One of the things that you will most certainly notice when you enter our new premises are all the plants. We have over a hundred plants, fourteen different species in total, and the fifteenth one will be here shortly. There is hardly a room without any plants. Most of them have been put in our common areas, especially in corners surrounding the sofas, where we hold our briefings and hang out most of the time. Seeing as all our offices have glass walls, the plants are hard to miss. Being lush green, they stand out in the black-and-gray interior, and match perfectly the ceilings painted in indigo, the color of the 404 brand.
The plants were picked out by the team from the BIRO Architectural Studio, who made sure the plants would fit in the offices and improve the overall atmosphere. It is a well-known fact that plants reduce stress and fatigue, increase productivity, purify the air, and regulate humidity levels, among other things.
“Spending most of our workhours indoors makes it necessary for us to pay more attention to creating a space where people feel comfortable. Plans aren’t just aesthetically pleasing, they contribute to creating a pleasant working atmosphere,” explained Dora Lončarić of BIRO. When choosing the plants, they made sure office conditions, such as limited light and dry air, suited them, and that they were easy to take care of.
“Several of our colleagues have been taking care of the plants, making sure they get everything they need. Thanks to their care, some of our plants have already bloomed,” said Martina Pintarić, 404 director.
Among the fourteen plant species, there are some that NASA has recommended as being the best plants for purifying the air. For over ten years, NASA had been studying the effect of plants on filtering toxins and pollutants from the air to help space stations. Some of the recommended plants, such as the sword fern, snake plant, spider plant, and dracaena corn plant, are in our offices as well.
“I look forward to cohabitating with so many different plants. Some I have already seen, the others I look forward to getting to know more about. I am confident our cohabitation in our new premises will be fantastic,” concluded Nikola Vrdoljak, 404 director.
