Authentically Green Interiors

Transcription

1 Athentically Green Interiors Optimizing Natres Technology A GREEN BUILD PRESENTATION PAPER PRESENTED NOVEMBER 10-12, 2004 PRESENTED BY: MCRAE ANDERSON, ASLA, CLP MCCAREN DESIGNS, INC. 760 VANDALIA ST. #100 ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA MCRAEA@MCCAREN.COM

2 Athentically Green Interiors Optimizing Natres Technology Or Green Bild Sponsors: Spporters of Plants at Work.org a national information program working in conjnction with the interiorscape indstry to inform professionals and the pblic abot the nmeros benefits of interior plants. Plants at Work.org is committed to commnicating this message to design professionals, facility and property managers, bilding owners and hman resorce exectives across the contry. A primary sponsor of Plants at Work is the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). MCCAREN DESIGNS who s projects go beyond the traditional applications of indoor foliage. Distinctive and niqe designs for each client s specification. Many of or clients are reexamining their approach to the people on which their profits rely - their employees, tenants and gests. They have discovered a beatiflly landscaped interior environment illstrates a caring attitde that translates into attracting and retaining employees and tenants and repeat bsiness. THIS DOCUMENT IS A COMPILATION OF RESOURCES BY: MCRAE ANDERSON, ASLA, CLP MCCAREN DESIGNS, INC. 760 VANDALIA ST. #100 ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA MCRAEA@MCCAREN.COM PRESENTED IN SUPPORT OF: A GREEN BUILD PRESENTATION PRESENTED NOVEMBER 10-12,

3 Athentically Green Interiors Optimizing Natres Technology Introdction There is growing recognition within the sstainability movement that to be trly effective, a green facility mst do more than effectively se natral resorces. These facilities need to nrtre the health, prosperity and general well being of the inhabitants of its spaces. The efficient se of or natral resorces is vitally important to or ftres. Energy and environmental related costs represent only a small portion of the fll costs of the facility. The hman capital that occpies a facility is, by far and away, the largest cost of any facility. Critical to a bilding s sccess is its impact on people, individally and collectively. A nmber of design factors impact the actions and reactions of people. One of these factors is Biophilia (the hman affinity for natral things) that contribtes to the well being of hmans in the bilt environment. Plants at Work.org (P@W) is an organization committed to bringing forward, and bringing to the attention of the design commnity, the most relevant and compelling findings on the environmental contribtions of plants to a bilding s interior. This article will draw pon several research reslts from arond the world that have soght to identify, assess and vale the benefits of interior plantings in bildings. Designers who sbscribe to the ideals of Hman Centered Sstainable Design (HCSD) believe that sch benefits are vital to a bilding s sstainability and as sch shold be incorporated into the gidelines sch as USGBC s LEED rating system. Until sch time as rating systems sch as LEED recognize the contribtion and vale of interior plantings, designers will need to do the right thing when challenged and contine to accommodate hman physical and psychological needs by inclding interior planting in their sstainable designs. Do the Right Things Later in this docment will be a review of two projects that Do the Right Thing. The Genzyme Center, the new corporate headqarters for Genzyme Corporation, combines innovative design and ctting-edge technology to achieve two goals: create an exciting new workplace for more than 900 Genzyme employees, and set a new standard in environmentally-responsible architectre. Designed by the award-winning German architectral firm Behnisch, Behnisch and Partner, the new bilding stands as a reflection of Genzyme's commitment to innovation, transparency, collaboration and the entreprenerial spirit. 3

4 Or second project will be the new 135,00 sqare foot Gelph Hmber bilding located on the north camps of Hmber College in Toronto. This project accommodates an academic partnership between the University of Gelph and Hmber College Institte of Technology and Advanced Learning. In the heart of the bilding is a for-story sky lit cort which offers an excellent informal gathering area and hoses a for story greenwall. The Integrated Learning Centre (ILC) tilizes "Green" bilding aspects to address environmental and sstainable technologies. These green design featres have been incorporated into the bilding for both environmental and pedagogical reasons. There are several major categories in bilding operation that have the potential for tilizing green ideas. The ILC has not only identified these areas, bt has also designed green featres to address environmental concerns in the different fields. What Or Hman Behavior Shows We love to garden The National Gardening Association is a well-known and widely recognized athority on the consmer lawn and garden market in the U.S. Since 1973, NGA has worked with the Gallp Organization to provide market research information for the lawn, garden, and nrsery indstries. The 2003 National Gardening Association's comprehensive stdy of consmer s gardening practices shows that eight ot of ten U.S. hoseholds (78%) or 84 million hoseholds participated in indoor and otdoor lawn and garden activities. This stdy also fond that total lawn and garden sales have increased at a compond annal growth rate of 5%. Or behavior also demonstrates that we love indoor gardening in that 58 million hosehold prchased indoor plants and spplies. This was the largest of all categories of prchase. What we do says a lot abot what we want to see in or workplace. Srveys also condcted by Unifi Network, Westport, Conn. indicate in order to attract and retain top employees, the workplace mst inclde aspects of what inspires employees dring off time. Perhaps the green thmb passion explains why hmanizing the workplace with green plants is a highly effective method to promote employee satisfaction. Copios stdies sch as those condcted by Dr. Ulrich and Dr. David Uzzell from Oxford University verify the positive effect plants have on employee perception and disposition. In the final analysis, marketing research (Krome Commnications, 2000) confirms that employee attitde and retention is a top incentive for corporations to se plants in their facilities. We personalize or offices with plants Hmans are notorios for sing material goods to show their individality. We se "things" to cstomize or homes, yards and cars to make them feel like or own. So why not do the same with or offices! In fact, eighty-five percent of office workers do jst that -- they decorate their workspace with personal belongings, according to a recent Steelcase Workplace Index. "People like to make the places they spend time in a reflection of who they are," said Pam Brenner, Manager of Workplace Isses, Steelcase Inc. "People take this to 42 percent personalize different degrees of personalization. The objects are an expression of the their offices with person, their interests and personality." Sixty-nine percent of those srveyed flowers and plants said they sed photographs to personalize or decorate their workspace, making it the most poplar techniqe. Respondents also said they personalize with flowers or plants (42 percent). "People want to have ownership over their space and feel 4

5 good abot where they spend the majority of their time," Brenner explained. "Given the changes taking place in today's workplace -- telecommting, downsizing, hoteling -- office workers want to create their own sense of secrity and stability. Srronding themselves with personal effects is one way to do that. Attitde and psychological well-being can have a major impact on prodctivity and job satisfaction." We are less stressed and more prodctive arond plants Hman assets are the most valable and expensive assets of any bsiness. In terms of cost per sqare foot, the hman asset is approximately 10 times the total bilding operating cost and nearly 100 times the energy cost. No matter how it is expressed, when a bsiness can give rise to personal prodctivity, the bsiness wins. It is widely known throgh the respected research done by Dr. Roger S. Ulrich of Texas A&M University, Helen Rssell, Srrey University, England as well as the recent stdies condcted by Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University that plants significantly lower workplace stress and enhance worker prodctivity. In Dr. Lohr s stdy, participants were 12 percent more prodctive and less stressed than those who worked in an environment withot plants. The stdy took place in a simlated office setting. Common interior plants were sed in a compter laboratory with 27 compter workstations. A compter program to test prodctivity and indce stress was specifically designed for these experiments. These experiments incorporated one hndred symbols and time-measred readings of participants reactions. They were presented in the same randomized seqence to each sbject. Blood pressre readings recorded, while sing the program, confirmed the program was effective in indcing stress. Emotional states and plses were also measred dring the experiment. Plants present and plants not present were the only variables that participants experienced. When plants were present, they were positioned so that a clster wold be in the peripheral view of each sbject sitting at a compter terminal, bt wold not interfere with the sbject s activity. In addition to demonstrating significant increases in their post-task attentiveness, sbject reaction time in the presence of plants was 12 percent faster than those in the absence of plants. The reslts, indicating an inflence of plants on blood pressre, are consistent with research condcted by Dr. Ulrich. Visal exposre to plant settings has prodced significant recovery from stress within five mintes. Several performance-based incentives to enhance employee prodctivity also give rise to stress, so the rare capability of plants to raise prodctivity while lowering stress is extremely valable. Design professionals cannot afford to ignore sch an efficient method to improve hman asset performance. 5

6 . We are willing to pay more in retail areas that inclde trees Retailers have long nderstood the importance of store environments in enhancing the shopping experience. Marketers have stdied the sitational inflences of prodct packaging and store layot on the behavior of shoppers (Engel et al. 1990). While bsiness people are keenly interested in the presentation of their prodct and store they often overlook "macro" level settings - the district that srronds their shop or office. Mattila and Wirtz (2002) extend the notion of Gestalt to consmers' perceptions of retail environments and demonstrated that consmers perceive the service-landscape holistically. Interior plants and landscapes create sitations more favorable for retail activity. When we shop in retail areas with "tree" verss "non-tree" environments we visit more freqently, stay longer, rate the qality of the prodcts 30% higher and are willing to pay abot 12% more for goods. Flowers and plants promote innovation and ideas In an eight-month stdy, the Texas A&M University research team explored the link between flowers and plants and workplace prodctivity. Participants performed creative problem solving tasks in a variety of common office environments or conditions. The conditions inclded a workplace with flowers and plants, a setting with sclptre and an environment with no decorative embellishments. Dring the stdy, both women and men demonstrated more innovative thinking, generating more ideas and original soltions to problems in the office environment that inclded flowers and plants. In these srrondings, men who participated in the stdy generated 15% more ideas. And while males generated a greater abndance of ideas, females generated more creative, flexible soltions to problems when flowers and plants were present. We know the importance of learning, for example, how natral srrondings affect drivers, school children and hospital patients, said Ulrich, who has condcted extensive research on the effects of environments on psychological well-being, stress and health. To bsinesses, it shold be eqally as important to nderstand what featres can improve performance at work and make employees more prodctive. An increasing nmber of companies are focsing on the physical workplace as a key component of their corporate strategy to improve prodctivity. And today, corporations are investing in people and what makes them more prodctive. People have a positive response to plants and planted environments. We inherently know a walk in the woods amidst natre refreshes or sol and revitalizes or spirit. Plants in or work environment connect with those same factors and make s more creative and more prodctive 6

7 What scientific research has shown Plant improve or health Real life office stdies have proven the direct relationship between clinical health complaints and plant installations. Sick Bilding Syndrome is a serios and expensive isse, and the degree to which interior plants can positively affect employees health is an important isse in today s workplace. Professor Tove Fjeld of the Agricltral University in Oslo, Norway carried ot several conclsive stdies regarding health claims relating to Sick Bilding Syndrome among workers. This crossover stdy was condcted among 51 offices. Dring one period, plants were inclded in the offices. And dring another, plants were not inclded. All participants worked in identical, single offices, with a floor area of ten sqare meters and a window covering most of the oter wall. When plants were inclded, the participants were exposed to 13 commonly sed foliage plants placed in three containers on a window bench, and a terracotta container with plants in the back corner of the office. Data from the stdy can be fond in the table below. Recorded Health Improvements after the Introdction of Interior Plants AILMENT % REDUCTION Fatige 20% Headache 30% Sore/dry throats 30% Coghs 40% Dry facial skin 25% It was fond that the score sm, as a mean of 12 symptoms, was 23% lower dring the period when the participants had plants in their offices (mean score sm was 7.1 dring the period withot plants, vs. 5.6 dring the period with plants (P=0.002)). If the symptoms were clstered, a significant redction was obtained in nero-psychological symptoms and in mcos membrane symptoms, while skin symptoms seemed to be naffected by the plant intervention (Fjeld et al. 1998). Plant improve indoor air qality Plant leaves can absorb certain organic chemicals and destroy them throgh a process called metabolic breakdown. A grop of German scientists proved this when they labeled formaldehyde with a radioactive carbon 14 tag and followed its absorption and metabolic destrction inside a spider plant (Chlorophytm comosm). The formaldehyde was metabolized and converted into tisse prodcts sch as organic acids, sgars and amino acids as demonstrated by the radioactive carbon 14 tag. This information was pblished in the Plant Physiology Jornal in Martina Giese, Ulrike Baer-Doranth, C. Langebartels, and Henrich Sanderman, Jr. Detoxification of formaldehyde by the spider plant (Chlorophytm comosm). Plant Physiology, 1994, 104:

8 . When plants transpire water vapor from their leaves, they pll air down arond their roots. This spplies their root microbes with oxygen. The root microbes also convert other sbstances in the air, sch as toxic chemicals, into a sorce of food and energy. Microbes, sch as bacteria, can rapidly adapt to a chemical contaminant by prodcing new colonies that are resistant to the chemical. As a reslt, they become more effective at converting toxic chemicals into food the longer they are exposed to the chemicals. It is also important to remember that the efficiency of plants as a filtering device decreases as the concentration of chemicals in the air decreases. For example, the removal rate of a chemical is mch higher at 7 parts per million (ppm) exposre than at 2 ppm. (Information taken from stdy listed above.) Plants redce IAQ related absenteeism According to stdies done by JCAHO, IAQ (indoor air qality) related absenteeism has been on an alarming pswing. In recent stdies 40% of absenteeism was attribted to IAQ related illnesses. Similarly, the same report demonstrates an increase of Worker Compensation Claims from 1980 to 1994 for IAQ related isses. The nmber of sch cases rose by almost 5000 claims within that period and has contined to rise over the last five years. Data from Bio-Safe Incorporated confirms that withot the air filtering provided by live plants, energy efficient, sealed office strctres are often 10 times more pollted than the air otside! Research shows that plant-filled rooms contain percent fewer disease casing airborne molds and bacteria than rooms withot plants. For almost twenty years Dr. William C.Wolverton and his aids in the Environmental Research Laboratory of John C. Stennis Space Center have been condcting innovative research employing natral biological processes for air prification. We ve fond that plants have been fond to sck these chemicals ot of the air, he says. After some stdy, we ve nraveled the mystery of how plants can act as the lngs and kidneys of these bildings. The plants clean contaminated office air in two ways. They absorb office polltants into their leaves and transmit the toxins to their roots, where they are transformed into a sorce of food for the plant. Wolverton has fond that plants are especially needed in office bildings in which sick bilding syndrome is common. He goes so far as to sggest that everyone have a plant on his or her desk, within what he calls the personal breathing zone. This is an area of six to eight cbic feet where yo spend most of yor working day. Jay Naar, athor of Design for A Livable Planet, sggests 15 to 20 plants are enogh to clean the air in a 1,500 sqare foot area. 8

9 Prodctivity and Plants The direct relationship between office workers' prodctivity and the presence of plants was, ntil several years ago, somewhat speclative and had not been demonstrated in scientific research. Fortnately, in recent years, research reslts have become available that throw some light on the effects of plants on the wellbeing of people in offices and schools (Fjeld, 1999). A similar stdy was carried ot in the Netherlands, at the Winterswijk Tax Office, where the inflence of plants on prodctivity was closely monitored (Van Dortmont, 2001). The stdy was carried ot sing a control grop (withot plants) and a test grop (with plants) in comparable areas of the bilding. Before and after measrements were taken with the help of a qestionnaire. Physical measrements were also taken. 250 employees were involved in the test. The before measrements showed the bilding scored lower than standard for air qality and eqipment. This led to a higher than standard rate of health problems in terms of eye, throat and nose complaints. The most significant findings of the stdy are: 1. the test grop (with plants) rated the factor wellbeing more favorably than the control grop (the factor is created p by giving ratings to feelings sch as calm, harassed, relaxed, cheerfl, depressed, self-assred, stressed) 2. the same applied to the ratings for the qality of the working area - the differences that were fond are more explicit for the grop of employees who work for more than 4 hors a day in front of a compter screen 3. with plants their prodctivity improved, especially in terms of efficiency; the strongest links were fond in the context of fnctional eqipment and privacy 4. the strongest link was fond with experimental grop (R 2 =0,65) those working at compter terminals. The most explicit variables are the ratings assigned for qality of the working environment and wellbeing 5. loss of concentration dropped, i.e. concentration improved, in the test grop (with plants) 6. other environmental factors: static electricity and daylight were rated better (with plants) Reslts of stdies into perception of the work environment, with negative complaints being expressed abot health, comfort, well-being, sick leave, prodctivity loss and less stdied aspects sch as redced motivation, creativity, etc. do not sally make their way to facility managers. It shold come as no srprise that a poor qality workplace, casing health and comfort complaints, redce prodctivity. Hmidity Levels Another Important Factor in Health Plants not only control the toxin levels in the air, bt also hmidity. Interior plants are vital to maintaining the approved hman comfort range for relative hmidity in offices. A stdy condcted by Virginia Lohr, Ph.D., at Washington State University determined that when plants were placed in offices, the relative hmidity increased significantly and actally 9

10 . stabilized at the recommended range of 30 to 60 percent. In the absence of plants, the relative hmidity in offices was slightly below the recommended range for hman comfort levels. Hmidity levels play an important role in employee health. When hmidity levels are too low yo are more likely to develop a cold or catch the fl. And, when levels are too high yo are more vlnerable to disease and illness. Plants contribte to interior hmidity by adding moistre to the air throgh transpiration and secondarily throgh evaporation from growing media and drainage dish srfaces. The relative hmidity in the stdied offices stabilized becase the plants either natrally redced their levels of transpiration when relative hmidity was high or increase the rate of transpiration, ths adding hmidity, when relative hmidity was lower. The stdy docmented that plants did not contribte excessive amonts of moistre to any of the interior spaces stdied. Researchers recorded the relative hmidity of office space in a bilding with a central, forced air system in the presence and absence of plants. Measrements were taken dring for consective winter months. Once each week, plants were added or removed as reqired. Hmidity and temperatre were recorded every six hors. A variety of plant species were sed. Air exchange rates were estimated to average one to two air changes per hor. Most bildings do not have systems to maintain hmidity within desirable ranges. Those with systems often have problems with hmidifiers that become contaminated by microorganisms, which can case hman disease. When the relative hmidity of interior air is too low, workers develop colds and virs infections more freqently. These statistics have become an important tool for today s environmentally efficient corporate designers and facility managers. U.S. Energy Systems Inc. a growing energy company, is enthsiastically endorsing the se of indoor plants. Ssan Odiseos, V.P. of Corporate Commnications states We practice what we preach and find that or investment in interior plant services has had the expected otcome of improving indoor air qality, spporting a positive otlook in the workplace and increasing employee prodctivity. She contined interior plants are a solid retrn on investment and a MUST for any corporation concerned with sstainable, green bilding soltion. Plants provide a physical srronding, that is more comfortable to live and work in, by prifying the air, moderating temperatres, removing polltants from the air and increasing relative hmidity. When asked specifically if the physical workplace wold have an inflence on their decision to accept a position, two ot of five employees said it wold. Half said the physical workplace wold impact their decision to leave a position. Bildings are habitats for people; being in the right place is an important determinant of srvival and well being. Given or affinity for natre, it is hardly srprising that many large bilding complexes create indoor parks with large trees and plants, water featres, daylight, mltiple view corridors, an interior big sky, and comfortable retreats. Bilders and developers wold not be likely to invest in sch costly aesthetic toches if they didn t believe sch amenities had positive payoffs. People have a positive response to plants and planted environments and they prodce a positive economic retrn. 10

11 What good examples show The Genzyme Center Winning companies show a consistent attitde abot creating a positive workplace for interaction among employees. The Genzyme Center is an example of a company doing the right things and this bilding was chosen as an AIA Top Ten Green Project for Genzyme Center s corporate headqarters offices 900 employees and incldes an employee cafeteria, a library, eighteen indoor gardens, training rooms, a conference center, cafes, and pblic retail space. Genzyme Center was created as a symbol of progress to represent a point of identification for the company, its employees, and visitors. The goal of the design was to develop a bilding from the inside ot, from the individal working environment to the overall complex strctre of the bilding. Largely de to the collaboration of the design team, developer, client, and constrction team, this led to an environmentally friendly, highly commnicative, and innovative signatre bilding. Did project architects Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner of Venice, CA set ot to make Genzyme Center a Green Bilding? No, Genzyme Center was designed from the inside ot according to Architect Stephan Behnisch. The design of this bilding has been focsed from the otset on the people who work and live in this bilding. It is or conviction that since people spend a significant portion of their lives working, that their working place shold be as friendly, as hman as possible. As we know hmans are not normative they are individals, and we shold help create an appropriate environment. An environment that they can inflence, that they can adapt, that allows them to connect to the real world and the natral world. Together with the client (and it takes a great client to bild a great bilding) we discssed the possibility of creating a place for the responsible hman to live and work. Genzyme CEO Henri Termeer, who was as instrmental in the design and direction of the project as the project architects, had a strong position on the direction and the process they sed to create their headqarters: We needed to do the right things. This project needed to be consistent with or prpose to innovate, to create new standards and to go beyond the norm. When yo bild a plant yo bild an engineering marvel. When yo bild an office yo need to think abot it, how to make it an interesting experience, an important experience, an innovative experience, a learning experience. This project needed to be consistent with or vales and or prpose. It needs to be transparent, needs to be open, needs to be inviting and all of this, of corse, happens throgh the people so the bilding has to work, as to be inviting for the employees to work together with regard to their privacy as well. Genzyme sed an initial competition to select their architect. Henri Termeer explained the selection process and how he responded: The first for architects presented beatifl bildings, beatifl glass bildings, beatifl models. It s nbelievable how beatifl this can look. States Sclptres bt they didn t really qite make the connection. Yo really need to think abot other stff then 11

12 the fifth architect came in empty handed. nothing, no bilding, no drawing, no model and he said, let me talk abot what I think a bilding shold look like and he spoke to s abot a bilding from the inside ot not from the otside in and it was a magnificent experience to think throgh what it means when yo re in a bilding how it comes to life for yo it doesn t take an otside shell, it takes words, the concept and the sensitivity of the bilding to make the experience in which to begin with. The architect spoke of how innovation and technology trly can deliver a green bilding, an environmentally friendly bilding is a life science. Innovation that comes from the possibilities of making a bilding green, make a bilding friendly in that way, it makes a bilding a new standard in that way. It is consistent with or prpose, what we do every day. He went on frther in or discssions to speak to the desired reslts of bilding, a ser friendly bilding, a bilding where collaboration is the key reslt: We are in a facility together, in an environment where yo can become creative and where creativity mst lead to innovation. And this facility can provide additional energy at least for one grop of people to make an important contribtion. If we are sccessfl together we will make a difference in the lives of many people. Frther discssions with the project team reveal important facets of the project. Why were the eighteen gardens sch an important part of the design? Was it becase they contribted to the green bilding concept and how was it that they decided to se the LEED standards? Gordon Brailsford, Project Manager and Richard Mattila, Director of Environmental Affairs explained their process: We looked at several rating systems and in the end decided to se the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Bilding Rating System. While the LEED system provides standards for decision-making, it was not the only criteria we sed for making decisions. It did however provide a framework and once we looked at it we decided we had a good chance to make and to apply for the highest possible ( platinm ) rating nder the LEED 2.0 standard. If we are sccessfl, Genzyme Center will become one of the first large-scale commercial office bildings to reach this standard in the United States. Talking frther abot the bilding and the process: We have always viewed the bilding as a living organism that wold provide a connection to the otside throgh a visal connection with the otside, to look otside at the green and to bring that green into the bilding throgh the gardens. The gardens were always a part of the concept from the beginning and even thogh we didn t apply for any LEED points for the gardens, it was always a high level of commitment to inclde the interior plants. Even when we went throgh vale engineering, the gardens were considered. However in all or discssions, we nderstood they were a vital part of or green bilding concept. And while other elements of the project were ct (even thoght they wold have gotten s LEED points) we chose to keep the interior gardens becase it was the right thing to do for or green bilding. The Genzyme Center is a symbol of progress representing a point of identification for the company, its employees and its visitors. They bilt the project from the inside ot, from the individal working environment to the overall complex strctre of the bilding. Largely de to the collaboration of the design team, developer, client and constrction team, this led to an environmentally friendly, highly commnicative, and innovative signatre bilding. 12

13 What good examples show The Gelph Hmber Bilding Since the early nineties, researchers at the University of Gelph have been investigating the se of biofilters as an alternative means of removing VOCs from the indoor environment. The new 135,000 sq ft Gelph Hmber bilding, located on the north camps of Hmber College in Toronto, is a working example of this research. In the heart of the bilding is a for-story sky lit cort that offers an excellent informal gathering area and hoses a for-story greenwall. The Integrated Learning Centre tilizes "Green" bilding aspects to address environmental and sstainable technologies. These green design featres have been incorporated into the bilding for both environmental and pedagogical reasons. There are several major categories in bilding operation that have the potential for tilizing green ideas; the ILC has not only identified these areas, bt has also designed green featres to address environmental concerns in the different fields. GREEN PLANTS IN A BIOFILTER? This prototype was designed as a complex ecosystem which infers operational stability and, contrary to conventional biofiltration an ecosystem diversity which promotes the degradation of a broader range of VOC contaminants. Not only were green plants the basis of the system, they also acted as the packing medim on the bioscrbber. Living mosses are an ideal media for an indoor biofilter: 1. Moss colony architectre and high srface area to volme ratios provides excellent bed characteristics. The high porosity allows for even air flow while high srface area provides for good biofilm contact even with very shallow bed depths (ie < 0.05m). 2. The rhizosphere contains higher microbial poplations than bare soil. Hence, plants may be able to enhance the degrader poplations. Plant transpiration also draws air onto the rootzone (to displace water ptake), ths directly exposing rhizosphere microbes to contaminants. 3. Plants are able to break down VOC contaminants. Plants grown in cell cltre cold metabolize formaldehyde into celllar components. However, hoseplants have limited impact on indoor VOCs de to bondary layer resistance. The incorporation of a biofilter into the air handling system greatly redced this resistance. 4. Plants also accmlate airborne contaminants. Organics can either absorb to plant cticle or be accmlated internally. Hence, plants act as a contaminant sink and they may impart some bffering capacity to the biofilter for flctating polltant concentrations. 5. Green plants are a sink for CO2, which is considered an indoor polltant. Throgh photosynthesis they combine carbon dioxide and water into biomass and prodce oxygen, that hmans need in order to srvive. 6. Green plants have also been inclded for aesthetic prposes. Maintaining an indoor green area increases employee prodctivity and lowers absenteeism 13

14 . What does this mean for Green Bildings Crrent LEED standards do not inclde points for the inclsion of green plants into the interior environments. So why shold designers and bilders inclde interior plantings in their facilities? Why shold LEED inclde points for interior plantings? What are the economic gains of inclding interior plantings in green bildings? All these are good qestions, qestions which shold be answered in the reader s mind. However, if yo are not yet convinced consider the following reminders. The average American spends a third of their life in the office. At home, two-thirds of Americans cite gardening as their favorite hobby.1 Once exposed to plant settings, people demonstrated more positive emotions sch as happiness, friendliness and assertiveness and less negative emotions sch as sadness, anger and fear. In a planted office, we recover from stress more qickly than when in an nplanted office. When plants are added to an office, we are more prodctive (test reslts indicate 12% qicker reactions on compter tasks) and less stressed (systolic blood pressre lowers). We also report feeling more attentive when plants are present. When we shop in retail areas with trees verss a no-tree environment we visit more freqently, stay longer, rate the qality of the prodcts 30% higher and are willing to pay abot 12% more for goods. People have a positive response to plants When plants were inclded in offices, there was an average 23% lower score of 12 negative health symptoms. Commonly sed office plants remove the nmber one office toxin, formaldehyde, as rapidly as 1,800 micrograms per hor. Stdies showing the effects of healthy workplaces on well being and prodctivity indicate that in offices withot plants, workers stayed home a minimm of 3.6 days per employee per year de to poor indoor air qality (casing a 12% redction in prodctivity). With workers who spent at least 4 hors a day in front of a compter screen, the introdction of plants made a significant improvement to their efficiency, concentration and well being. Plants in an office environment create a hmidity level exactly matching the recommended hman comfort range of 30% to 60%. Similarly, in an absence of plants, the relative hmidity in offices rns below this recommended range. Plants improve or environment and or well-being 14

15 The bilt environment has a profond impact on or natral environment, economy, health and prodctivity. IF Green Bildings INCLUDED PLANTS as a part of LEED Certified criteria it wold increase prodctivity and health gains won by certified green bildings by a conservative 12%. This is eqal to $744 per employee per year for Certified Silver level bildings and $1,117 per employee per year for Gold and Platinm level bildings. Athentically Green Interiors: Inclde Interior Plants We can safely draw the following conclsions: Plants in offices improve workers sense of wellbeing and health. Health problems cased by the indoor atmosphere, occr less freqently and employees feel plants are a positive element. It is conseqently obvios to assme that plants can help redce the costs reslting from short-term absence de to illness. Effectiveness at work can be improved both throgh the redction in health problems and an increased sense of wellbeing. This is interesting from a economic perspective, not least becase the individal planting can easily be adapted to the workplace in qestion. Finally, it shold not be forgotten that the individal employee's sense of well-being is clearly promoted, and that plants in the workplace can therefore also help improve qality of life overall. We therefore dare to draw the conclsion that plants in offices have a positive effect on individals' health and sense of wellbeing. We hope or promotions of stdies and research can prompt designers, developers and bilders of or ftre bildings to simply: Do the right things! 15

16 . References Fjeld, T., et al. "Effect of Indoor Foliage Plants on Health and Discomfort Symptoms Among Office Workers," Indoors + Bilt Environment, 1998, 7: (Norway). Giese, M., U. Baer-Doranth, C. Langebartels and H. Sandermann, Jr., "Detoxification of Formaldehyde by the Spider Plant (Chlorophytm comosm L.) and by Soybean (Glycine max L.) Cell Sspension Cltres," Plant Physiology, 1994, 104: (Germany). Lohr, V. I. "Particlate Matter Accmlation on Horizontal Srfaces in Interiors: Inflence of Foliage Plants," Atmospheric Environment, 1996, 30: (U.S.). Lohr, V. I., et al. "Interior Plants May Improve Worker Prodctivity and Redce Stress in a Windowless Environment," J. Environ. Hort., 1996, 14: (U.S.). Nakamra, R. and E. Fjii. "Stdies of the Characteristics of the Electroencephalogram When Observing Potted Plants: Pelargonim hortorm Sprinter Red and Begonia evansiana," Technical Blletin of the Faclty of Horticltre of Chiba University, Japan, 1990, 43: (Japan). Oyab, T., T. Onodera, H. Kimra, et al. "Prification Ability of Interior Plants for Removing of Indoor Air Pollting Chemicals Using a Tin Oxide Gas Sensor," J. of Japan Society for Atmospheric Environ., 2001, Vol. 34(6): (Japan). Oyab, T., et al. "Prification Effect of Interior Plants for Indoor Air Pollting Chemicals and Environmental Preservation," 4th Intl. Conf. on Eng. Design and Atomation, 2000, (Orlando, Fl, Jly 30-Ag 2) pp (Japan). Stiles J PhD thesis at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, England. Ulrich, Roger S. "Health Benefits of Gardens in Hospitals," Plants for People Conference, Intl. Exhibition Floriade 2002, The Netherlands. (U.S.). Ulrich, Roger S., et al. "Stress Recovery Dring Exposre to Natral and Urban Environments," J. of Environ. Psychology, 1991, 11: (U.S.). Ulrich Roger S. "View throgh a window may inflence recovery from srgery. Science 1984; 224: Ulrich Roger S., Simons RF. "Recovery from Stress Dring Exposre to Everyday Otdoor Environments In: Wineman J, Barnes R, Zimring C (eds.). The cost of Not Knowing: Proceedings of the Seventeenth Annal Conference of the Environmental Design Research Association. Environmental Design Research Association, Washington, D.C. Wolverton, B. C. Eco-Friendly Hoseplants, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, Released in U.S. as How To Grow Fresh Air, Pengin Books, New York, (U.S.). Wolverton, B. C. and J. D. Wolverton, "Interior Plants: Their Inflence on Airborne Microbes Inside Energy-Efficient Bildings," Jornal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, 1996, 41(2): (U.S.). Wolverton, B. C. and J. D. Wolverton, "Plants and Soil Microorganisms - Removal of Formaldehyde, Xylene and Ammonia from the Indoor Environment," Jornal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, 1993, 38(2): (U.S.). Wolverton, B. C., A. Johnson and K. Bonds, "Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Polltion Abatement," NASA/ALCA Final Report, Plants for Clean Air Concil, Davidsonville, Maryland, (U.S.). Wolverton, B. C., R. C. McDonald and E. A. Watkins, Jr., "Foliage Plants for Removing Indoor Air Polltion from Energy-Efficient Homes," Economic Botany, 1984, 38(2): (U.S.). Wood, R. A., et al. "Stdy of Absorption of VOCs by Commonly Used Indoor Plants," Proceedings: Indoor Air '99, 1999, Vol. 2: (Astralia). 16