This e-newsletter brings you the latest information and resources on biophilic design, the industry, and GPGB updates.
How many plants do we need for wellbeing?
Image: Hive Co-working Space at The Atrium, Denver, Colorado, featuring biophilic design by Bloom & Flourish in collaboration with Beacon Capital Partners and Kestrel Design Group. Photo by Jess Blackwell Photography.
Copy Source: Journal of Biophilic Design (July 21, 2026), featuring Dr. Craig Knight, University of Exeter. The article references Knight et al.’s 2014 study, The Relative Benefits of Green Versus Lean Office Space: Three Field Experiments, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
A new article in the Journal of Biophilic Design highlights an important message from workplace and environmental psychologist Dr. Craig Knight: creating healthier, more productive workplaces isn’t simply about adding more plants—it’s about creating enriched, people-centered environments.
Knight’s landmark University of Exeter research found that employees working in offices enriched with plants, artwork, and opportunities for personalization experienced higher wellbeing, lower stress, and productivity gains of up to 15% compared with those in sparse, minimalist workplaces. However, he emphasizes that plants alone are not the source of these benefits. Instead, they are one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to enrich a space.
The research points to employee autonomy as the most influential factor. When people have the ability to personalize their workspace, help shape their environment, or even decide where plants are placed, they develop a stronger sense of ownership, trust, and belonging—all of which contribute to improved engagement and performance.
For architects, designers, and employers, the takeaway is clear: successful workplace design should focus on people first. Biophilic elements such as plants are most effective when they are integrated into a broader strategy that combines natural features with opportunities for personalization, flexibility, and employee participation. The goal is not to create offices with the most plants, but workplaces where people genuinely feel connected, respected, and able to thrive.
Designing Hospitals That Support Caregivers-and Better Patient Care
Image: Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Orthopedic & Spine Center (MECOSC), Nyack, New York
Source: Pittman, T. (2026, July 30). Can Better Design Ease the Burden on Healthcare Workers? What Our Survey of 1,200 Hospital Employees Reveals. Research by Gensler [LinkedIn Newsletter]
A new Healthcare Workplace Survey 2026 from the Gensler Research Institute suggests that hospital design plays a significant role in supporting healthcare workers, reducing burnout, and improving retention. Based on responses from 1,204 physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and technicians across the U.S. and Canada, the study found that employees who were satisfied with their hospital’s overall design were 14 percentage points more likely to expect to remain working in a hospital over the next three years.
The research also highlights the importance of biophilic design. Workers with access to views of nature, outdoor spaces, and restorative break areas reported higher job satisfaction and motivation, while access to outdoor spaces and dedicated spaces for grieving was associated with lower burnout. Yet fewer than half of respondents reported easy access to either outdoor spaces (47%) or views of nature (42%), suggesting significant opportunities to better support staff wellbeing through thoughtful design.
The findings reinforce a growing body of evidence that investing in healthier, nature-connected environments benefits not only occupants but also the organizations that serve them. In healthcare settings, designing for caregiver wellbeing ultimately contributes to better patient care.
Rooted in Community: How Cityscapes is Growing Healthier Buildings – and Boston
Written by Jonah Adamcik, Commercial Project Manager, Soltech, Interview with Samantha Goodman, Vice President of Sales & Operations, Cityscapes
From its beginnings as a small floral shop to becoming one of Boston’s leading interiorscape companies, Cityscapes has remained rooted in a passion for bringing nature into the built environment. Today, the company continues to make an impact through charitable giving, volunteer initiatives, and educational workshops that introduce more people to the benefits of biophilic design. By partnering with architects earlier in the design process, Cityscapes is creating more integrated, wellness-focused spaces, including immersive plant-filled environments that support employee wellbeing. As a long-time GPGB supporter and with founder Jan Goodman serving as GPGB President, the company values GPGB’s resources, education, advocacy, and industry connections that help advance healthier, greener buildings. Read the full Supporter Spotlight to learn how Cityscapes continues to grow healthier spaces and stronger communities.
Calculate the ROI of Indoor Plants
Did you know a modest investment in indoor plants can deliver measurable business returns? GPGB’s free Office Plant ROI Calculator helps employers estimate the financial impact of a workplace plant program by factoring in employee productivity, salaries, and program costs. Backed by research showing that enriching office environments with plants can increase productivity by up to 15%, the calculator demonstrates how healthier, greener workplaces can improve employee wellbeing, satisfaction, engagement, and retention—while delivering a strong return on investment. Best of all, results can be customized, emailed directly to stakeholders, or downloaded as a professional PDF to support business cases and client presentations.
50+ Industry Leaders Discuss Sales Team Strategies
More than four dozen owners, operators, and team members from GPGB supporter companies came together on July 29 for another highly successful GPGB Monthly Supporter Open Forum, where participants explored strategies for building stronger, more effective sales organizations within the interiorscape industry.
The peer-driven discussion focused on how companies are strengthening client relationships, improving collaboration between sales, design, and operations teams, and developing business strategies that support long-term growth. Participants exchanged ideas on attracting and developing talented professionals, creating effective sales processes, improving project handoffs, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. The discussion generated so many valuable insights that attendees agreed to continue the topic in future forums with deeper dives into sales leadership, hiring strategies, and business development.
GPGB’s Monthly Supporter Open Forums, held virtually on the last Wednesday of each month at 12:00 p.m. ET, are one of the many exclusive benefits available to GPGB supporting companies. More than a webinar, these interactive discussions provide a trusted environment where industry professionals collaborate, exchange best practices, solve real-world challenges, and help advance the interiorscape profession.
All personnel of GPGB supporting companies are encouraged to participate, share their experiences, and contribute to the ongoing conversation. Whether you’re a business owner, salesperson, designer, project manager, horticulturist, technician, or operations professional, every perspective helps strengthen the industry while creating valuable connections with peers across North America.
Not a GPGB supporter yet? Join GPGB to gain access to these exclusive monthly forums, educational programming, networking opportunities, research resources, and a growing community dedicated to advancing biophilic design, healthier buildings, and the built environment.
Be part of the conversation shaping the future of our industry.
Not a supporter yet? Join GPGB to gain access to these exclusive forums and be part of the conversation shaping the future of biophilic design and the built environment.
Thank You to Our Supporters!
Image: Tropical House Indoor Plant Design & Maintenance, Reno, Nevada.
Image: Tropical House Indoor Plant Design & Maintenance, Reno, Nevada.
Every GPGB supporter plays an important role in advancing our mission to connect people with nature in the built environment. Your support enables GPGB to educate, advocate, and collaborate with architects, designers, building owners, facility professionals, and the interiorscape industry to promote healthier, higher-performing spaces.
Here are just a few recent highlights made possible through your support:
Cultivating Future Leaders: GPGB proudly sponsored the Interior Plant Identification and Biophilic Interiors Learning Sessions at the NALP National Collegiate Landscape Competition, helping inspire the next generation of green industry professionals.
Connecting with the Design Community: At the AIA Conference on Architecture 2026, GPGB engaged thousands of architects, designers, and building professionals in conversations about biophilic design, sustainable buildings, and the measurable benefits of integrating plants into the built environment.
Continuing Education for Design Professionals: GPGB’s NeoCon CEU, Wellness-Driven Interiorscapes for Sustainable Design, continues to provide architects and designers with AIA Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) and IDCEC HSW continuing education credit through December 31, 2026, expanding awareness of how interior plants support health, wellbeing, and building performance.
Expanding Educational Resources: GPGB is developing new continuing education programs, including Designing Neuroinclusive Spaces, to further advance conversations around wellness, accessibility, and evidence-based biophilic design.
Your support makes this work possible. Together, we’re advancing the role of nature in the built environment by educating, inspiring, and connecting the professionals who design, build, and care for healthier spaces where people thrive.
Image Credit: Planteriors Interior Plant Design, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Find the Right Partner for Your Next Project
Successful biophilic spaces begin with the right team. Whether you’re designing a new building, renovating an existing property, enhancing occupant wellbeing, or planning a commercial holiday décor program, the GPGB Provider Directory connects you with experienced professionals who specialize in bringing nature into the built environment.
Explore a trusted network of interiorscapers, biophilic design specialists, living wall experts, growers, suppliers, maintenance professionals, commercial holiday décor providers, and other industry leaders serving projects of every size. From office buildings and healthcare facilities to hospitality, education, retail, and mixed-use developments, GPGB providers help create healthier, more engaging, and visually inspiring spaces.
Whether your goal is to improve employee wellbeing, enhance tenant experiences, elevate property value, or integrate nature into your next design project, the GPGB Provider Directory makes it easy to find qualified professionals with the expertise to help bring your vision to life.
Explore the GPGB Provider Directory today and connect with the professionals who are advancing healthier buildings through the power of plants.
Biophilic Gallery
Project: UPMC Mercy Pavilion
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Architecture & Design: HOK
Owner: UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)
Image Credits: © HOK. UPMC Mercy Pavilion, featured in the HOK 2024 Design Annual
UPMC Mercy Pavilion demonstrates how biophilic design can enhance healing by thoughtfully integrating nature into the healthcare environment. Designed to support patient recovery, rehabilitation, and staff wellbeing, the LEED v4-certified facility incorporates rooftop healing gardens, landscaped terraces, expansive green roofs, and daylight-filled gathering spaces that connect occupants with nature. Together, these features create restorative environments that promote wellness while supporting sustainable building performance through stormwater management, energy efficiency, and native planting.
Project: EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin
Location: Berlin, Germany
Completed: 2022
Architecture: TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten GmbH
Interior Workplace Design: de Winder Architekten Berlin
Client: EDGE / Vattenfall
Image Credit: © HG Esch. TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten GmbH via Architizer.
EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin demonstrates how biophilic design, mass timber construction, and human-centered workplaces can come together to create one of Europe’s most sustainable office environments. Designed around a dramatic, daylight-filled atrium, the seven-story hybrid-timber campus features sculptural wood “trees,” lush interior planting islands, green gathering spaces, and abundant natural light that encourage collaboration, wellbeing, and connection to nature. Certified as Germany’s most sustainable building in 2022, the project combines visible natural materials, flexible workspaces, and high-performance environmental design to create a healthier, more inspiring workplace for its occupants.
Want to Help Keep Nature in the News?
Everything we accomplish happens because people like you are stepping forward and supporting GPGB’s focus on having conversations with the building professionals who can #BringNatureIndoors.
If the spirit moves you, please consider supporting our work by making a donation.