There is more than one way to bring nature and into your home or workplace so we’re going to break down the difference between moss walls and living walls and give you the skinny on each of these brilliant biophilic design options that provide calm and other wellness benefits including noise and air pollutant reduction (along with the mental benefits of attention restoration and focus).
Doing the Right Thing: Why Hotels Are Embracing Biophilic Design
BEYOND AESTHETICS AND INTO REAL, HUMAN EXPERIENCE Every June, thought and practice leaders in biophilic design gather to attend HOTEC Design Conference. This June 17-20, conference goers will be at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and the agenda for the conference is so inspiring. From a panel discussion of “The Intersection of Senior Living and Hospitality …
Designing for Wellness: Maximizing Your Workplace Safety Investments During the Pandemic
There is no shortage of recommendations, advice, and protocols for safety in the workplace during the pandemic from savvy, strategically-minded architects, designers, HR experts, and building planners as we all work to navigate the current physical workplace and design for wellness. We will spare you the slurry of terms such as “unprecedented,” and “new normal,” as well as the cliches …
Green Walls in Schools: Beyond Health Benefits and Into Curriculum
You have likely seen at least one article on why moss is highly beneficial for the home and workplace but we’d like to share why green walls aka moss walls (see our previous post on the differences between the types of green walls) make excellent sense for schools and other educational environments. We’ll go a little further than stress reducation, …
Biophilic Design in Healthcare: No Risk, Ample Reward for All of Us
An Introduction to Dr. Ibrahim of HOK We have been thinking about biophilic design in healthcare for quite some time. But in the past, we wondered if the healthcare industry would find our products too risky. That’s why when we watched Dr. Andrew M. Ibrahim of HOK present on the topic, we were transfixed. Turns out, not only is there …
Moss for the Win in Sustainable Workplace Design
We like to think we are pretty good listeners. It is one of the core values of The Fat Plant Society–and we love that our listening skills play a role in not only understanding client “pain points” but also, product development. Our clients are our weathervanes for our work and strategic planning–we feel listening and asking for feedback really is …
Why Moss, Why Now?
Before we answer the questions why moss and why now, we should probably address the “what” of preserved moss and explain the wonder of such a beautiful material that is neither living nor dead but requires no maintenance, only admiration. The Fat Plant Society uses various types of preserved moss. The moss is preserved using a natural paraffin and glycerin …
Biophilic Design: What You Don’t Know May Surprise You
There are some benefits to being somewhat long in the tooth. The benefits include being able to straddle both old world practices and new world technology and, if I may be so bold, the wisdom to know which shiny new thing deserves our attention i.e. the wisdom to see the difference between a fleeting fancy and something that just makes …
Why Moss Walls are Ideal for Public Spaces: What We Learned Talking to Architects and Design Professionals
At The Fat Plant Society, we have been doing some research that extends beyond our existing knowledge on living walls and green installation options for public spaces. We’ve been contacting design and architectural professionals both online and in person to pose questions regarding how to best interact with architects, design professionals, and others involved in the design of public spaces. …
HogsheadKC: An Interview with Restaurant Design Visionary, Shawn McClenny
Shawn McClenny, (pictured right, next to Chef Clark Grant, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of HogsheadKC) owner of One Block South entertainment district in Overland Park, Kansas, which includes Kanza Hall, Red 8, Fuel and Local Tap, partnered with Clark Grant, who was formerly an executive chef partner with Capital Grille in Chicago (in 2015, Grant moved to Kansas City …