A Breath of Fresh Air in the Office

It’s unfortunately all too similar for most Americans: Drab walls, cramped spaces and uninspiring scenery describe the typical and all-too-familiar workplaces where most of us undergo our daily grind. And soon, work becomes just that — a grind. The mentality for working Americans in this sort of setting has become “hang in there” rather than, “enjoy it here” whilst being productive. Enter the Breathing Partition from Vancouver, BC-based Yanko Design.

A long-standing theory in architecture has been to “bring in” the outside world by offering ample windows from which workers can enjoy natural light and views of outdoor settings. Yanko Design has taken this idea and run with it. By bringing actual vegetation into the most clichéd image in oppressive offices, the cubicle, Yanko Design has created what is perhaps the most inspiring partition on earth — and it’s green!

The Breathing Partition offers several benefits to any that get to enjoy its presence. Improved air quality, enjoyable bright green visuals and a textual experience reminiscent of childhood pleasures (enhanced by the additional footrest) are invoked by the tufts of grass integrated into the creatively designed office walls. Yanko Design’s website offers the following justification of these partitions infused with some greenery: “The project was started with the purpose to develop a creative and pleasant office environment as the product has been designed to allow feeling a sense of nature in dreary office environments.” What a great idea!

These forms are even as eco-friendly and structurally solid as the idea behind them. The walls are made from durable HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic, which is easily recyclable or reusable at the end of use, and it includes a watering system required to keep grass growing and keep breathing cleanly.

The mundane office setting, combined with the whirring and chirping of computers and printers, fluorescent lighting and indistinct office chatter, can lull even the most prolific employee into a comatose state. But, with these eye-catching partitions that are adaptable in any office space by being endlessly configurable in shape and size, the Breathing Partition might just revolutionize the office setting. That being said, the custodial staff might not be as thrilled.