Sadik and Kamardeen researched the professional implications of experiencing indoor nature (for example, inside plants, window views, pre-recorded nature sounds) and outdoor nature. They determined via a literature review that “indoor nature exposure contributes [positively] to social sustainability through its impact on workers’ health and motivation while outdoor nature exposure contributes [positively] to economic, environmental and social sustainability through its impact on workers’ restoration, stress reduction and stress coping. Workplace design should therefore embed both indoor and outdoor nature exposure to maximise impacts on employees. . . . Social sustainability, the human dimension of sustainable development, embodies essential aspects of human life including quality of life, health, employment and pleasant work. . . . Social sustainability therefore emphasises the significance of employees’ well-being and satisfaction to the global development agenda.”
Abdul-Manan Sadik and Imriyas Kamardeen. 2020. “Enhancing Employees’ Performance and Well-Being with Nature Exposure Embedded Office Workplace Design.” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 32, 101789,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.101789
Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.