Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Building Engineering

Enhancing employees’ performance and well-being with nature exposure

embedded office workplace design
Abdul-Manan Sadick *, Imriyas Kamardeen
Deakin University, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Geelong, Australia

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Keywords: Mental health, a key component of social sustainability, costs £1.6 trillion globally and office workers are
Integrated sustainability among the most affected. However, social sustainability is the least considered sustainability dimension by
Nature exposure
businesses. Although the literature associates human exposure to nature with positive mental health, there are
Office workers
limited critical reviews of nature exposure impact on office workers. The aim of this research was to demon-
Restoration
Work stress
strate the impact of nature exposure on office workers by consolidating empirical research evidence and to
provide insight into how it can contribute to achieving integrated sustainability. A total of 42 peer-reviewed
journal articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected. A systematic review following the preferred re-
porting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework was conducted. The results show
that indoor nature exposure contributes to social sustainability through its impact on workers' health and mo-
tivation while outdoor nature exposure contributes to economic, environmental and social sustainability
through its impact on workers' restoration, stress reduction and stress coping. Workplace design should there-
fore embed both indoor and outdoor nature exposure to maximise impacts on employees and achieve inte-
grated sustainability. The nature exposure network developed in this research will facilitate design decisions
regarding nature exposure in workplaces to maximise the impact on employees’ well-being and performance.

1. Introduction The sustainability strategy of most organisations is dominated by a

Social sustainability, the human dimension of sustainable develop-
ment, embodies essential aspects of human life including quality of
life, health, employment and pleasant work [1]. Social sustainability
therefore emphasises the significance of employees’ well-being and
satisfaction to the global development agenda. However, the psycho-
logical ill-health of employees, especially in the developed economies,
is widely documented in literature and government reports. For in-
stance, psychological ill-health is estimated to cost about US$44 bil-
lion and 200 million workday losses annually in the United States
while occupational stress accounts for 50–60% of workday loss in Eu-
rope [2]. In Australia, businesses are estimated to lose in excess of
A$10 billion while 7800 employees annually receive compensation for
work-related mental stress [3]. While having an adequate level of em-
ployment rate helps to achieve social sustainability in countries,
stressful employments counteract the benefits. Hence, it is crucial to
have workplaces that achieve the economic and business goals with-
out compromising the mental health of employees.
desire to generate higher returns that mostly leads to compromising
environmental and social sustainability [4–6]. At the organisational
level, environmental sustainability is related to factors like waste re-
duction, energy efficiency and pollution reduction while social sus-
tainability relates to factors like employees' quality of life, providing
equitable opportunities and promoting connectedness with internal
and external stakeholders [4]. The growing need for integrated sus-
tainability devoid of compromising the social dimension has moti-
vated research premised on the hypothesised innate desire of humans
to connect with nature [7,8]. Indoor environmental quality (i.e. ther-
mal comfort, indoor air quality, acoustic, and light) is an essential as-
pect of office work environment [9] and some indoor air quality stud-
ies have reported that some indoor plants can reduce concentration of
volatile organic compounds by 50–70% and contribute to occupants’
health [10–14]. Additionally, other studies [15–17] have found that
vertical greening of walls can substantially reduce unwanted heat
transfer that will contribute to improving indoor thermal comfort and
minimise mechanical cooling of indoor spaces. Several studies have

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: s.sadick@deakin.edu.au (A-M Sadick), imriyas.kamardeen@deakin.edu.au (I. Kamardeen).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.101789
Received 7 February 2020; Received in revised form 31 August 2020; Accepted 3 September 2020
Available online 11 September 2020
2352-7102/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen
focused on the direct impact of nature exposure on humans (e.g. trees,
water bodies, and grasslands) in several life domains and reported
positive associations with psychological and physiological well-being
[18]. A significant proportion of those studies that have investigated
the innate human-nature connection have focused on healthcare set-
ting given that it is a potential high stress environment [19] and
found positive impacts on healthcare professionals and the recovery of
patients [20]. Other studies have focused on the office work environ-
ment and reported positive impacts of nature exposure on workers'
well-being and performance [21,22]. Although office workers consti-
tute a significant proportion of the workforce globally, there are lim-
ited studies that have focused on consolidating the empirical evidence
available on the impact of nature exposure on office workers.
The triple bottom line (TBL) concept aims to overcome the profit
(i.e. economic) dominated sustainability orientation of organisations
via the integration of economic, environmental and social dimensions
[23–25]. The available evidence suggests that strategic nature expo-
sure can contribute to achieving the TBL. For office workplaces where
knowledge workers are predominant and rely on cognitive resources
to complete abstract tasks like creative thinking, problem solving and
evaluation, the benefits of well-being enhancement through nature ex-
posure cannot be overemphasised. The aim of this systematic review
was to demonstrate the impact of nature exposure on office workers
by consolidating empirical research evidence and to provide insight
into how it can contribute to achieving TBL. Findings of this research
will contribute to developing nature exposure strategies and work-
place design frameworks that enhance office workers' well-being and
performance.
2. Method and materials
Based on the aim of this research, a qualitatively focused system-
atic review was conducted based on the preferred reporting items for
systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement [26,27].
The PRISMA statement consist of checklist items and a flow diagram
that provides a standard protocol for identifying and assessing sources
for inclusion in a systematic review and reporting findings. The
PRISMA statement is suitable for evaluating interventions [27] and in
this research, nature exposure types (e.g. indoor plants and roof gar-
dens) represent the interventions introduced to overcome office work-
place stressors and improve employees’ performance. The systematic
review process commenced with each team member independently
identifying keywords that were subsequently compiled and refined as
shown in Table 1.
The Scopus database was preferred for this research given its mul-
tidisciplinary coverage and large number of records relative to other
databases like Web of Science and Emerald [28]. Additionally, fea-
tures like “Lists” and “Search within results” aided searches for sys-
Table 1
List of key words for retrieving records.
Exposure type Context
Nature exposure White- collar
Outdoor nature Office
Indoor nature Office work
Exposure to nature Office employee
Connection to nature
Nature connection
Green space
Greenspace
Green roof
Green wall
Indoor plant
Window view
Greenery
Workplace green
2
Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789
tematic review. Combinations of the exposure type “AND” context
search terms in the title, abstract and keywords fields retrieved 535
relevant records out of which 520 were retained after limiting the
search results to English language and deleting duplicates. Fig. 1 pre-
sents the PRISMA flow diagram that provides a breakdown of records
retrieved, excluded and retained for qualitative synthesis. A total of
369 records were retained after limiting search results to peer-
reviewed journal articles only. A source was retained during screening
and detailed review if it focused on investigating the impact of nature
exposure (either indoor or outdoor) on office workers using primary
or secondary data; therefore, all review journal articles were ex-
cluded. After title and abstract screening by each team member, 123
intersecting peer-reviewed journal articles were retained. Full-text re-
view of the 123 records resulted in selecting 38 records for detailed
review. Four additional records were added during the detailed re-
view and analysis, thus arriving at a final list of 42 peer-reviewed
journal articles. These additional records were added because very
limited studies were found that investigated nature exposure as a
stress coping strategy for office workers. The criteria for including
these additional articles were as follow: peer-reviewed journal article,
assessed nature exposure as stress coping strategy, and nature expo-
sure type applicable to office workers.
The detailed qualitative review was preceded by word frequency
analysis to identify potential themes. Using NVivo version 12, the 100
most frequent words were identified after suppressing dominant com-
mon words like “above’, ‘activity’, ‘after’, ‘all’, and ‘also’ that have
generic meanings not conceptually relevant to the aim of this re-
search. Additionally, words used as search terms (see Table 1) were
also suppressed. Potential themes from the word frequency analysis
were retained if they were confirmed by the detailed qualitative re-
view. The detailed qualitative review was guided by the research
aims. Following two rounds of coding, extracted data fragments were
compared to identify similarities and differences and subsequently
categorised to form theme level outcomes based on the theory that in-
formed relationships between inputs and outputs. Initial themes were
compared to identify patterns and new themes. The word frequency
and detailed qualitative analyses were conducted using NVivo version
12.
3. Findings
The detailed qualitative review and analysis of the selected articles
revealed five themes concerning the impact of nature exposure on of-
fice workers, which are: restoration, stress reduction, health, motiva-
Fig. 1. PRISMA flow diagram.
A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789

tion, and stress coping strategy. The themes and supporting evidence Table 2
are expounded in the following sections. Key findings on the impact of restoration on directed attention and cognitive
performance.
3.1. Restoration
Author Nature exposure type
(s)
The concept of restoration in relation to human nature exposure
Colley et Outdoor (lawns, woodlands,
has largely been associated with directed attention as propounded by
al. watersides, wildlife)
the attention restoration theory (ART) [21]. ART holds that the fasci- [31]
nating stimuli inherent in nature elements like trees, flowers and
rivers effortlessly draw human attention [21,29,30]. Consequently,
this involuntary human fascination with nature frees up neurons re-
sponsible for conscious directed attention [29]. The literature shows
that restoration goes beyond the confines of directed attention. Gener-
ically, restoration is ‘the process of recovering physiological, psycho-
logical and social resources that have become diminished in efforts to Colley et Outdoor (lawns, woodlands,
meet the demands of everyday life’ [31]. Although majority of the al. watersides, wildlife)
[32]
restoration studies have focused on directed attention [e.g. 32, 33–
35], others have investigated several aspects of well-being restoration
[e.g. 36, 37, 38].
Table 2 summarises the key findings on restoration and its impact Evensen Indoor plants, inanimate
on directed attention and cognitive performance. These studies inves- et al. objects, window view, no
[33] window view
tigated various types of outdoor and indoor nature exposures and col-
lectively point to physical outdoor nature exposure as most effective
in restoring directed attention. The restorative effect of outdoor na- Hyvönen Outdoor (parks, forests,
ture exposure on directed attention was found to be most beneficial et al. fields, marshes, beaches,
for abstract cognitive activities including creative thinking, problem [30] waters, playgrounds, and
playing fields)
solving and reflection. Therefore, leveraging the restorative potential
of outdoor nature exposure is likely to enhance performance and pro- Jahncke Movie of flowing river with
ductivity of knowledge workers in office environments. Based on the et al. sound, sound of flowing
key findings presented in Table 2, it is logical to deduce that outdoor [34] river, silence, office noise
delivered through
nature exposure will also make office workers efficient at performing
headphones
mechanical cognitive tasks. Convenient access to outdoor nature ex- Lee et al. Photos (living roofs and
posure at work for knowledge workers should therefore be an essen- [35] concrete roofs)
tial consideration in workplace environmental design especially in ur-
ban areas with limited outdoor green spaces. Although window view
Loder Window view, green roofs
of outdoor nature was also associated with restoring directed atten-
[39]
tion [39], the evidence overwhelmingly supports physical outdoor na-
ture exposure. This creates a feeling of escaping from work [31] Mangone Photos (natural outdoor,
which allows involuntary cognitive fascination of nature to dominate et al. constructed workspace)
voluntary directed attention. Colley et al. [32] reported that outdoor [40]
nature exposure in the company of other colleagues can negatively
Stenfors Outdoor nature, urban
impact restoration due to the risk of discussing work or conversations et al.
requiring directed attention. However, the reduced restoration cou- [21]
pled with team building benefits of such interactions at work would
positively impact performance of office workers.
Findings
• Outdoor breaks in woodlands and
watersides were associated with
problem solving and innovation due
to significant opportunities for
restoration
• Restoration was attributed to feelings
of escaping from the work
environment and opportunities for
calm and creative reflective thinking
on work problems
• Greenspace use was not influenced by
attentional demands of work
• Outdoor nature exposure in the
company of colleagues was
detrimental to restoration
• Indoor plants had no superior effects
on restoration and task performance
compared to inanimate objects in
spaces with and without window
views
• High and versatile nature exposure
and outdoor activities were
associated with higher work
engagement compared to low
exposure
• Short term nature noise had no
positive impact on cognitive
performance
• Living roofs with taller, green, grassy,
and flowering vegetation were most
restorative compared to concrete
roofs
• Wild grassland style green roofs were
most associated with fascination and
creative thinking
• Natural outdoor spaces were most
preferred for abstract cognitive
activities like brainstorming,
reflection and evaluation
• Outdoor nature interactions
improved directed attention
performance while urban interactions
deteriorated directed attention
performance

Table 3 presents the key findings of how different types of nature

exposure both indoors and outdoors influenced office workers’ well-
being. Like attention restoration, the evidence for the impact of out-
door nature on well-being strongly supports physical access to max-
imise well-being benefits for office workers. Providing physical access
to outdoor nature for most office workers especially in central busi-
ness districts of large cities poses a substantial challenge due to avail-
ability and proximity. Organisations would have to strategically col-
laborate in providing alternatives like green roofs and promote their
usage to leverage the directed attention and well-being restoration
benefits to enhance organisational performance. The finding of
Gilchrist et al. [37] regarding frequent use of outdoor nature not be-
ing associated with higher well-being contradicts Korpela et al. [41]
who found that frequent physical activities in natural surroundings in-
crease the chance of higher well-being following a two-year study.
However, the focus on physical activities in Korpela et al. [41] sug-
gests that frequent visits to outdoor nature will not be counterproduc-
tive if accompanied with planned physical activities.
Window views of outdoor nature was generally associated with
positive impacts on office workers' well-being as shown in Table 3.
However, Korpela et al. [42] investigated window views for a year
and found that increased frequency of view did not predict office
workers' well-being. This finding suggests that window views of na-
ture are not reliable for long term well-being restoration of office
workers. Collectively, the evidence suggests that the well-being bene-
fits of visual access to outdoor nature are minimal compared to physi-
cal access [38]. Therefore, visual access may not predict office work-
ers’ well-being but would contribute to enhancing it at a micro level.
Table 3 also shows that window views of nature is preferred to urban
views; however, van Esch et al. [22] reported that window views of
coherently built structures are associated with less apprehension, in-
creased restoration and job satisfaction. The restoration literature gen-
erally suggests that urban exposure (visually or physically) is detri-
mental to restoration given that it is not inherently fascinating and re-
quires directed attention to appreciate [21,29,43]. However, the find-
ing of van Esch et al. [22] provides a glimpse of hope by suggesting
that thoughtfully designed urban infrastructure can unconsciously
stimulate the natural fascination associated with nature elements like
lawns, woodlands and water bodies.

3
A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen
Table 3
Key findings on the impact of restoration on well- being.
Author(s) Nature exposure type Findings
Cinderby Outdoor (landscape, trees, • Outdoor nature exposure reported
and green roofs, green walls) to have positive impacts on both
Bagwell hedonic and eudemonic well-
[36] being
Colley et Outdoor (lawns, woodlands, • Outdoor nature exposure is
al. [31] watersides, wildlife) associated with a feeling of relief
from physical conditions of
workplaces and the negative
effects of sedentary working on
physical well- being
Gilchrist Outdoor nature (lawn, rough • Spending more time in outdoor
et al. grass, trees, flowering plants, nature during workdays was
[37] water features), window associated with higher well- being,
views, built features however, an increased frequency
(buildings, sculptures, statues of use was not associated with
or other cultural objects, higher well- being
paved pedestrian areas, roads)
• Window views of nature from
workers' workspaces were
associated with positive impacts
on well- being
• Built features had no positive
impact on well- being
Jahncke et Movie of flowing river with • Office workers who listened to
al. [34] sound, sound of flowing river, office noise during a restoration
silence, office noise delivered break reported less motivation
through headphones compared to those who watched
the movie of flowing rivers with
sound or listened to the sound of
flowing rivers
Kim et al. Indoor plants • Indoor plants in offices failed to
[44] substantially improve the mental
health of office workers
Korpela et Indoor plants, window views • Window views of nature at work
al. [42] did not predict well- being
although the frequency of
window views increased over a
year
Korpela et Indoor plant, window views, • Frequent physical activities in
al. [41] outdoor exposure natural surroundings increased
the chance of higher well- being
over a two- year period
irrespective of the level of job
autonomy, social support,
workload, number of breaks
during workday, age or gender
Loder [39] Window views, green roofs • Green roofs were associated with
an ethic of care and a conducive
environment to restore office
workers' well- being
• Participants expressed a desire for
more and accessible green roofs
for their well- being restoration
potential to be materialised
Lottrup et Outdoor (visual access, • Both physical and visual access to
al. [38] physical access) outdoor greenery were associated
with increased positive workplace
attitude for both males and
females; however, physical access
had the most impact
Lottrup et Window views • Window views of natural
al. [45] elements were related to
increased view satisfaction and
subsequently high work ability
and job satisfaction
McFarland Window views, indoor plant, • Office workers who spent more
[46] outdoor nature time eating outdoors during
breaks reported higher levels of
mental well- being
4
Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789
Table 3 (continued)
Author(s) Nature exposure type Findings
Shin [47] Window views (forest) • Respondents with views of forests
through their windows reported
higher job satisfaction compared
to those without window views of
forests
van Esch Window views • The amount of nature in office
et al. workers' window views were
[22] positively associated with
restoration and job satisfaction
• Coherent built views through
windows were associated with
less apprehension, increased
restoration and job satisfaction
3.2. Motivation
Neuroscientific evidence suggests that motivational signals in the
form of incentives can significantly modulate neurons responsible for
cognitive control [48]. Scientific trials in this regard have shown that
offering a preferred reward for accurate recall of information can lead
to selective enhancement of working memory maintenance over the
relevant period [48,49]. Similarly, nature exposure can be used as in-
centive to stimulate and enhance voluntary cognitive control of office
workers without leading to mental stress. The evidence in Tables 2
and 3 shows that physical outdoor exposure is more effective for
restoration compared to indoor plants that dominate indoor nature
exposure. It may be impossible to replicate the variety of outdoor ex-
posure types indoors. However, the findings of Gilchrist et al. [37] re-
garding the positive effect of videos and sounds of flowing rivers on
office workers’ motivation points to the benefits of offering alterna-
tive forms of preferred outdoor nature indoors. Providing office work-
ers their preferred nature exposure indoors (or its practical substitute)
may not directly improve restoration; however, it may significantly
improve other facets of well-being like motivation that will ultimately
enhance performance.
Table 4 presents key findings on the relationship between nature
exposure and motivation of office workers. The majority of the expo-
sure types in Table 4 are indoor related (physically or window views);
this is logical considering that office workers are more likely to per-
ceive indoor nature as an incentive. The findings of Mangone et al.
[40], Ayuso Sanchez et al. [50], and Smith et al. [51] in Table 4, for
example, highlight the incentive potential of indoor nature. These
studies reported significant improvements in office workers’ satisfac-
tion with various aspects of indoor environmental quality although
the relevant physical parameters were the same as the control groups.
The indoor plants in these studies positively influenced perceptions of
environmental satisfaction in the experimental group relative to the
control groups. According to Kim et al. [44], workers in old office
buildings reported significant reduction in symptoms of sick building
syndrome (SBS) after introduction of indoor plants while workers in
new office buildings reported negligible improvement. Given that in-
door plants in both cases did not significantly reduce concentrations
of volatile organic compound (VOC), the difference in SBS perception
is attributable to the incentive stimulus of indoor plants in the old of-
fice buildings. Bjornstad et al. [52] reported that indoor nature con-
tacts increased perceptions of organisational support that decreased
job stress and days of sick leave, which further support the incentive
potential of indoor nature exposure. Working in busy and demanding
office environments, according to Hitchings [53], can diminish the
idea of experiencing outdoor nature. These office environments pro-
vide the best opportunity to leverage the incentive potential of work-
ers preferred indoor nature to enhance their overall well-being and
possibly micro-restoration. The evidence strongly supports strategic
use of nature exposure, especially indoor nature, as incentive for of-
fice workers given its multi-faceted positive effects including motiva-
A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789

Table 4 ical, which highlights its ability to affect every domain of human life.
Key findings supporting nature exposure as incentive for motivation. Stress is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases like
heart attack, chest pain and stroke and mental illnesses like depres-
Author(s) Nature Findings
exposure sion [59] and knowledge workers generally report more symptoms of
type work-related stress compared to other workers [31]. The stress recov-
ery theory postulates that exposure to natural environments can re-
Smith et Indoor • Half of respondents perceived introduction of indoor
al. [51] plants plants as aesthetically pleasing while a fifth were
duce stress in two ways: physical recovery (releasing muscle tension,
displeased reducing blood pressure and heart rate) and psychological recovery
• Occupants in offices with indoor plants perceived (promoting positive affective states and mood) [30].
improvements in relative humidity and background Table 5 presents findings relating nature exposure to stress in of-
noise although these physical parameters did not fice work environments. The evidence supports the use of either out-
change compared to a control group
Dravigne Indoor • Occupants of offices with indoor plants and window door or indoor nature exposure for reducing both physical and psy-
et al. plant, views reported feeling much better about their job and chological stress among office workers. Bringslimark et al. [43] how-
[54] window the work involved ever found no association between exposure to indoor plants and
view stress assessed with a context-free measure. Although this result is
• Window views and indoor plants associated with
contrary to the other studies [e.g. 50, 60], a context-free stress mea-
higher perceived overall quality of life
Hitchings Outdoor • Highly demanding and busy office work environments sure will include other dimensions of stress relevant to life domains
[53] nature diminished the idea of outdoor experience during work outside the work environment. Largo-Wight et al. [61] and Colley et
hours al. [32] presented contradicting findings regarding the time frame for
Ayuso Indoor • Occupants of office spaces with daylight and greenery stress reduction due to nature exposure. The former reported a short
Sanchez plant were most satisfied with their thermal sensation
time frame while the later suggested a long-time frame. This contra-
et al. compared to offices without daylight and greenery
[50] although thermal conditions in both spaces were the diction is likely due to the differences in exposure types studied. The
same participants in Largo-Wight et al. [61] listened to nature sound (ocean
Mangone Indoor • The presence of substantial quantity of indoor plants in
et al. plants offices increased occupants' thermal comfort
[55] satisfaction although the plants did not affect Table 5
temperature and relative humidity in the office Key findings of nature exposure in relation to stress.
following a pre- post study
Aries et al. Window • Increased perceptions of window view quality were Author(s) Nature exposure Findings
[56] view associated with lower perceived psychological and type
physical discomfort
Hyvönen et Outdoor (parks, • Male office workers with low profile of
Dreyer et Window • Higher satisfaction with window views was associated
al. [30] forests, fields, outdoor nature exposure during work
al. [57] view with higher perception of hedonic and eudemonic well-
marshes, beaches, hours reported the lowest work
being
waters, engagement and the highest burnout rate
Matusiak Window • Perceived aesthetical quality of scenes through a
playgrounds, and
and view window predicted view quality perception
playing fields)
Klöckner
Ayuso Indoor plant • Indoor plants and daylight negatively
[58]
Sanchez et correlated with office workers' perception
Bjornstad Indoor • Indoor nature contacts increased perceived
al. [50] of fatigue
et al. and organisational support which subsequently decreased
• Exposure to indoor plants decreased
[52] outdoor job stress and days of sick leave
saliva amylase by 10.1 points,
nature
representing a decrease in physiological
contact
stress
Kim et al. Indoor • Workers in new office buildings reported negligible
Haynes et al. Indoor plants • Workers in office spaces without plants
[44] plant improvements in symptoms of SBS with the
[60] felt more pressure relative to those in
introduction of indoor plants; however, workers in old
offices with indoor plants
office buildings reported significant improvements in
Largo- Wight Nature sound • Office workers who listened to ocean
SBS
et al. [61] waves had significant reductions in
• Indoor plants did not significantly reduce
physiological and self- reported stress
concentrations of VOC in new and old office buildings
compared to those who listened to
classical music or silence
tion, environmental satisfaction, perceived organisational support and • Significant stress reduction occurred after
micro-restoration. 7 min of listening to nature sound
Lottrup et Outdoor (visual • Male office workers' physical and visual
al. [38] access, physical access to outdoor greenery were
3.3. Stress reduction access) associated with positive workplace
attitude and decreased stress level,
There is no universally accepted definition for stress; however, the respectively
• For female workers, physical and visual
following definitions capture the context of this paper.
access to outdoor greenery were
‘Stress, a non-specific response of the body to any demand placed associated with positive workplace
attitude only; however, positive attitude
upon it, arises when there is an imbalance between demands in
was significantly related to reduced stress
life, such as those related to work, and the coping resources avail- Bringslimark Indoor plants • Indoor plants in office environments were
able’ [52]. et al. [43] not associated with a context- free
measure of stress
‘Stress: the psychophysiological phenomenon caused when envi- Shin [47] Window view • Office occupants with the view of forest
ronmental demands reach or exceed an organism's capacity to ad- (forest) through their windows reported lower
dress those demands.’ [29]. levels of stress compared to those without
forest views through their windows
Both definitions highlight the essence of balancing demands and Colley et al. Outdoor (lawns, • Office workers in stressful work
resources to mitigate stress. Additionally, the second definition illus- [32] woodlands, environments would prefer to spend
watersides, wildlife) longer times in outdoor nature and not
trates the manifestations of stress as either physiological or psycholog-
frequent short outdoor breaks

5
A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789

waves) indoors while those in Colley et al. [32] physically accessed Chang and Chen [62] support the physiological response claim of na-
outdoor nature (lawns, woodlands, watersides, wildlife). The visual ture exposure on health. Physiological responses like blood pressure,
and unconscious mental engagement associated with physical access saliva amylase and heart rate are also psychophysiological factors that
of outdoor nature explains the preference for longer time among par- have been associated with stress manifestation [50,63]. Indoor plants
ticipants in Colley et al. [32] study although significant stress reduc- have been associated with indoor air quality due to carbon sequestra-
tion may occur much earlier. Additionally, the unique potential of tion and the ability to capture other air pollutants like VOC and par-
outdoor nature for both directed attention restoration and stress re- ticulate matter [64]. Indoor air pollutants like carbon dioxide and
duction supports the preference for longer times in outdoor nature VOC have been associated with SBS symptoms (including headache,
and not short frequent visits. fatigue) [65] and asthma [66]. However, Kim et al. [44] found signifi-
cant reductions in self-reported SBS among workers in old office
3.4. Health buildings although indoor plants did not reduce VOC concertation.
This highlights the impact of nature exposure on subjective perception
Similar to stress reduction, nature exposure can influence health of health resulting from positive psychological feelings. The evidence
physiologically and psychologically as shown in Table 6. Nature expo- in Table 6 strongly supports nature exposure, especially indoor, as an
sure generates an involuntary response from the nervous system lead- effective method of boosting office workers’ health perception. Im-
ing to several physiological responses including muscle tension, blood proved subjective health will also enhance physical health by generat-
pressure, brain waves, skin temperature and heart rate [62]. The find- ing positive physiological outcomes (e.g. blood pressure and heart
ing of Torrente et al. [63] regarding a significant decrease in blood rate) through positive signals to the nervous system.
pressure for office workers who walked in a park relative to those
who completed relaxation exercise and the control group demon- 3.5. Stress coping strategies
strates the physiological health effect of nature exposure. High blood
pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases [63], there- Stress coping refers to mental or behavioural efforts that individu-
fore, the possibility of reducing high blood pressure with nature expo- als employ to mitigate the consequences of demands that are draining
sure will significantly boost office workers' health. The findings of or exceeding available resources [32,70]. Using positive stress coping
strategies to counter internal or external demands will require con-
Table 6 scious actions by individuals, especially in high stress work environ-
Key results of nature exposure in relation to health. ments [71]. Although investigations of nature exposure directly as a
coping strategy for office workers is limited, the evidence in Table 7
Author(s) Nature exposure type Findings attests to the potential of nature exposure for stress coping. The table
Bjornstad et Indoor and outdoor • High exposure to indoor nature provides evidence for psychological [52] and behavioural efforts [72]
al. [52] nature contact contacts in office work environments involving nature exposure for dealing with stress. Nature exposure
was associated with significant may contribute to stress reduction among office workers indirectly
reductions in subjective heath
through a mediator (e.g. perceived organisational support) [52] or di-
complains and number of sick leave
days compared to low exposure rectly by suppressing physiological reactions [50]. The evidence
Candido et Indoor (plants and • Indoor plants and green walls in open shows that both indoor and outdoor nature exposure types are effec-
al. [67] green wall) plan offices were associated with tive coping strategies for workplace stressors; however, outdoor na-
increased subjective health ture is most preferred. Kohlleppel et al. [73] found outdoor nature ex-
Evensen et Indoor plants, full • Indoor plants were associated with
posure to be more beneficial for much stressed users. Escaping the
al. [68] spectrum fluorescent lower levels of health complaints
light among an intervention group relative to stress environment to a naturally fascinating environment that invol-
a control group untarily relieves cognitive resources seems to be a key mechanism
Fjeld et al. Indoor foliage • Indoor foliage was associated with that enhances coping capacity in highly stressed individuals. The evi-
[69] reduced levels of self- reported health dence suggests that indoor nature exposure may be suitable for coping
symptoms compared to a control group
without indoor foliage
with less taxing demands and outdoor nature for demands exceeding
Haynes et al. Indoor plants • Workers in office environments with resources.
[60] indoor plants reported feeling healthier
compared to those without indoor 4. Discussion
plants
Chang and Photos (combinations • Offices with a combination of window
Chen [62] of office without views of nature and indoor plants had The preceding sections presented and consolidated the evidence
window, with the best physiological response as for the physical, psychological and cognitive benefits of nature expo-
window, indoor illustrated in higher brainwave activity sure for office workers. This section critically evaluates the evidence
plants, view of nature, and draw insights for practical implications towards achieving a bal-
and city view)
anced sustainability.
• Window views of nature had the best
psychophysiological effect compared to Although outdoor nature exposure featured prominently in all five
city view through a window themes presented above, it was most associated with restoration,
Bringslimark Indoor plants • The number of indoor plants close to stress reduction, and coping. Essentially, physical access and the idea
et al. [43] office workers' desks was associated of leaving work behind are the key factors that resulted in outdoor na-
with reduced sick leave days and
increased productivity
ture being more effective for restoration and stress reduction relative
Torrente et Outdoor (park walk, • Blood pressure decreased significantly to indoor exposure. The dose response cycle of work activities taxing
al. [63] relaxation exercise, in participants who took a park walk directed attention and stressors stimulating negative emotions is bro-
control) compared to those who completed ken by being outside. The need for economic growth leads to in-
relaxation exercise and the control
creased infrastructure development in urban areas, thus, limiting the
group during a lunch break.
Kim et al. Indoor plants • Indoor plants did not lead to significant availability of and proximity to outdoor nature for most office work-
[44] reductions in VOC concentration; ers. Although accessible green roofs and outdoor green walls can pro-
however, workers in old office vide physical access to outdoor nature within urban areas, they are
buildings reported significant scarcely available. Contrary to the general association of urban infra-
reductions in SBS

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A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789

Table 7 without inducing mental stress. The motivation theme emphasises of-
Key results of nature exposure in relation to stress coping. fering office workers their preferred nature exposure [51], an idea
that resonates with the restoration, stress and coping themes. Provid-
Author(s) Nature Findings
exposure ing diverse nature exposures to meet the preferences of most office
type workers is likely to encourage usage and yield expected outcomes.
However, strategic management efforts will be required to maximise
Bjornstad et Indoor and • High perceived organisational support due to the
al. [52] outdoor introduction of indoor nature elements contributed
the potential of nature exposure especially for dealing with workplace
nature to improving psychological job strain buffering stress. The evidence suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach to na-
contact mechanism ture exposure will be counterproductive; however, objective health
Colley et al. Outdoor • Outdoor nature usage, where office workers spend through air quality improvement is preference-free. It will therefore
[32] (lawns, more time in outdoor nature and not frequent
be essential to strike a good balance between preferred indoor nature
woodlands, outdoor break, could be an effective strategy for
watersides, adapting to stressful workplace situations
for motivation and essential indoor nature for objective health. Indoor
wildlife) plants for example have different air pollutants absorption capacity,
Bringslimark Window • Workers in windowless office environments had hence, choosing the most efficient plants will increase chances of im-
et al. [72] view five times greater odds of having their own picture proving indoor air quality and workers' objective health. The motiva-
of nature to compensate for lack of window
tion and health benefits of indoor nature exposure will have a primary
compared to three times greater odds for workers
with windows impact on social sustainability and a secondary impact on economic
Han et al. Outdoor • Participants assigned to a forest therapy group as sustainability. Enhancing office workers' health through indoor nature
[74] (forest coping strategy, reported significant decrease in exposure will reduce the number of sick leave days and associated
therapy) pain and depression compared to the control group productivity loses. The cost of indoor air pollution on health and pro-
after a pre- post experiment
ductivity in California alone is estimated to be at least $60 billion
Kohlleppel Outdoor • Botanical garden visits found to be an effective
et al. [73] nature strategy for coping with depression yearly [78]. Therefore, the economic benefits of improving office
a (botanical workers’ health through nature exposure will extend to the wider so-
garden) ciety.
• Botanical garden visits as a depression coping Mental health is a global public health problem that is heavily
strategy worked best for most depressed
participants
weighing down health budget in most countries with a global esti-
Takayama et Outdoor • Trying to forget root causes of stressor as a stress mated annual cost of £1.6 trillion [79]. For office workers, mental
al. [75] a (forest and coping strategy was negatively associated with health is directly related to stress [38], restoration [46] and motiva-
urban) feelings of liveliness and energy after visiting a tion [57]. The evidence presented here shows that different nature ex-
forest
posure types are not equally effective. Therefore, a nature exposure
Lemaire and Outdoor • Taking time outside for a walk or coffee was
Wallace negatively associated with the frequency of feeling
strategy with capacity to positively impact on work stress, cognitive
[76] a emotionally exhausted restoration, motivation and coping capacity will be essential for en-
Wagenfeld Outdoor • In addition to talking and exercising, correctional hancing office workers' mental health and overall functioning. The
et al. [77] nature staff preferred spending time outside to cope with mapping of nature exposure outcomes in Table 8 shows that 80% of
a stress
the empirical studies reviewed in this research focused on one of the
• Correctional staff expressed interests in using
outdoor spaces to decompress and that being
nature exposure outcomes only. This one-dimensional focus of nature
outside made them feel calm exposure will lead to limited impact on the performance of office
a The context of these studies was not office but were included here because workers. As the global economy continues to evolve, the need for in-
limited studies focused on nature exposure as a stress coping strategy for novation to sustain socioeconomic development will increase the like-
office workers. lihood of mental health and stress among office workers. Collective
implementation of the five nature exposure outcome themes identified
structure with negative attention restoration, the findings of a recent in this research would contribute to mitigating aforementioned risk
study [22] suggest that thoughtfully designed built infrastructure can and enhance workers’ health, well-being and performance.
stimulate unconscious human fascination and enhance restoration. Fig. 2 presents a network diagram representing the likely complex
Therefore, existing urban infrastructure can be strategically retrofitted relationships between nature exposure, exposure outcomes and im-
to include elements of outdoor nature to increase opportunities of pacts on employees' performance. Solid arrow lines indicate primary
physical outdoor exposure for office workers. The associations of out- impacts and dash arrow lines indicate secondary impacts. Similarly,
door nature exposure with restoration, stress reduction and coping plus (+) signs indicate influence in the same direction whilst minus
point to impacts on the economic, social and environmental dimen- (−) signs denote opposite directional influence. For example, outdoor
sions of sustainability. Restoring office workers directed attention and nature exposure reduces stress and increases stress coping. Restoring
well-being through outdoor nature exposure will enhance cognitive directed attention through nature exposure can contribute to reducing
functioning and contribute to completing ongoing tasks and generat- or mitigating psychological stress [43]. However, the impact of
ing new ideas to ensure present and future returns on investment (i.e. restoration on stress is indicated as secondary because not all exhaus-
economic sustainability). Additionally, reducing office workers stress tion of directed attention would lead to stress. The reverse is indicated
will enhance their health given that a majority of all diseases are as primary because stressed office workers would most likely need di-
stress related while increasing the coping capacity will enhance resis- rected attention restoration considering that talking to someone about
tance to stressors (i.e. social sustainability). Using nature exposure job stressors is an effective coping strategy [76] that would deplete di-
techniques like green roofs or walls to achieve economic and social rected attention. Outdoor nature exposure may lead to enhancing cop-
sustainability benefits will increase urban green infrastructure and ing resources of office workers who are not stressed. The direct im-
carbon sequestration capacity (environmental sustainability). pact of coping on stress is primary but secondary on employees' per-
The findings suggest that indoor nature exposure is relatively less formance. The benefit of having coping as a separate exposure out-
effective for restoration and stress reduction. This is attributable to come is the ability to assess effectiveness of specific coping strategies
proximity to job stressors and cognitive demands of ongoing work. for stress reduction. The relationship between health on one hand and
However, proximity of indoor nature exposure is essential for motiva- both stress and restoration on the other is a reverse primary impact
tion and health to enhance and sustain desired cognitive performance given thatseveral health problems are stress related and restoration is

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A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789

Table 8 quirement in project briefs for new construction and retrofitting of ex-
Mapping of nature exposure outcome themes with respect to reviewed journal isting office buildings. This will ensure effective integration of indoor
articles. and outdoor nature exposure into design schemes by leveraging pre-
vailing context to optimize nature exposure. The evidence also shows
Publication Restoration Motivation Health Stress Stress
coping that nature exposure preferences vary among people, therefore, a one-
size-fits-all strategy may lead to negligible benefits or negative im-
Lee et al. [35] ● pacts on TBL through depleted restoration, motivation, health, coping
Mangone et al. [40] ●
and amplified stress. Therefore, designers should employ flexible na-
Stenfors et al. [21] ●
Evensen et al. [33] ● ture exposure techniques that are easily modifiable to ensure that cur-
Bringslimark et al. [72] ● rent office workers meet their nature exposure needs without compro-
Han et al. [74] ● mising the exposure needs of future office workers. Project managers
Kohlleppel et al. [73] ● of new or retrofitting office projects will have to ensure that nature
Lemaire and Wallace [76] ● exposure considerations remain on the agenda from inception to com-
Takayama et al. [75] ●
pletion. During risk identification and assessment at the inception
Wagenfeld et al. [77] ●
Torrente et al. [63] ● stage, it will be essential to identify and evaluate nature exposure re-
Candido et al. [67] ● lated risks and assess the likely impact of other risk events on nature
Chang and Chen [62] ● exposure. Besides providing easy access to nature exposure (indoors
Evensen et al. [68] ● and outdoors), businesses should strategically manage nature expo-
Fjeld et al. [69] ● sure as a key input resource to achieving TLB. This will include main-
Aries et al. [56] ●
taining a database of employees' exposure preference profiles and us-
Dravigne et al. [54] ●
Dreyer et al. [57] ● ing the network in Fig. 2 to track effectiveness of nature exposure in
Hitchings [53] ● relation to direct measures of economic, environmental and social sus-
Mangone et al. [55] ● tainability. Over time, benchmarks can be established to facilitate ef-
Matusiak and Klöckner ● fective monitoring and control of nature exposure. Due to limited land
[58]
availability in urban areas, it is nearly impossible to develop new
Smith et al. [51] ●
Largo- Wight et al. [61] ●
parks and gardens to provide convenient outdoor nature exposure for
Korpela et al. [42] ● office workers. However, considering the impact of outdoor nature on
Korpela et al. [41] ● restoration, stress reduction and coping, green roofs may be utilised to
Lottrup et al. [45] ● meet outdoor exposure needs. Businesses should collaborate to de-
McFarland [46] ● velop a network of shared green roofs that will be conveniently acces-
Shin [47] ●
sible to office workers year around. Additionally, businesses should
Cinderby and Bagwell ●
[36]
engage local and federal governments to enact policies that will en-
Gilchrist et al. [37] ● courage private participation in developing urban green infrastruc-
van Esch et al. [22] ● ture. In very cold countries of the northern hemisphere, this may in-
Hyvönen et al. [30] ● ● clude enclosed green roofs for winter access. Considering that the cost
Colley et al. [31] ● of air-conditioning indoor environments is about 1% of employees’
Jahncke et al. [34] ●
salaries, the TBL benefits of enclosed green roofs for winter access will
Loder [39] ●
Ayuso Sanchez et al. [50] ● ● by far exceed the energy cost of maintaining comfortable tempera-
Bringslimark et al. [43] ● ● tures [80].
Haynes et al. [60] ● ● Several businesses use third party green building certification
Lottrup et al. [38] ● ● schemes to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. Although
Colley et al. [32] ● ● ● the evaluation criteria of most green building rating schemes are envi-
Bjornstad et al. [52] ● ● ●
ronmental sustainability focused, some (e.g. Green Star, Leadership in
Kim et al. [44] ● ● ●
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and WELL) include criteria
related social sustainability and nature exposure. Both the Green Star
strongly related to positive psychology that will positevely affect both Design and As Built v1.3 and LEED Building Design and Constriction
objective and subjective health. Employees’ performance can be as- v4.1 include access to “Daylight” and “Views” or “Quality Views” as
sessed using several variables including job performance and produc- credit criteria [81,82]. Additionally, LEED v4.1 includes “Places of
tivity. Respite” and “Direct Exterior Access” credits aimed at providing occu-
The findings of this research highlight the one-dimensional impact pants' access to natural environments; however, these credits are ap-
of nature exposure for office workers with emphasis on either indoor plicable to healthcare facilities only [82]. Given that LEED is the most
or outdoor nature exposure. The novelty of this research stems from used rating scheme globally [83], limiting the “Direct Exterior Access”
synthesising the empirical evidence and proposing a five-dimensional credit to healthcare facilities would limit green office building occu-
impact (restoration, health, stress, motivation and stress coping) for pants' access to outdoor nature. The WELL v2 “Mind” category include
providing nature exposure for office workers. The network in Fig. 2 “Access to Nature” as a precondition feature for all buildings and
suggests that office workplaces will need a nature exposure strategy “Restorative Space”, and “Enhanced Access to Nature” as optimisation
capable of meeting diverse needs of different office workers concur- features. Although the WELL scheme emphasises both indoor and out-
rently. door nature exposure, it is the role of design teams to decide how to
achieve those criteria. The findings of this study suggest that integrat-
5. Implications for workplace design ing nature criteria in all green building rating schemes to assess the
level of incorporation of nature exposure (indoors and outdoors)
The evidence demonstrates that incorporating nature exposure would enhance the realisation of integrated sustainability. Findings of
into new construction and retrofitting of existing office buildings will this study will assist design teams in deciding on the combinations of
contribute to achieving sustainability goals of businesses without nature exposure that will enhance office workers’ well-being, health,
compromising any of the three sustainability dimensions. Businesses
should include indoor and outdoor nature exposure as a primary re-

8
A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen
Fig. 2. Network of relationships between nature exposure and employee performance.
and performance and also contribute to achieving integrated sustain-
ability.
6. Conclusions
The aim of this systematic review was to explore the impact of na-
ture exposure on office workers and how it can contribute to achiev-
ing TBL. Indoor nature exposure was found to have significant pri-
mary impacts on the social dimension of TBL through enhancing of-
fice workers' health and motivating desired cognitive control due to
proximity of indoor nature to employees. Providing office workers
with their preferred indoor nature would positively impact on health
perception and motivation and thereby improve their work perfor-
mance (i.e. economic sustainability) without leading to mental stress.
Outdoor nature exposure was found to have significant primary im-
pacts on all three dimensions of TBL: economic sustainability through
restoring directed attention and well-being, social sustainability
through stress reduction and enhancing coping resources, and envi-
ronmental sustainability by increasing urban green infrastructure. The
impact of outdoor nature on coping, restoration and stress is largely
due to the idea of escaping from work that breaks the dose-response
mechanism. Therefore, findings suggest that the benefits of a nature
9
Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101789
exposure strategy that incorporates both indoor and outdoor nature
will be multifaceted. Primarily, it will enhance employees’ health,
well-being and work performance. Additionally, it will contribute to
achieving integrated sustainability without overlooking any of the
three dimensions of TBL.
Findings of this research suggest that businesses should main-
stream monitoring and control of nature exposure as a core business
function to leverage the potential economic, environmental and social
benefit for sustainable growth. The nature exposure network devel-
oped in this research will contribute to this monitoring and control ef-
fort by serving as guiding framework for developing nature exposure
strategies as part of comprehensive employee assistance programs of
an overall business strategy. Findings of this research will facilitate
design decisions regarding nature exposure at office workplaces to en-
sure that the potential of indoor and outdoor nature is effectively
leveraged to maximise impacts on workers’ health, well-being, perfor-
mance and TBL. The findings of this research will also inform future
research by providing a framework for assessing the effectiveness of
different exposure types. Additionally, the nature exposure network
developed in this research can facilitate collaborative research glob-
ally on the impact of nature exposure on employees and integrated
sustainability. Most building performance modelling tools currently
A-M Sadick and I. Kamardeen
do not model the impact of nature exposure on occupants and its con-
tribution to sustainability. The findings of this research will feed into
future efforts in this regard by providing pointers to key parameters to
consider and how nature exposure leads to achieving integrated sus-
tainability through direct primary impacts on building occupants.
The nature exposure network diagram proposed in this research
shows the intricate relationships between exposure types and out-
comes. Additionally, most of the studies that have investigated the im-
pact of nature exposure on office workers have focused on restoration,
health and stress. The motivation outcome developed in this research
contributes to enriching the literature on the impact of nature expo-
sure on office workers. Although the network is grounded in primary
research findings, future usage may suggest modifications to enhance
its reliability. The proposed network is primarily intended for office
workers; however, it may be applicable to other workers and life do-
mains with modification to the primary and secondary impact paths.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Abdul-Manan Sadick: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investiga-
tion, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft. Imriyas Kamardeen:
Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing - review &
editing, Project administration.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have or appear to have
influenced the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
This research was not funded by any organisation.
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