Biophilic Design & WELL Certification: What Every Architect and Interior Designer Needs to Know
Biophilic Design & WELL Certification: What Every Architect and Interior Designer Needs to Know
The built environment has a profound effect on human health, cognition and performance. As an architect or interior designer, you already know this — but the research on biophilic design is now so compelling that ignoring it is no longer an option for anyone specifying commercial interiors.
Whether you're working on a corporate office fit-out, a hotel, a retail space or a healthcare facility, greenery is no longer just an aesthetic choice. It's a strategic one — with measurable, peer-reviewed outcomes for your clients and a direct pathway to WELL Building Standard v2 certification.
What the Research Actually Says
The statistics on biophilic design in commercial environments are striking — and they're backed by some of the most rigorous workplace research conducted in recent decades.
The Human Spaces Global Report (Interface, 2015)
The most comprehensive global study on biophilic design in the workplace surveyed 7,600 office workers across 16 countries. The findings were consistent across geographies, industries and job roles:
- Workers in environments with natural elements are 15% more creative
- Workers in biophilically designed spaces report 15% higher wellbeing scores
- 6% higher productivity measured among workers in green environments
University of Oregon — Elzeyadi, 2011
A landmark study from the University of Oregon found that:
- 10% of employee absences can be directly attributed to architectural environments that fail to connect occupants with nature
- Employees with direct views of nature average 57 sick days per year — compared to 68 days for those without
- That's 11 fewer sick days per employee, per year — simply from incorporating greenery into the design
Terrapin Bright Green — Economics of Biophilia, 2023
The most recent edition of this widely cited report calculated that organisations incorporating biophilic design can save approximately $2,000 per employee per year through reduced absenteeism alone.
For a 100-person office, that's $200,000 annually — before accounting for productivity gains.
ISS World
Research from ISS World found that productivity can improve by up to 12% when employees have access to natural elements and views of nature.
The Business Case in Summary
| Metric | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Creativity increase | +15% | Human Spaces, 2015 |
| Wellbeing improvement | +15% | Human Spaces, 2015 |
| Productivity gain | +6–12% | Human Spaces / ISS World |
| Absenteeism reduction | 10% fewer absences | University of Oregon, 2011 |
| Annual saving per employee | ~$2,000 | Terrapin Bright Green, 2023 |
| Sick days saved per employee | 11 days/year | University of Oregon, 2011 |
The ROI on biophilic design is not theoretical. It is documented, peer-reviewed and increasingly expected by sophisticated clients.
Biophilic Design and the WELL Building Standard v2
For projects pursuing WELL Building Standard v2 certification — now the leading healthy building standard globally — biophilic design contributes directly to credits across the Mind concept. Here's an honest breakdown of where plants help and where the distinction between living and artificial matters.
Where Plants — Including Artificial Plants — Contribute to WELL Credits
M02 Nature and Place
This is the primary biophilic design credit in WELL v2. It requires projects to integrate natural materials, patterns, shapes, colours, images or sounds alongside plants, water features or nature views into common spaces, shared seating areas and circulation routes. Importantly, the standard specifies "plants" — not "living plants" — meaning high-quality artificial plants satisfy this requirement. This credit applies to both precondition compliance and optimisation points.
M09 Enhanced Access to Nature
This optimisation credit awards points based on the percentage of workstations that have direct views of indoor plants, a natural landscape or an indoor water feature. Again, artificial plants qualify — and in dense urban office environments where external nature views are unavailable, indoor artificial plant installations become the primary way to achieve this credit.
M07 Restorative Spaces
This credit rewards dedicated restorative spaces that incorporate biophilic elements including plants, alongside lighting, acoustic and thermal comfort considerations. A well-designed breakout space or recharge room featuring artificial green walls or statement trees can contribute meaningfully to this credit.
M01 Mental Health Promotion
While not directly a plant credit, the broader Mind precondition requires spaces that support psychological restoration and wellbeing — an outcome that biophilic greenery, living or artificial, demonstrably supports based on the research cited above.
Where Living Plants Have an Advantage
It's important to be honest here — and an architect or designer audience will appreciate accuracy over oversell.
The WELL Air concept awards credits for improved indoor air quality. Living plants contribute to this through their well-documented ability to remove airborne pollutants and regulate bacterial diversity. Artificial plants provide no air quality benefit and cannot contribute to Air concept credits.
The optimal specification strategy for WELL-pursuing projects is therefore a combination approach:
- Artificial plants for high-impact visual biophilic elements — green walls, statement trees, trailing plants in circulation areas — where maintenance consistency and longevity are critical
- Living plants in targeted locations where air quality contribution is being pursued for WELL credits — typically breakout areas, meeting rooms and staff amenity spaces
This hybrid approach delivers the best of both: the psychological and certification benefits of comprehensive biophilic design, without the operational burden of maintaining living plants across an entire commercial fitout.
The Maintenance Problem — and Why It Matters for Your Clients
Here's the practical reality every commercial designer faces: specifying living plants across an entire commercial environment creates significant ongoing operational complexity for your clients.
The reality of living plants in commercial spaces:
- Regular watering schedules requiring dedicated staff time or a maintenance contract
- Seasonal replacement when plants fail or go out of season
- Pest management and disease control
- Inconsistent appearance during stress periods or holiday shutdowns
- Typical annual cost of $3,000–$10,000+ for a medium-sized office
For clients already managing complex facilities budgets, this is a material consideration that can — and often does — result in the greenery being removed or neglected within 12–18 months of handover, undermining both the design intent and the WELL certification basis.
High-quality artificial plants for the primary visual biophilic elements solve this entirely — delivering consistent appearance, zero maintenance, and the psychological benefits your clients are paying for, year after year.
What to Specify: A Designer's Guide
Artificial Green Walls
Artificial green walls are the highest-impact biophilic design element for commercial interiors. A feature green wall in a reception area, boardroom or open-plan office delivers:
- Immediate visual impact and biophilic stimulus supporting M02 and M09 credits
- An acoustic dampening effect — artificial green walls reduce sound reflection
- A zero-maintenance, long-term solution with no irrigation, no grow lighting and no replacement cost
Our outdoor green walls are available in multiple foliage types and custom panel configurations to suit any specification.
Statement Trees
Large-format artificial trees — fiddle leaf figs, olive trees, palms, bamboo — are the most versatile biophilic element for commercial interiors. They can be specified for:
- Reception and lobby areas
- Breakout and collaboration zones
- Restaurant and hospitality environments
- Retail display and visual merchandising
- Hotel lobbies and public atria
Browse our range of artificial indoor plants including large-format trees suitable for commercial specification.
Trailing and Hanging Plants
Ceiling-hung and trailing artificial plants add a layer of biophilic depth that ground-level planting alone cannot achieve — and contribute to M09 workstation view credits across more floor area. They work particularly well above workstation dividers, suspended from structural elements in double-height spaces, and along staircases and voids.
Plant Image — Specified by Architects and Designers Across Australia
Plant Image is a commercial-grade artificial plant supplier and installer working with architects, interior designers and developers on projects across Australia.
We are not a retail plant store. We are a design and installation business that understands commercial project timelines, specification requirements and the operational realities of delivering greenery solutions that last.
Our commercial portfolio includes: Medibank · Starbucks · McDonald's · QIC Shopping Centres · TGI Fridays · Betty's Burgers · The Continental Hotel · Rustique · Decant
We offer:
- Custom green wall design and installation
- Large-format tree and plant specification
- Australia-wide supply and installation
- Trade pricing for architects and designers
- Site visits and consultation for complex installations
Frequently Asked Questions
Do artificial plants count for WELL Building Standard credits? Yes — specifically for Mind concept credits M02, M09 and M07, which assess the visual and psychological presence of plants in a space. The standard specifies "plants" rather than "living plants" for these credits. However, artificial plants cannot contribute to Air concept credits, where living plants have a genuine advantage through air purification.
What is the WELL Building Standard? WELL v2 is the world's leading healthy building certification, assessing buildings across ten concepts: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community. It is managed by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and is now the primary standard for new commercial project registrations globally.
What combination of plants is best for a WELL-certified project? A hybrid approach works best: high-quality artificial plants for the primary visual biophilic elements (green walls, statement trees, circulation route planting) combined with living plants in targeted locations where air quality credits are being pursued. This maximises biophilic impact, minimises maintenance burden and supports the broadest range of WELL credits.
Can Plant Image work to an architect's specification? Yes — we work directly with architects and interior designers on commercial projects, providing trade pricing, custom sizing, technical documentation and Australia-wide installation.
Work With Us on Your Next Project
If you're working on a project where biophilic design is on the brief — or where you'd like to make the case for it — we'd love to be part of your supply chain.
Get in touch with our commercial team to discuss your project, request trade pricing, or arrange a site consultation.
📞 (03) 9466 4734