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STATISTICS ON IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKPLACES WITH SIGNIFICANT, WELL-DESIGNED PLANTSCAPES
Human Assets: Generally speaking, the cost of human assets to a company is significant. The cost of the personnel assets is estimated at 10 X Total Building Operating Costs, and 10 X Total Energy Costs of a workplace setting.
Research shows that the following improves with interior plantscapes:
Employee Reaction Times – Improved 12% in tests with measured stress responses
In stressful situations:
Visual Access to Plant Settings produces significant recovery from stress within five minutes.
(Research: Dr. Richard Ulrich, Texas A&M University)
Employee Satisfaction – Employees frequently have a “Green Thumb Passion”
- Studies have shown that the indoor work environment is important at many different levels, especially in worker productivity. (ASID-The Impact of Interior Design on the Bottom Line. )
- In fact, the American Society of Training & Development says “Companies are focusing on the physical workplace as a key component of their corporate strategy to improve productivity. (” ASID-The Impact of Interior Design on the Bottom Line.)
- Research has found that: “Office workers are more likely, and willing to log an extra hour per day given the right workplace designs.” (The Gensler 2006 U.S. Workplace Survey )
“The effect of office design on companies’ bottom line for worker productivity in the U.S. is estimated to be at least $330 billion annually.” (The Gensler 2006 U.S. Workplace Survey
Efficiency: Under controlled conditions, people working in a windowless college computer lab reacted 12% faster to computer tasks, were less stressed (lower blood pressure) and felt more attentive than those working in a room with no plants. (Source: Lohr, V.I., C.H. Pearson-Mims, and G.K. Goodwin. Journal of Environmental Horticulture 14(2):97-100
Improved Thinking Capacity: In an 8 month study, men and women exhibited more innovative thinking in workplace settings that included plants and flowers.
Men generated 15% more ideas when plants were present.
Women generated better ideas! (more creative, flexible solutions to problems.)
(Source: Roger Ulrich, Texas A&M University. Photo: BMW offices in Germany.)
Workers who spend at least 4 hours per day on a computer showed a significant improvement in efficiency and concentration when plants were present. (Source: Berg, J. A.; Constructing for people - perception of the quality of the working environment )
Reaction Time: Research also shows that we have 12% quicker reaction rate on computer tests, when plants are present in the room. We are more productive! (Source: Lohr, V.I., C.H. Pearson-Mims, and G.K. Goodwin. Journal of Environmental Horticulture 14(2):97-100
Example of a highly productive work environment:
Indoor plants can Improve Our Health!
Indoor plants can help reduce absenteeism.
A workplace well-being study shows in offices without plants workers were absent 3.6 days because of poor air quality complaints.
(Source: John Bergs, The Effect of Healthy Workplaces on the Well-being and Productivity of Office Workers )
Common Office Chemical Emissions:
Formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, chloroform, ammonia, acetone and others (Emissions come from ceiling tiles, copy machines, particleboard, carpeting materials, computers… and more of our common components of an office setting.
Common complaints of office workers: Cough, Headache, Sore Throats, Dry Skin
|
Employee
complaint
|
% Sympotom
Reduction
|
|
Fatigue
|
20%
|
|
Headache
|
30%
|
|
Sore Throats
|
30%
|
|
Coughs
|
40%
|
|
Dry Skin
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25%
|
|
In a two year study in 51 offices, health symptoms were 23% less in offices with plants.
(Source: Fjeld, T., et al. "Effect of Indoor Foliage Plants on Health and
Discomfort Symptoms Among Office Workers," )
The #1 office toxin, formaldehyde, was rapidly eliminated by commonly used office plants.
(Source: Wood, R. A., et al. "Study of Absorption of VOCs by Commonly Used Indoor Plants" )
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
Removal Rate
(Micrograms/Hours)
|
|
Boston Fern
|
Nephrolepsis exaltata
“Bostonensis”
|
1863
|
|
Dwarf date palm
|
Phoenix roebellini
|
1385
|
|
Bamboo palm
|
Chamadorea seifrizii
|
1350
|
|
Janet Craig
|
Dracaena deremensis
|
1328
|
|
English ivy
|
Hendera Helix
|
1120
|
|
Weeping fig
|
Ficus benjamina
|
940
|
|
Peace lily
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Spathiphyllum “Clevelandii”
|
939
|
|
Areca palm
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Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
|
938
|
|
Corn plant
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Dracaena fragrens “Massangeana”
|
938
|
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Lady palm
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Rhapis excelsa
|
876
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Plants Cost Less than Most Corporate Décor Items –
Yet the Workplace is Perceived as More Expensive-Looking with Effective Interiorscaping.
The following research facilities, and many more, have done significant research on the effective use
of plants in office environments:
- NASA – John Stennis Space Center
- Oxford University
- University of Surrey
- Unifi Network, Westport, CT
- California – OSHA
- JCAHO
- Texas A&M Univ.
- Washington State University
- University of Tennessee
- US Dept of Agriculture
- Int’l Society of Arbiculture
- “Plants at Work”
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