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W hen you think of office greening, what do you see? Individual pots of plant vegetating in
the corner of a room – or dense, green room oases with expansive, diverse plants? My mis-
sion is to establish the second vision much more strongly in the working worlds of today and to-
morrow. Often designers and entrepreneurs lack the time or specific experience to fully exploit the
design possibilities of interior greening. In my work as a greenterior designer, I try to unite all par-
ticipants in a trusting and appreciative exchange for the common goal: green offices that bring
long-lasting joy!
How can office environments be greened?

I found the keys to biophilic design by opening various doors that connect design with plants. Be-
hind the doors of companies, plants often already exist in offices. When an office expansion or re-
design is planned, the existing planting is continued – even if it does not correspond to the new
room concepts. Important parameters in these concepts are costs, both of acquisition and mainten-
ance. Just as rooms need care and there is a budget for it, plants need theirs. In return, they reward
us with constant growth and vitality. I sense a change that companies are becoming aware that an
appealing working atmosphere requires an attractive interior design. Green oases are one of many Foto: Pia Schweisser, Stuttgart / Innenarchitektur: Heller Designstudio, Stuttgart
factors that make this possible. The second door leads to the design offices and creative minds.
Many mood boards for new working environments show a mix of plant ideas, both indoors and
outdoors. Usually, they are atmospherically wonderful but not always feasible. My experience so
far is that olives don’t grow well in rooms and herbs and grasses don’t really live long indoors.
Bringing a mood that an olive grove or a Mediterranean landscape conveys indoors without using
the exact plants is a challenge that I am very happy to tackle. I also encourage designers to look
for colour nuances or shapes that have an equivalent in the nature of the space. This opens the Wachstum einplanen: Der Philodendron verdeckt bald die Metallstruktur.
third door – that of the nurseries. A place to be inspired, to exchange and to learn. I learned that
there are plants that look like olive trees and thrive indoors all year round. That there are house- Schafft Intimität ohne Abtrennung: eine luftige Blätterwand aus Strelitzien.
plants that flower and add incredible colour accents but can cope with almost any room climate.
Everything should be done in moderation, however, because just as people do not like extreme cli-
matic conditions in the office, plants also react sensitively after a certain point. Here I gained an
understanding of the different care earth cultures and hydroponics need and which is more suit-
able for large areas. It is possible to mix the two, because each has advantages and disadvantages
and different requirements. Hydroponics has the advantage that it allows the flexible combination
of different plants in one container, a so-called plant basin. Individual plants in individual contai-
ners also have a special aesthetic appeal. Larger containers are recommended for tree-like plants
or succulents. Expanded clay or clay pellets are hardly visible with dense planting, and the juxta-
position of the plants enhances their effect. In this way, a focal point can be created in just one
place in the room, which has a powerful effect and is easy to maintain.
Greenterior Design – More than just a pot plants Foto: Sarah Weiselowsk, Stuttgart / Innenarchitektur: Zindel Partner, Stuttgart

The connection to nature that can be created with indoor greenery is an added value for everyone
involved. It is an opportunity for designers and gardeners to make the requirements and wishes of
people in the offices of the present and future a reality and to develop a common language. Many
people now express the desire to surround themselves with greenery, and this greenery can find
its place in offices in so many different ways. The diversity can be effective not only in the quantity
of plants, but also in the thematic selection of plants. They are life-affirming elements that connect
people with nature – plants are a living building block of design. In my view, plants are spatial ar-
tists by virtue of their positive effect on people. They replace empty filing cabinets by providing
privacy and security as room dividers. Cleverly combined with acoustically effective materials that
serve as planters, they combine naturalness and functionality. They help create lively and popular
meeting places or simply serve as a natural screen background in digital meetings to replace fake
flower screens. The liveliness pf plants is subtle and the positive effect can be sensually experi-
enced. Instead of using plants as decorative fill-ins in the floor plan, it would be better to do wit-
hout greenery in the room or to group greenery in one place. Greenterior design is not only about
the question of how much or little light a plant needs, but also about whether a plant can have a
better effect on its own or in an arrangement. Since it has been customary for many employees in Plants at Work. An Inspirational
offices to nurture and care for their own plants at the workplace, desk sharing and remote work Guide to Greenterior Design
raise the question: what is the appropriate way of dealing with this in the future? I recommend Von Miriam Köpf
central places for plants that are equally accessible to all employees, where the concentrated power Erschienen 2021 im Verlag
of plants can unfold, such as in canteens, meeting rooms, coffee kitchens and lounges. In this way, avedition, Stuttgart.
plants can help to create appealing room layouts and changed workplace situations. The special Englisch. 208 Seiten. Hardcover.
thing about biophilic room elements: they are already alive now and grow into the future. Spaces Format: 17 x 24 cm. 39,00 EUR.
can be deliberately arranged with growth in mind. I suggest using this as an active design element! ISBN 978-3-89986-346-8

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