Hire Plants have been installing and maintaining plants in commercial interior settings for 40 years.
Our depth of experience and focus
on customers enables us to provide flexible, innovative and sustainable planting
solutions.
Having designed, installed and
maintained interior plantscapes of all types and sizes over many years, we
enjoy sharing our knowledge, experience and passion for plants to help people
enhance their environments and create ‘plantscapes with purpose’.
This guide is designed to help
designers and facilities managers understand and consider the key factors which
contribute to successfully using plants in commercial interiors.
Good reasons to use plants in commercial interior design
1. Emotional
Biophilia is the idea that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature.
“Biophilic Design can reduce stress, enhance
creativity and clarity of thought, improve our well-being and expedite healing;
in today’s urban lifestyle these qualities are ever so important”[1]
In our built environments, people
are becoming increasingly disconnected from experiences and exposure to
nature. More and more, the presence of
live plants in our everyday indoor settings is providing that link to our
innate need. This positively rubs off on our overall impression of the places
where we spend time.
Improved mental engagement and
overall happiness are reportedly realised by visual connections with nature.
Reconnecting people with nature through biophilic design plays a role in our
improved health and well-being.
In spaces such as waiting areas,
hospitality areas and open plan offices, where the volume of people fluctuates,
plants, literally bring ‘consistency of life’ to an area and help create a more
stable and consistent impression of an environment, regardless of the number of
people and level of energy present.
Studies have shown that:
“Offices with very high results for perceived productivity, health, and
overall comfort of the work area [presented] a human-centered approach to
interior design […] and implemented biophilic design principles”[2]
The use of
plants and green features such as vertical gardens and walls are key to improving
spatial comfort and overall satisfaction. In open plan offices they allow
workers to work more efficiently and help with the balance of collaborative
working and the need for work tasks requiring privacy and concentration.
Looking to hospitality, today’s
customers are looking for a more customised experience, millennials more
specifically, who will make up the three quarters of the workforce by 2025 are
especially sensitive to memorable moments. They value and seek experiences that
go above and beyond the usual service which is no longer enough to create loyal
guests.
“Biophilic design and décor are strong factors to
create memorable guest experiences and therefore should be a main driver in
design choices for the hospitality industry. “[3]
Hospitality venues that can support
a feeling of escape, comfort and socialisation with plants will likely
encourage longer dwell times and support better guest experiences that will
lead to increased revenues.
Wellness is the focus of all
trends, and biophilic design supports a multisensory experience that takes
wellness to the next level for its guests. The presence of green features will
emphasize the natural connections guests are craving.
2. Practical
One plant many purposes
As well as the enjoyment benefits for people, the use of plants in interior commercial design can simultaneously serve a number of practical purposes, making them a versatile component in achieving design objectives.
In the case of floor standing plant
installations, the added benefit of being moveable provides the versatility to
adapt to changing requirements of different spaces.
What makes a good plantscape?
When using plants within interior commercial design, some of the elements which go into a good plantscape and make it effective in the long term include:
• Achieves a purpose. Having a clear reason for using plants is the first place to start. This purpose is understood by asking ‘what will people be doing in this area?’, ‘how do they want to feel?’, ‘what practical requirements need to be met with the use of plants?’.
• Adds to people’s
experience. Whether it is for customers, general public or
employees, thinking about how the plants add to people’s enjoyment ensures that
plants are well located for maximum visual and practical benefit.
• Is
sustainable. Plant
choices need to ensure that the plants will thrive and will be cost effective
in the long term. The ongoing investment
of maintaining plants (correlating with volume) also needs to be sustainable
from a client’s perspective.
• Consistent
quality and presentation. Continuity of quality and presentation is
important in maintaining the overall impact of plants. One of the big advantages of hiring plants is
that their replacement is usually included in the hire pricing meaning plants
are more likely to be swapped faster and won’t be left in an unhealthy state.
• Minimal
disruption to maintain. Thought needs to be given to how and when plants
will be serviced and maintained. Health
and safety requirements may mean that access to plants at height for instance
may need to take place when other people aren’t around.
Practical Considerations when planning / designing indoor plantscapes
When planning the use of plants in interior commercial
design, giving thought to a number of practical considerations ensures that a
planting design is workable and fit for purpose.
1. Planter
size
The most often overlooked
consideration in interior plantscape design is what the plants need to grow in. Adequate space for the grow containers and
sub irrigation needs to be allowed for. Larger plants need more soil for a healthy root system to develop, to
retain adequate water between service visits, and to remain upright and stable.
With the exception of large
interior gardens, indoor plants are generally kept in their growing containers
which are then staged inside the decorative planter. While space needs to be allowed for these
separate containers, it provides for healthier plants and makes plants easier
to exchange as required.
2. Watering
considerations
How plants are watered needs to be
understood in considering placement and design of plantscapes. Planters need to be waterproofed, and
generally a liner or sub irrigation system that the plant sits in inside the
planter or presentation container is used. For watering this allows the plant access to enough water between
servicing visits and also protects other interior elements from water damage.
If larger interior installations
such as plant walls and interior gardens are to be run on an automated
irrigation system, water connection points and drainage need to also be
considered.
3. Growing conditions
Various conditions will impact
plant choices. Plants vary in their tolerance of shade, natural light levels,
strong sunlight, temperature and exposure to wind. Hire Plants can advise on plant varieties that
are best suited to conditions and match the design brief.
Simply being indoors is enough for
many varieties of plants (such as fruit trees and most natives) to rapidly
deteriorate, drop leaves and become diseased.
4. Other environmental effects
Other environmental
effects such as proximity to heaters and vents, opening hours (e.g. closed with
the lights off all day) can impact the effectiveness of plants and can be
worked through during the design phase.
5. Accessibility
Accessibility for installation of
plants can sometimes be overlooked. While in some situations height equipment can be used, in other
situations stair and lift access may limit the size of what can initially be
installed. Once installed, access for
servicing and swapping plants is needed to provide the care and maintenance
necessary.
6. Availability
Plants need to be suited to the New Zealand environment. There are some restrictions on what is available and what can be imported into New Zealand. Increasingly stricter importation quarantine and inspection requirements has meant that some previously available plant types are no longer available in New Zealand.