Ambius partners with BRE on research project

READING, Penn. – Ambius teamed up with BRE, a building science center, as a core partner in the live, comprehensive study on the impact of biophilic design on office workers. Ambius plans to further quantify the impact of biophilic design principals, including plant life and the health, well-being and productivity of those within the office environment.

The research project is focused on a 7,000-square-foot 1980s office building on the BRE campus in Watford, United Kingdom, which is a town northwest of London. The building will be refurbished based on biophilic design principles. Ambius joins with BRE and Oliver Heath Design, along with other supporting partners to gather data on the benefits of biophilic design on health, well-being and productivity of office occupants. Biophilic design uses the principles of biophilia to create a human-centered approach to improve spaces.

Ambius and the core partners will use the 30-month project to evaluate various impacts of biophilic design on the office environment such as daylight, lighting, indoor air quality, acoustic, thermal and humidity comfort, as well as human factors, such as health, well-being and workplace behaviors. Office occupants will be provided with wearable technology that allows researchers to track key health metrics and gain insight into the impact of biophilic design. They will undergo confidential health evaluations and participate in a series of online surveys. The products used will also undergo evaluation to establish whether a health and well-being potential can be quantified at product level. Partners involved in the study expect the results to be available in early 2020.

“The biophilic office project will deepen the evidence base for the impact of interiors on occupant health and well-being,” said Ed Suttie, project director for The Biophilic Office. “Plants are a key component of biophilic design and to have Ambius as a project partner will ensure we maximize the opportunity, guided by research evidence, to create positive, healthier and more energizing workplaces of the future from the offices of the past.”

“Ambius’ long history of research into the benefits of plants in buildings and biophilic design to enrich and enhance working environments puts us in a unique position to contribute to the project,” said Kenneth Freeman, head of innovation at Ambius. “We look forward to playing an active part in the research and also gaining insights into how other elements of the interior design of offices can be used holistically to create healthy, engaging and effective workspaces, and to working closely with the other core partners in creating better offices in the future.”

Ambius’ participation will provide a firm foundation for guidance in the facility’s management and a design strategy, including tiers of interventions in zones within the office.

Other core partners in the research program include Interface, Biotecture, Akzo Nobel, Plantronics, Royal Ahrend, Coelux, Ecophon and GVA. More details on the project can be found online here.