A University of Exeter study (2014) compared completely bare offices, with no plants at all, to identical offices where a few plants were added – the result was a measured productivity increase of around 15%.
The effect wasn’t limited to productivity: employees in the planted offices also reported improved perceived air quality and a higher overall sense of wellbeing at work.
The researchers’ conclusion was simple – the “minimalist, nothing extra” office isn’t necessarily more efficient, it just looks tidier.
A few potted plants can matter more for focus than it first seems.
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