School of Loughborough University. The 'Reap What You Sow' research project is part of her doctoral field-study to develop a Valuing Biophilic Model to make a business case for human-centric design.

She is an Architect with two decades of experience in sustainable design and is currently the Sustainability Lead of the UK Parliament’s Design Authority.

Savannah Willits Savannah Willits is an urban analyst and systematic thinker, with a background in policy, real estate, and urban planning. She leads PLP Labs, PLP Architecture’s R&D division, where she explores and develops solutions to pressing urban and architectural challenges.

Adrian Byne Alongside his father, Adrian is a co-founder of Benholm Group which has been delivering plant and floral products and services with care and creativity, for commercial clients across Scotland and the UK, for over 30 years.

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How the day unfolded...

On the 28th of September we invited key workplace designers to our headquarters in Falkirk for a unique live discussion panel with the authors of the groundbreaking Reap What You Sow study.

This open discussion provided attendees with a golden opportunity to engage directly with the authors, pose questions, and gain valuable insights into how biophilic design can enhance projects from the perspectives of well-being, sustainability, and financial viability.

The panel was expertly moderated by Vanessa Champion PhD, the editor and founder of the Journal of Biophilic Design. The panellists included Reading University’s Professor Derek Clements-Croome, the Sustainability Lead of the UK Parliament's Design Authority, Joyce Chan Schoof, Savannah Willits from PLP Labs, and our company Director, Adrian Byne.

The event began with registration and refreshments from our friends at Liquidline, allowing attendees to network and prepare for the day's discussions.

The discussion panel started at 10:30 upstairs in our boardroom which had undergone an amazing transformation in the weeks leading up to the event. A large bespoke living wall had been created as the backdrop for our panel, with space left for a brand-new conference room display showing our panel’s presentations throughout the day.

The morning session began with a warm welcome from Vanessa who greeted our attendees and set the stage for the day's discussion. This was followed by a brief introduction of our panellists before they each gave a presentation on their involvement in the Reap What You Sow research project, how they monitored the impact the biophilic interventions had and the results of the study.

In the afternoon, focus shifted to the practical application of biophilic design, how our guests could use this in their own practices, and how they can use the evidence from the study to make the case that we need to have biophilic design in every workplace.

After a short break, the event's final session explored the future of Biophilic Design, beginning with a real-life case study video we had created at Cadworks. Panellists discussed the evolving landscape of Biophilic Design and Vanessa invited audience input finishing with the visionary question: "If you could paint the world with a magic brush of Biophilic, what would it look like?"

The day concluded with a champagne reception and a tour of the Benholm Greenhouse Exhibition, offering a practical demonstration of Biophilic Design principles we had discussed throughout the day.

As our guests said their goodbyes, it was evident that they left enthused and inspired by the day's discussions and insights. The feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are thrilled to have provided a platform for meaningful discussions and knowledge sharing on this subject. We look forward to hosting more special events in the future, where we can continue to explore innovative ideas and trends in the world of design and workplace well-being.

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It was incredible to meet truly knowledgeable and passionate people advocating for the economical, physiological and psychological benefits of biophilic design in the workplace.

Thank you to Adrian Byne and all your team at the Benholm Group for your thoughtful hospitality and for bringing us all together in the beauty of the Forth Valley.

Karen Owens | Auricle Studio

What our guests said A fantastic day with loads of expertise and experiences shared between panel and audience. Congratulations to Adrian and all the team Benholm Group who made it happen! Inspiring stuff!!

Joan Wright | Spacestor

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Thank you to our event sponsors and the entire Benholm team for all their hard work behind the scenes in the weeks and months leading up to the event.

Relive the key moments from Reap What You Sow LIVE in this video captured by Mallard Productions:

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Reap What You Sow: Additional Resources

For more information on the process of measuring and monetising the wellbeing and environmental value of biophilia in architectural design, download the Reap What You Sow full report here

At Benholm, we have over thirty years of experience in creating, installing, and maintaining plant displays for offices of all sizes across the UK. To learn more, visit: www.benholm.com/corporate