Workplaces need not be merely a place of work. They should also offer a sense of pleasure during the daily grind. A sure way to enjoy the spaces that we spend some much of our time in, in my opinion, involves paying attention to the value that a greenery-filled environment adds.
Heatherwick’s 1000 trees project
City residents are calling it Shanghai’s ‘Hanging Gardens of Babylon.’ Heatherwick’s vision resembles two tree-covered mountains and is on track to open it’s doors in 2018. When completed, the building will house schools, residences, retail units, offices and a hotel within its nine floors.
The New Google Tel Aviv Office
These offices are primed not only for giving employees the right tools for work, but also those for inspiration and creativity. By bringing the outdoors in to this extent, the line between workplace and leisure becomes pleasantly blurred.
Camouflaging Moss Offices - Regional Chamber Building
Appearing as if it were part of the surrounding greenery, the Regional Chamber Building by Chartier-Corbasson Architectes is a highly unconventional office construction. The design appears as if it were organically emerging from its mossy surroundings whilst embodying a modern day architectural aesthetic.
Sugamo Shinkin Bank by Emmanuelle Moureaux architecture + design
The facade of this building features a tree motif depicted in the perforations of the cladding and the motif continues through the interior with colourful graphics of trees and leaves. A constellation of leaves in 24 different colors growing on the white branches of the walls and glass windows overlaps with the natural foliage of living plants and trees in the light filled courtyards, creating the sensation of being in a magical forest. In basing the design around leaf motifs, the architects sought to create a refreshing space that would welcome customers with a natural, rejuvenative feeling.
Amazon’s new ‘Sphere’s’ office building
Amazon’s new pride and joy “Spheres” building consists of three dome structures, with a miniature rainforest planted inside. The rainforest houses 40,000 plants from 400 species that have been sourced from around the world. At the center of the building sits a 55-foot-tall tree nicknamed Rubi. This nature-based design was created in the hopes that it will help to spark the employees' creativity as well as offer opportunities for moments of relaxation.
The Flower tower in Paris by Edouard François
The building itself is completely hidden by the 380 plants that line each floor. The foliage is bamboo plant and a spokesperson for Flower Tower told MailOnline Travel expressed that: ‘The inhabitants enjoy the rustling of bamboo and a light filtered by the foliage. Francois aimed to give residents the impression of sleeping in a tree. He drew inspiration from the city’s inhabitants who decorate even the tiniest of balconies with plants. 