What is edible biophilia and how does it enhance workplace design?
We’re all aware by now of the impact biophilic design has on how a workplace feels. We know that plants, natural materials, daylight and views of nature make us feel healthier, calmer and even more productive. But what is less well known is that there is a huge opportunity for workplace planting to do more than just look good.
Edible biophilia takes ornamental planting one step further, bringing food-growing into spaces and helping people connect with food as well as nature. What does that look like? Well, for workplaces it can mean growing fresh herbs and leafy greens inside the office, harvesting them with employees, or supplying produce directly to an on-site kitchen or café.
What does edible biophilia mean?
Edible biophilia combines two ideas: our connection with nature and our connection with food. Traditional biophilic design might introduce plants into a workplace through planters, green walls or landscaped spaces. Edible biophilia brings in plants that have a productive purpose too. Instead of simply looking at greenery, people can watch crops grow, smell and touch the plants, harvest them and ultimately eat what has been grown. This makes the relationship with nature much more interactive.
What does edible biophilia look like in a workplace?
Edible planting can be incorporated into workplaces in different ways, from small herb-growing areas to larger indoor farms. At Square Mile Farms, we create hydroponic Farms that can be integrated into workplace interiors as Farmwalls, freestanding Farms or larger bespoke installations.
They can grow a wide range of edible crops, including familiar herbs and leafy greens as well as more unusual varieties such as Bull's Blood, Orach and Mexican Marigold. As the Farms are hydroponic and located indoors, growing isn't dependent on the external weather or traditional seasons. Crops can be selected according to how the Farm will be used, whether that's providing ingredients for a workplace kitchen, creating regular employee harvests or simply introducing people to new flavours and varieties.
How is edible biophilia different from a living wall?
Both can bring greenery and visual interest into a workplace, but their purpose is different. A conventional living wall is generally designed primarily as an aesthetic or biophilic feature. An edible Farmwall is productive.
The plants are grown to be harvested, which means the installation continually changes as crops grow, mature and are picked before the next growing cycle begins.
It also gives people a reason to interact with the planting. Employees might join a harvest, chefs might be supplied with herbs for that day's lunch, or crops might become part of a workplace event or food workshop. So rather than greenery simply forming the backdrop to workplace life, the Farm can actively become part of it.
Why introduce edible biophilia into the workplace
It creates a connection with nature: Introducing growing plants into the workplace provides a simple, tangible connection with the natural world away from screens and within the urban environment.
With edible planting, that connection develops over time as people see seedlings become established plants, watch crops grow and then see them harvested.
It makes biophilic design interactive: One of the interesting things about edible biophilia is that it gives people permission to interact with the planting.
They aren't simply walking past a green wall. They can smell a herb, join a harvest, taste a leaf or learn something about how food grows. So it can turn a design feature into a workplace experience.
It can bring people together: Food and growing provide natural opportunities for shared experiences. We've seen Farms become gathering points for workplace communities through harvests, tastings, workshops and events.
These don't have to be large organised activities. Sometimes it's the smaller interactions, such as stopping at the Farm and talking about what's growing, that help create connections between colleagues.
It makes sustainability visible: Many workplace sustainability initiatives happen behind the scenes. Growing food inside the building makes one aspect of sustainability highly visible. Employees can see where food comes from and experience the process of growing and harvesting it first-hand. It can also provide a starting point for wider conversations around food systems, seasonality, food miles and waste.
It can connect workplace design with catering: Farms can be located close to workplace restaurants, cafés and kitchens, with crops planned around the requirements of the catering team. Fresh herbs and leafy greens can then travel a matter of metres from Farm to plate.
For organisations looking at the workplace as a complete experience, this creates a link between interior design, employee experience and food.
Does an edible Farm need to be maintained by the workplace team?
No, Square Mile Farms provides its Farms as a managed service, so looking after the Farm doesn't become another responsibility for the facilities or workplace team.
Our farmers visit regularly to plant, maintain and care for the crops and manage harvests. We can also work with catering, facilities and workplace teams to decide how the produce will be used and how employees can get involved.
Can edible biophilia be incorporated into an existing office?
Yes. An edible Farm doesn't necessarily need to be designed into a workplace from the beginning. Farmwalls and other growing systems can be introduced into existing offices, depending on the available space and infrastructure.
However, involving us earlier in a workplace design or refurbishment project creates more possibilities. We can work with architects and workplace designers to integrate the Farm into the overall interior, including its position, scale, materials and surrounding infrastructure.
The result can be an installation that feels like an integral part of the workplace rather than something added afterwards.
Is edible biophilia the next step for biophilic workplace design?
There will always be value in simply having more nature in our workplaces. But edible biophilia offers the possibility of making the relationship with nature participatory.
A plant doesn't just have to be something we look at, and instead it can be something we grow, harvest, cook with, taste and share. This can turn biophilic design from a feature of the workplace into an experience that people take part in.
How to bring edible biophilia into your workplace
Square Mile Farms designs, installs and manages Farms for workplaces, from integrated Farmwalls to larger bespoke growing installations. We work with workplace designers, facilities teams, corporate occupiers, asset managers and food-service providers to create Farms that work for both the space and the people using it.
If you're considering edible planting for a new workplace, refurbishment or existing office, talk to Square Mile Farms about what could work in your space.
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