I'm looking for examples of well-done 'greenery' in offices.
April 2, 2013 1:32 AM Subscribe
We're in the process of preparing a new workroom for our staff, and I want to create a very pleasant open and 'green' environment - green in the sense of having plenty of plants in the space. Around twenty years ago, I made a business visit to an art supply shop in Seattle (Daniel Smith) and was taken into their backroom office space for discussions. They had created an astonishing environment. It was done in redwood and greenery; each person's workspace was on a different level - up or down a few steps - and separated from the others by plantings. It had a perfect balance between privacy and openness, and the whole place had a real magical feeling to it. I would love to replicate that kind of 'feel'.
I wrote to them a while back, asking if it would be possible to see a few photos of the space, to help us with our own planning and design, but they didn't reply. I've done a ton of Google searching on office design and layout involving greenery, etc. looking for other ideas and inspiration, but have turned up nothing of particular interest.
Can you recommend sources of ideas and inspiration for us to use in our planning? I want tons of greenery, and would like to create a space that is fun to be in, and yet is of course practical, in terms of noise reduction, personal communications, and privacy, etc. I would appreciate any and all suggestions. (And if anybody could turn up photos of the office I saw in Seattle that day, it would be a huge bonus!)
I wrote to them a while back, asking if it would be possible to see a few photos of the space, to help us with our own planning and design, but they didn't reply. I've done a ton of Google searching on office design and layout involving greenery, etc. looking for other ideas and inspiration, but have turned up nothing of particular interest.
Can you recommend sources of ideas and inspiration for us to use in our planning? I want tons of greenery, and would like to create a space that is fun to be in, and yet is of course practical, in terms of noise reduction, personal communications, and privacy, etc. I would appreciate any and all suggestions. (And if anybody could turn up photos of the office I saw in Seattle that day, it would be a huge bonus!)
The design needs to be dictated in part by the needs of the plants. How much natural light is going to enter this room? There are not many indoor plants that will tolerate near zero natural light (not being near a window that gets at least strong indirect light). On the other hand, if there are floor to ceiling windows on two sides or skylights, you should have plenty to work with.
posted by slow graffiti at 5:05 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by slow graffiti at 5:05 AM on April 2, 2013
Response by poster: natural light?
Our space has floor to ceiling glass doors along one entire (long) wall (north facing). Lots and lots of light, although plants here will never know the feel of direct sunshine.
posted by woodblock100 at 5:17 AM on April 2, 2013
Our space has floor to ceiling glass doors along one entire (long) wall (north facing). Lots and lots of light, although plants here will never know the feel of direct sunshine.
posted by woodblock100 at 5:17 AM on April 2, 2013
Tons of greenery is a large time concern, maintaining healthy out-of-climate plants is tricky. Lots of things will grow in indirect light no problem but humidity in all seasons & watering & pests are all things that need to be taken into account... I'd recommend contacting an interiorscaping business in your area.. it's what they do! They may be even better at pointing out local resources than Mefi.
posted by RollingGreens at 7:58 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by RollingGreens at 7:58 AM on April 2, 2013
For inspiration on the type of plants, this TED talk features a guy that has done some great research and deployed some great green spaces: How to Grow Your Own Fresh Air.
posted by HopStopDon'tShop at 8:10 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by HopStopDon'tShop at 8:10 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
My office has some left-over potted bamboo like this that has lasted forever, looks nice, and has access to very little natural light. Very low maintenance.
posted by ablazingsaddle at 9:47 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by ablazingsaddle at 9:47 AM on April 2, 2013
Look at plant walls, vertical gardens and greenwalls.
posted by shoesietart at 10:05 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by shoesietart at 10:05 AM on April 2, 2013
We have a (smallish) plant wall in our office, which is below ground level and has zero windows. For the last two years, the greenery has been surprisingly happy with our modern fluorescent lights.
So with those windows you should have NO trouble, just pick shade-friendly plants.
posted by you're a kitty! at 7:35 PM on April 2, 2013
So with those windows you should have NO trouble, just pick shade-friendly plants.
posted by you're a kitty! at 7:35 PM on April 2, 2013
Response by poster: A plant wall is unfortunately not going to be suitable for us; we need the available wall space for storage cabinets, etc.
posted by woodblock100 at 7:46 PM on April 2, 2013
posted by woodblock100 at 7:46 PM on April 2, 2013
A plant wall doesn't have to be against a wall, it can be a divider suspended from the ceiling or built on a structure that rests on the floor.
posted by shoesietart at 2:47 AM on April 4, 2013
posted by shoesietart at 2:47 AM on April 4, 2013
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Interior design: Pinterest
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:22 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]