Research Design Connections: Value of Green Design
Sansom reports on research (“Reap What You Sow: Valuing Workplaces That Grow Good Ideas”) conducted to quantify the value of environmentally responsible design. He shares that the completed study “demonstrates that an office with greenery and views to the outside could achieve up to a 200-per-cent uplift in wellbeing and environmental value compared with a typical workspace. . . both qualitative and quantitative methods to monitor participants’ wellbeing and environmental quality during each scenario. Qualitative methods included questionnaires and interviews, while sensors and wearable technology were used to collect quantitative data on air quality, heart rate, steps, sleep quality, noise level, and EEG (brain waves).” The research Sansome reports on was conducted by PLP Labs, Joyce Chan-Schoof (Loughborough University), Derek Clements-Croome (University of Reading), and the Benholm Group. Sansome also shares that “Biophilic design features include green walls, pot plants, skylights, water features, and wood furniture. These aspects can add …