It’s not a new thing to have some form of plant life at your office desk but up until recently the subconscious reasons why we do this and the extent to which bringing the natural world into the office can help a workplace have not been incorporated into workspace design. 

Step forward: Biophilia. 

Biophilia, or biophilic design, is defined as an innate and genetically determined affinity of human beings with the natural world. The idea is that by bringing us human beings closer to the outside world whilst we’re in the office we can improve both our personal well-being and our work output. 

Human Spaces produced a report in 2015 which looked at the global impact of biophilic design in the workplace, and came up with some rather eye-opening figures. The main highlights were that across the 16 global countries studies, there was a 15% increase in well-being, a 6% increase in productivity and a 15% increase in creativity in employees. 

The most important factors which contributed to these increases were access to natural light and views of greenery, water and wildlife. Even in this day and age there are many employees who don’t even have access to a window and perhaps obviously given what we’ve already mentioned, their creativity and productivity levels see a drop. 

It makes sense that human beings are most happy and productive in environments where plants can also thrive – we are a part of nature after all and by default we’re more connected to it than to man-made office buildings. 

There are plenty of things companies can do to increase levels of Biophilia in the workplace even if their access to large windows, natural light and green views is restricted. Water features with free flowing water, natural plants, proper ventilation and the use of natural textures (like wood and stone) are all easy wins. 

At ØRN, our Konnect range is the perfect way to begin to introduce this biophilic way of design thinking into your spaces. Its versatile grid frame system can play host to many accessories which are made from wood and can also encompass planter shelves and moss panels – putting greenery right in the centre of your office. 

MOLLIE GARDNER
CUSTOMER SERVICE | EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Mollie Gardner is our customer service representative and office support.

Her roles include responding to every day enquiries, the processing of client’s orders, being first point of contact for phone communication and supporting day to day operations here at ØRN, and if you’ve ever called us it’s likely you’ve spoken to her!

Mollie’s favourite product range is the new, re-developed Konnect. “It offers so many options and style flexibility, which can be suited to almost any type of workspace out there.”

DEAN TROWER
WAREHOUSE MANAGER

Dean is our Warehouse Manager and his main roles include overseeing all goods received and distributed, scheduling of the production team, quality control, logistics and planning of the transport and installations.

His favourite ØRN product range is the Ikon Lounge chair

“With its huge choice of fabric finishes and the different leg choices it makes it a great versatile comfortable chair for any environment"

MATT JOHNSON
GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Matt is responsible for maintaining our brand identity, marketing our products and developing our online & social media presence among other things. 

His favourite ØRN product range is the Antalya range. 

“The minimalist frame and gentle curves give the Antalya an industrial look but with a touch of class, and the chairs & stools are super comfy too. The Gantry Dining Table is a really nice piece and looks amazing when decorated with plant features.” 

ROBBIE CARTER
FINANCE

Robbie is responsible for maintaining our financial accounts and dealing with purchase ledger on a daily basis. 

His favourite ØRN product range is the Ikon range. 

“The Ikon chair is very comfortable and practical - and it looks great too!” 

TOMMY ALDERSLEY
FINANCE

Tommy is responsible for maintaining our financial accounts and dealing with purchase ledger on a daily basis. 

His favourite ØRN product range is the Nova. 

“I like the unique construction of the Nova, which makes it super strong. It's so versatile too in terms of colours and you can have almost any combination.” 

EDWYN TUNLEY
SALES DIRECTOR

Edwyn is our Sales Manager and his main roles include creating and building long lasting relationships with our valued customers through account management, overseeing the sales and helping companies create inspiring workspaces

His favourite ØRN product range is the new Antalya range of products.

"The Antalya range is a flexible and dynamic family of products, ideal for hybrid and co-working spaces expertly designed to aid concentration and encourage productivity and creativity."

TOM POTTS
DESIGN MANAGER

Our Design Manager, Tom, is responsible for overseeing the creative side of the business. He works with our manufacturing partners to realise concepts through to scalable, consistent production items and collaborates with the sales and operation departments to further establish the brand.

Tom’s favourite ORN product range is Ionic.

"Ionic is a soft-seating range with a wide scope of development opportunity, lending itself to a modular format. We are currently re-imagining the Ionic range to provide a configurable collection, building upon the free-standing products we currently offer. Ionic is the start of a focussed effort to bring softer, domestic-inspired offerings to our ever-expanding and developing portfolio."

ROB WORLEY
PROCUREMENT

Rob is responsible for the procurement of all incoming goods and is our saving grace at the moment in difficult times for supply chains around the world.

His favourite ØRN product range is the Cavern.

“The Cavern is a great way for people to have a relaxed, personal space for when they need to work independently or as part of a team. It offers a real modern feeling to any office. And with countless combinations of fabric colours you can be seriously creative with the final look”