Biophilic design is not just an aesthetic choice, but a critical evolution in workplace design. As work becomes increasingly digital and flexible, the traditional office is transforming into a dynamic, nature-integrated environment. We speak with Jeremy Myerson, design writer, co-founder of WORKTECH Academy and Professor Emeritus in the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art, who argues that the future workplace must move beyond sterile, industrial spaces to create settings that support human well-being, align with natural rhythms, and enhance productivity. This means incorporating elements like natural light, green spaces, vertical gardens, and designs that connect workers with the natural world. The post-pandemic workplace is no longer about containing workers, but about creating flexible, health-affirming spaces that recognize humans as part of a living ecosystem. Biophilic design, in Jeremy's vision, is the key to reimagining work as a holistic experience that nurtures both human potential and ecological connection.
He shares with us highlights from his recent book "Unworking," and traces the fascinating evolution of workplace design and champions biophilic principles as a critical solution to our modern work challenges.
The journey begins with agrarian societies, where work was intimately connected to nature - tasks performed on kitchen tables, in fields, and closely aligned with natural rhythms. The industrial revolution dramatically changed this relationship, creating artificial, efficiency-driven environments that systematically separated workers from the natural world. “We created an artificial internal environment in which to work, and the idea of technology, process and industrialisation was very much about conquering nature and resisting nature and separating nature from how we work. We pushed nature back at the end of the 19th century. We kept it at bay during the 20th century. And now we're beginning to think, well, actually, more natural ways of working, outdoor space, access to natural light and clean air, closeness to plants and greenery. All of this helps working life, but we're having to kind of put in a superhuman effort to try and bring back something that was naturally part of our existence. There's a certain irony in that there.”
Workplaces became sterile containers designed to maximize productivity, with little consideration for human well-being or natural connections.
Jeremy identifies three distinct phases of workplace evolution: the age of efficiency, the age of community, and the age of network. Each phase represents a gradual recognition that workers are not machines, but complex beings who thrive in more holistic environments.
Today, we're entering a transformative fourth phase where biophilic design isn't just a nice-to-have, but a fundamental requirement. Digital technologies have liberated work from fixed locations, allowing for more flexible, nature-integrated approaches.
For Jeremy, biophilic design extends beyond mere aesthetics. It's about creating environments that support human health, productivity, and well-being. His work with the Healthy City Design Congress emphasises reconnecting public health with urban planning - a relationship that was intrinsic during the Victorian era but was lost during industrialisation.
We discuss innovative workplaces like GSK's London headquarters, which features a vertical farm, sit-stand desks, and carefully managed work environments. Booking.com's Amsterdam office demonstrates how biophilic principles can create socially permeable spaces that connect with broader community needs.
Biophilia in society extends beyond individual workspaces and places to entire urban landscapes. Jeremy advocates for the "15-minute city" concept, where essential services are accessible within a short walk or cycle, for example Paris design. This approach integrates nature, reduces car dependency, and creates more human-centric urban environments.
"We're trying to reconnect something that industrialisation broke," Jeremy says. His magic brush of biophilia would paint cities with more vegetation, slower traffic, and spaces that prioritise human and ecological well-being.
The future of work, according to Jeremy, is not about returning to traditional office models but creating diverse, flexible strategies that blend work and life. Hybrid working, technological integration, and biophilic design are key components of this transformation.
For Jeremy, biophilic design represents more than an architectural trend. It's a fundamental reimagining of how we interact with our environments, recognising that human productivity and well-being are intrinsically linked to our connection with nature.
If we embrace biophilic principles, we can create environments that support human potential, ecological sustainability, and a more holistic approach to work and urban living.
Find out more about the Health City Awards 2025, which aim to celebrate and recognise professional and research excellence in the design and planning of healthy and sustainable cities and communities around the world, with entries being accepted until 4 September 2025. https://www.healthycitydesign.global/images/uploads/docs/HCD2025_Awards_Call_for_Entries.pdf
To enter visit: https://www.healthycitydesign.global/awards/submission-process
To learn more about the Worktech academy: https://www.worktechacademy.com
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