Humans need plants to survive, whether it be for a food source, reoxygenating air for us to breathe, or helping our mental health and well being, with its calming properties (where biophilic design came from).

People have always intuitively sensed that contact with plants and nature is a calming restorative tonic for the body and soul. Not only do plants provide a sense of calm but as you all know, they are a significant part of what we eat with just 15 crop plants providing 90 percent of the world’s food energy intake. 

Mental and Physical Benefits

The use of certain plant species can prove hugely beneficial to improving local environments and places of work, key benefits include:

• Re oxygenation of the local environment and the internal home and workplace

• Increased productivity, motivation, health and well being

• Decrease in elements responsible for breathing disorders

• Increased management of water and a mechanism to alleviate flood risk and offset poor drainage systems

• Decrease in acoustic performance and the noise of heavy rainfall

• Insulation benefits, reduction in building heating and cooling costs

• Decrease in urban temperature peaks often 7-10 degrees warmer than surrounding rural areas

• Urban cooling to offset the lack of wind circulation reduced by the built environment

• Those who worked in offices that provided natural light, live plants and water features had 6% higher levels of productivity.

• An absence of outdoor green space and indoor plants was in fact associated with greater levels of stress.

• Outdoor green space and indoor live plants were associated with higher reported levels of happiness, creativity and motivation at work. 

• The absence of water, live plants and natural light has been associated with greater absence from work or school due to illness.

Air Quality

Air quality is a topical issue in UK politics with the rising level of pollution in the city reaching dangerous levels in recent years.

• Plants improve air quality by absorbing and trapping airborne pollutants

• Plants help the reduction of HAPs (hazardous airborne pollutants), PM10s (small partials and dust) and VOCs (volatile organic compounds)

The two pollutants of most concern in London are:

Particulate matter (PM)

Particulate pollution can harm our heart and lungs - it is linked to asthma and death. Research shows that particles with a diameter of ten microns and smaller (PM10) can be inhaled deep into the lungs as smaller particles can penetrate deeper. PM2.5 can have a particularly bad impact on health.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

At high concentrations, NO2 can inflame the airways and long-term exposure can affect lung function and breathing - it can also worsen asthma.

Green screens can reduce these pollutants by up to 40%, resulting in schools across London investing in them.