Future Spaces was held on Thursday 21st July, and hosted by Layrd Design at Norwich City Football Club. The event was all about exploring sustainability and wellness in interior spaces. The event started with networking with a selection of drinks and plant-based canapes offered to the attendees followed by an introduction to the event by Will Mayes from Layrd Design. The first speaker was Ruscha Fields from The Good Plant Company. Ruscha talked about biophilic design and how to successfully incorporate planting within the workplace. Ruscha stated that having plants present makes us feel connected to nature and the environment ultimately making us feel relaxed and calmer. Having plants in the workplace has been proven to enhance wellbeing and increase productivity. If you are worried about the upkeep of having numerous plants around the office then why not get artificial plants, these give off the same positive effect as real plants. Ruscha was also involved in the Moss workshop which took place after her talk. Here attendees built their own moss frame which they could take home and put in their office. After a short break, Michael Aastrup from Tarkett talked about their company’s approach to sustainability. Tarkett is the 3rd largest flooring company in the world, and they have now taken the approach of putting sustainability first ahead of design and functionality. Tarkett recycle old carpets and fishnets for yarn and even acquire the film from car windscreens to use in their products. Michael stated how committed Tarkett is to better living spaces and promoting healthy indoor environments, one way they show this is with their unique dust capture system in their carpets. The last speaker to finish the event was Nathan Huxley from Orange Box. Nathan spoke to us about the importance of being/working together and creating spaces people want to be in. He spoke to us about the idea of relationship buildings “where the ‘office’ is no longer the health problem, it’s the wellness solution”. The top of the terrace, where the event was held was kitted out with furniture from Orange box for everyone to try, which you can see below. A group favourite was their QT pod which provided privacy and comfort to work in. Future Spaces provided some interesting points businesses should consider around sustainability and wellbeing in the workplace, and how having a small plant on your desk can make a huge difference. Photo credits – Norfolk Chambers of Commerce https://www.layrddesign.co.uk/ https://thegoodplantcompany.com/ https://home.tarkett.co.uk/en_GB/ https://www.orangebox.com/ Speakers:
