Computer screens, cubicle walls, bad posture, noisy coworkers — those are just some of the less-than-glamorous things you might associate with working in an office setting. What if, instead, your office building tenants thought about sunshine, outdoor lunch meetings, and sweet-smelling flowers.
Commercial property managers of office buildings/parks are uniquely positioned to improve their tenants’ productivity and well-being through corporate gardens — thoughtfully designed and maintained interactive landscapes.
Whether your corporate garden blends outdoor seating and walking paths into the landscape or encourages office workers to
get their hands a little dirty, well-documented research has proven that there are multiple therapeutic benefits of landscapes and gardens on people.
6 Benefits Of Therapeutic Garden Design For Office Parks
Whether you call it a corporate garden, therapy garden, or office garden, having a landscape or garden in a place with your tenant’s health and well-being in mind can also appeal to prospective tenants as well as your surrounding community.
The following six points explain the positive impact therapeutic garden design can have on tenants in an office park setting.
Improved Memory
A University of Michigan study published in 2008 found that more time spent outside in close proximity to plants can help increase memory retention by up to 20 percent. Studies have also shown that time spent in and around plants can increase an employee’s attention span and improve concentration and productivity.
Stress Reduction
Corporate gardens that encourage employees to prune, pluck or pick up a watering can play an essential role in helping reduce an employee’s stress. In addition, activities related to gardening offer those under pressure a distraction and a way to divert our attention to something stress-free and good for the environment — like nurturing a plant.
Follow a hummingbird from blossom to blossom, or stop and smell the roses. Sometimes, the visual stimulation from a professionally designed commercial landscape is enough to reduce stress and anxiety, too.
Encourages On-Site Team Building
Many employers will budget for team-building activities, most of which take place off-site. Give them a reason to save on transportation costs and create a connection with your property. Just think about the team-building that can be accomplished — and community goodwill — by having raised beds installed to grow vegetables for the needy.
Increased Physical Activity
Today, office workers spend most, if not all, of their day behind a desk staring at a computer screen. Unfortunately, this desk-bound work life isn’t doing our health any favors. Any movement is good, and that’s why large commercial properties around the Atlanta area show more interest in adding walking and bike trails.
This is just one free and accessible way to encourage a more active lifestyle; it also gives tenants another reason to stay onsite. After all, there’s nothing better than heading out for a walk in the sunshine after a long morning of intense meetings — and then coming back reenergized, with a clear head and positive attitude.
Exterior spaces that welcome physical activity can also become a part of a company’s workplace wellness program, which can help reduce an employer’s health care costs.
Improved Social Interaction
According to research from Texas A&M, spending time around plants can positively impact the relationships we have with others — at home or in the office. Simply put, the more time people spend time with ornamental plants, observing them or caring for them, the more likely they’ll reach out to coworkers
and show empathy for them.
Safer Traffic Flow
Have you ever driven into work on autopilot? Or climbed into your car completely drained after a long day at the office? Unfortunately, both scenarios aren’t exactly the safest times to be behind the wheel.
The addition of high-impact, colorful flower beds to curbsides and medians can improve driver and pedestrian safety on your property.
Professionally landscaped medians and curbsides will help raise awareness of the presence of oncoming traffic lanes and pedestrian walkways. They can also introduce a sense of pride for employees because we associate beautiful landscapes and flower beds with a higher quality of life.
Could Your Commercial Property Benefit From Therapeutic Garden Design?
Think about it: Healthy, productive employees make for happy employers and renewed leases.
From outdoor seating arrangements to visually stimulating landscapes, HighGrove’s design team is made up of experienced planners and landscape architects who deliver custom solutions unique to each client’s requirements and budget.
Give HighGrove Partners a call at 678-298-0550, or use our simple contact form to set up a meeting with our design team.
Last modified: September 2, 2021
