THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF AN AQUARIUM IN THE WORKPLACE

Introduction

During the summer and autumn of 2019, a pilot study was conducted to examine the effects of brief visual exposure to an aquarium on stress and anxiety levels among employees working within a web development agency in Birmingham, UK. The digital marketing and web development sector is widely recognised as a high-pressure working environment, characterised by demanding workloads, constrained budgets, and tight delivery deadlines. Employees in this industry frequently experience prolonged periods of cognitive strain and workplace stress, compounded by extended screen-based activity and limited opportunities for psychological recovery during the working day.

The study was undertaken at Lightbox Digital, a small-to-medium enterprise (SME) specialising in web design and digital marketing services. At the time of the investigation, the company had recently relocated to a larger office space in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, a district associated with creative industries and design-led businesses. The relocation was strategically intended to enhance both client experience and organisational identity through the creation of a workspace that conveyed aspiration, professionalism, and innovation, while simultaneously supporting employee motivation and performance.

Senior leadership at Lightbox Digital viewed the physical workspace as a potential catalyst for business growth and organisational development. In alignment with this philosophy, the organisation agreed to trial the installation of a ViDERE aquarium within the office interior. The aquarium was introduced as a biophilic design feature intended to enrich the workspace, provide a focal point for staff and visitors, and explore its potential contribution to employee wellbeing.

Background

On average, adults spend approximately 60% of their waking hours in the workplace. This proportion is often higher for individuals employed in creative industries such as marketing, digital design, and architecture, where longer working hours are common. Consequently, the physical and psychological characteristics of workplace environments play a substantial role in shaping individual wellbeing, performance, and broader social functioning.

Extensive research within medical and occupational psychology literature has established that prolonged exposure to stress and anxiety is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including:

• Poor mental health, such as increased risk of anxiety disorders and depression

• Poor physical health, including elevated blood pressure and compromised immune function

Diminished mental and physical health not only impairs workplace performance but can also negatively affect family life and wider social relationships.

A substantial body of research indicates that humans derive physiological, emotional, and cognitive benefits from interaction with natural environments (Ulrich, 1984; van den Berg et al., 2003). This evidence has contributed to a growing shift in architectural and interior design practice towards the integration of natural elements within built environments. As a result, occupational psychologists, designers, and organisational leaders increasingly adopt holistic approaches that embed natural features into workplace structures, furnishings, and daily operational practices.

Human-centred design frameworks draw on multiple disciplines to shape environments that support employee wellbeing both physically and culturally. Within this approach, nature is frequently positioned as a core design component. Empirical studies demonstrate that humans exhibit an innate preference for natural environments (Ulrich, 1981), and perceptions of beauty are strongly associated with landscapes and areas of high biodiversity (Dutton, 2009). Collectively, this body of evidence supports the integration of nature as a foundational element in the design of spaces intended to enhance human experience.

Theories of Life

Three key theoretical frameworks provide insight into the mechanisms through which exposure to nature influences human psychology and physiology. Together, they help explain why natural elements are particularly effective within restorative and supportive environments.

Biophilia

The concept of biophilia, derived from the Latin meaning “love of life,” was first introduced by Fromm (1973) and later expanded by Wilson (1984, 1993). The biophilia hypothesis proposes that humans possess an innate, evolutionarily derived tendency to seek connections with natural systems and living organisms. This predisposition reflects adaptive behaviours shaped by survival needs, whereby biodiversity and certain landscape features signalled the availability of resources such as food, water, shelter, and safety. As a result, humans are neurologically primed to respond positively to environments rich in natural cues.

Psychophysiological Stress Recovery Theory (PSRT)

Psychophysiological Stress Recovery Theory builds upon the biophilia hypothesis by describing how exposure to natural environments facilitates recovery from stress. According to Ulrich et al. (1991), natural settings activate reward pathways in the brain and can elicit reductions in physiological arousal, including heart rate and blood pressure. These restorative effects are particularly pronounced following periods of heightened stress. Regular interaction with nature is therefore proposed as an effective long-term strategy for mitigating stress and supporting emotional regulation (Ulrich, 1993).

Attention Restoration Theory (ART)

Attention Restoration Theory suggests that sustained directed attention—particularly in cognitively demanding tasks—leads to mental fatigue, stress, and reduced cognitive performance (Herzog et al., 2003). Kaplan and Kaplan (1995) proposed that restorative environments support recovery by reducing demands on directed attention. Natural environments are considered especially effective due to four defining characteristics:

• Fascination: the capacity of an environment to effortlessly engage attention

• Being Away: a sense of psychological or physical separation from sources of stress

• Extent: richness and coherence that allow immersion

• Compatibility: alignment between the environment and an individual’s preferences and intentions

The Experiment

The objective of this pilot study was to assess the impact of a 10-minute period of passive aquarium viewing on the emotional, physiological, and cognitive states of junior and senior employees working in a high-pressure business environment. Physiological indicators of stress, specifically heart rate and blood pressure, were recorded immediately before and after the intervention. In addition, informal post-session debrief discussions were conducted to capture subjective experiences.

The methodology was informed by the work of Cracknell, White, and colleagues (2015), who investigated dose–response relationships between exposure to marine biota and psychological wellbeing within a public aquarium setting.

Their findings demonstrated that increased biodiversity was associated with greater reductions in heart rate and improvements in mood, supporting the relevance of biodiversity in restorative experiences.

“Exposure to natural environments can have calming and stress-reducing effects on humans. Moreover, previous studies suggest that these benefits may be greater in areas with higher species richness. Our study took advantage of a “natural experiment” to examine people’s behavioral, physiological, and psychological reactions to increases in levels of marine biota in a large aquarium exhibit during three stages of restocking: Unstocked, Partially stocked, and Fully stocked. We found that increased biota levels were associated with longer spontaneous viewing of the exhibit, greater reductions in heart rate, greater increases in self-reported mood, and higher interest. We suggest that higher biota levels, even in managed settings, may be associated with important well-being and health benefits, particularly for individuals not able to access the natural analogues of managed environments.”

The study involved students sitting down in front of a large aquarium for 10 minutes, whilst their blood pressure and heart rate were recorded before and after the experimental period.

Blood pressure and heart rate are a metric used by medical practitioners as an indicator of anxiety, stress, general health. The bodies response to external stress involves elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline in the blood stream increase. Prolonged exposure to these hormones can lead to health complications and poor mental health.

Participants were also given a standardised questionnaire to score their mood/psychological state. What was most interesting about their study was the data they got from participants interacting with the same aquarium at different stages of stocking **industry term**. The findings from this study support the theory that levels of biodiversity are an important component of biophilia and the impact it can have.

This pilot study replicated elements of White and Cracknell’s experimental method, with the view to look at how this type of interaction would affect people working in a commercial business setting and how effective it could be as a potential therapy for stress recovery.

The key aims of this investigation was to test the principles of biophilia in the working environment, using a method that focused on the models of PSRT and ART. The results and findings of this were used to give an insight into how this form of therapy could improve productivity, team cohesion, and individual mental health.

Method

Experimental Conditions

The study was conducted within the Lightbox Digital office during normal working hours between 10:00 and 14:00.

Participants

The participant group consisted of 13 employees:

• 7 male and 6 female participants

• Age range: 21–40 years

• Ethnicity: White European

Organisational Roles

• 1 Director

• 3 Management / Leadership roles

• 6 Executive professionals

• 3 Junior / trainee staff

Materials

• ViDERE 60 freshwater aquarium with live planted aquascape

• Five species of small freshwater fish (42 individuals)

• Allemuir Cardita stool (CRD03)

• Digital stopwatch

• Omron M3 Comfort upper-arm blood pressure monitor

Procedure

1. Participants were briefed on the procedure and signed a consent form.

2. Participants were asked to remove any jumpers, jackets or thick layer of clothing that covered their left arm.

3. Participants were seated on the chair in front of the aquarium.

4. The arm harness of the blood pressure machine was wrapped around participants left bicep.

5. Experimenter held participants forearm at a 90degree angle to their torso and engaged the blood pressure machine.

6. Heart rate and blood pressure was recorded in beats per minute (BPM) and systole and diastole (SYS mmHG / DIA mmHG) respectively.

7. Participants were then instructed to look into the aquarium for the duration of the experimental time.

8. After 10 minutes blood pressure and heart rate were recorded as per the procedure in (3. and 4.)

9. At the end of the session, participants were then asked how they felt during and after the session.

10. The experimenter made notes about the subsequent comments and debrief discussion.

Results

TABLE SHOWING CHANGE IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE AFTER LOOKING INTO A PLANTED AQUARIUM FOR 10 MINUTES

TABLE SHOWING AVERAGE (MEAN) BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE BEFORE AND AFTER LOOKING INTO AN AQUARIUM FOR 10 MINUTES

Analysis

The results from the study show that looking into a planted aquarium for 10 minutes leads to an average drop in blood pressure by 15.6 % and an average drop in heart rate by 3%.

According to the NHS, a healthy adult’s blood pressure should range between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. All but two participants blood pressure fell into this recommended range after the 10-minute therapy.

Participants in senior management and director-level roles exhibited the highest baseline blood pressure and the greatest physiological reductions, suggesting a stronger restorative response among those experiencing higher occupational stress. Junior staff displayed lower baseline measures and correspondingly smaller changes.

NB: Participant 3 has been highlighted on the results table in red as a possible anomaly. Their high blood pressure was due to a chronic medical condition and so it is difficult to draw objective conclusions from their data.

NHS guidelines state that an ideal resting heart rate should be between 60 bpm and 100bpm. This varies somewhat for amateur and professional athletes who have stronger cardiac muscles and may have a resting heart rate of 40bpm to 90bpm. The 3% average drop in heart indicates a nominal impact on heart rate from this type of therapy. All participants started and ended the therapy with a (guideline) normal resting heart rate.

Notes from the participants debriefs gave an interesting insight the psychological impact and benefits that this type of therapy can have.

• All 13 disclosed a feeling of calm and reduced anxiety after the therapy.

• 5 participants said they felt sleepy during the session.

• 8 participants said they felt more awake after their session.

• 4 participants reported an improvement in concentration and creativity when they went back to their work after the therapy.

Evaluation

This study was not carried out in an experimentally controlled environment, we used a small sample of participants from one ethnic group working in one industry sector. The data from this study cannot be extrapolated to statistically represent the wider population within the UK and Europe.

These findings do however give us some insights into the role that biophilia can have in shaping our environments and how this can affect our psychological and physiological state. From this pilot study we can draw some preliminary conclusions and inferences about the potential benefits associated with having an aquarium in a business interior for the staff and management teams that work there. The findings from this study also suggest that an aquarium not only has a positive impact on the appeal of a space with its high biophilic value but can be used as a therapy for stress recovery.

As this was a pilot study to preliminarily explore the effects of this type of feature within a business environment, there is considerable scope to refine the methodology and look at other variables and measurable impacts. These include:

• Conducting a longitudinal study with repeated and consistent therapy sessions to investigate any long-term benefits of multiple therapy sessions. This approach would look at the principle of mental health being analogous to physical fitness, in the sense that significant health benefits would be more noticeable from regular and consistent exercise after a 6-week period.

• Evaluating how the time of day could impact the effectiveness of therapy.

• Working with a larger participant pool from a range of ethnic backgrounds working in different industry sectors.

• Standardising the debrief to a more experimentally measurable questionnaire, to get more accurate data on the impact on psychological and emotional state before and after therapy.

• Compare the therapeutic impact of different types of aquarium ecosystems i.e. freshwater, planted, marine, reef, to further investigate Cracknell and Whites findings on biodiversity.

“What do these findings mean?”

The Significance of Culture

It is widely recognised that excessive triggers of anxiety and stress in the work place has a negative effect on staff productivity and organisational culture

Culture is not just a one-way set of values that a company embeds within its team of staff. It is a reflection of the shared experiences within a group of people, and affects how team members interact with each, suppliers and clients.

This collective consciousness is the social environment. It characterises the attitudes and behaviours of a group or organisation and is evident in “how things are done” differently between organisations and social groups. If a company wishes to establish or change the culture within their organisation, they must look beyond the social interactions that take place in and around their team and focus first on the place where they work, the physical environment.

The physical environment sets the context within which a social environment can develop. We see this play out in society as crime rates in socially deprived areas are typically higher than in more affluent areas. This is partly due to poor infrastructural and commercial investment from government and industry, but also partly due to the architecture and design of the physical spaces in which people live. Higher population density, poor management of building regulations, underfunded civil services, and reduced levels of biophilia often lead to people taking less pride and care in the area that they live in. This lack of environmental pride and care manifests itself into the anti-social behaviours often witnessed in these areas. For a company to grow quickly and benefit from a positive culture it must understand and embrace the principle of environments dictating performance (Daniel Priestley, 2017).

A New Approach to Culture

Traditionally companies defined their culture by focusing heavily on the social environment through HR management and team building. Building the social environment in this way defined how groups of people were organised and interacted with each other, but did not really address the importance of the physical environment in which these groups had to work in. Almost all occupational psychologists and sociologists agree that the physical environment we work and live in has a major impact on a person’s physiological state which in turn determines how they socially interact with others around them. The wealth of research into this topic and subject area has proven that people benefit physiologically, emotionally and cognitively from well-designed spaces that place the wellbeing of humans at the centre of its design aims. This benefit is even further amplified when interactions with nature are woven into the fabric of a building’s architecture and interior (Ulrich, 1991). The correlation between contact with nature and improved wellbeing has led to a culture shift in the way we design buildings and public spaces.

A Business Case

The conversation around improved employee wellbeing has evolved from just a discussion about humanitarian morality. Companies are now aware there is a case to be made for business growth. A large-scale analysis of the World’s Top 100 companies was carried out by global analytics firm ‘Great Place to Work’. They found that companies which rated highly with employee happiness and wellbeing are likely to benefit from 3 x higher revenues and half the staff turnover compared to their less empathetic competitors (Michael C. Bush 2018). The competitive advantage from happier and healthier teams of people can be explained in a number of ways;

• The Triple Bottom Line

Happy and healthy employees are motivated and focused on creating value for your clients. Happy clients are more likely to spend more money with you through repeat business and upgrades on products and services. Future clients are easier and cheaper to acquire through recommendation and good reputation.

• Faster Performance

Low staff turnover means less time, money, and energy spent on recruitment and training. Resources are channelled into enabling teams to focus on growth and expansion opportunities as well as nurturing relationships with clients and suppliers.

• Higher Profitability.

Companies with a positive culture are more efficient at making money and building a strong brand. Brand value is created through employee team cohesion, client loyalty, and market communities. Companies that have a strong brand find it easier to attract and retain talent as well as sell products and services to their marketplace (Gary Vaynerchuck, 2018).

Basing decisions about design and business operations around the needs and wellbeing of the people involved within the business has strong analogies with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s model describes that a well-motivated, fully functional person needs to meet their basic needs and feel safe before being able to operate at higher levels of social complexity. The more proficient a person is at meeting those basic needs, the more proficient they become at forming relationships, maintaining relationships, establishing hierarchy, and learning new skills.

This mirrors the human-centred design model of a company’s culture as the social environment can only grow and develop into its full potential if the physical environment facilitates it. This recent cultural shift of prioritising employee wellbeing has been the driving force behind human-centred design and the recent explosion of biophilia.

The Impact of Biophilia on Human Behaviour

As aforementioned, the human brain is wired to seek out and recognise the features of natural beauty. Our brain associates natural features as a potential source for vital resources life like food, water and shelter. This instinctive behaviour has evolved over millions of years as an adaptive mechanism to maximise chances of survival and reproduction. Stress and anxiety for our ancestors was mostly a result of resource scarcity. In these scenarios, the brain puts the body in a fight or flight state to address the immediate needs of the individual and their family. Imagine living on grassland in the middle of the dry season or drought when biodiversity would be at its lowest; water is scarce, vegetation is sparse, and there are very few if any animals to hunt. Anxiety and stress levels would elevate, as meeting basic needs becomes more difficult, which would be compounded by competition with others for the limited resources. There are three possible outcomes;

• Fight for resources to ensure survival

• Flight towards other areas that have enough resources for survival

• Death!

Our bodies stress response to low biodiversity is the basis of biophilia. The design of modern architecture and urban environments along with a growing dependence on technology has led to individuals in modern society becoming disconnected from nature (E. Wilson, 1993). This disconnect from nature diminishes an individual’s resilience to (cope and recover) from stressful social conditions (Ulrich, 1991).

Biophilic design is more than an intuitive way of arranging a space or creating a product. It seeks to address this issue of disconnection through a range of design techniques that incorporate nature into the architecture and interior of a building. This is a research-based multi-layered approach that improves the way people experience an environment by directly stimulating the senses of sight, sound, smell, and touch. These design techniques can be categorised into three groups.

3 Principles of Biophilic Design

NATURE IN THE SPACE – This is a direct and physical presence of nature, and natural processes in the space. This involves the use of natural objects and materials that stimulate the senses of sight, sound smell and touch to create a visceral connection with nature.

• Visual connections with nature are the most commonly used elements in biophilic design as they create the most impactful experience. We have evolved to rely heavily on what we see to make sense of our surroundings, in order to identify opportunities and spot danger. Interior design and architecture are visually lead disciplines with success heavily weighted on a project’s appearance. Visual biophilic experiences are created through being able to see natural; objects, features, surfaces and light within the space.

Examples of this include live plants, flowers, wood, stone, sunlight, and water. Strong visual connections with nature are also established when in the presence of natural processes and living systems. This would include water movement, daily/seasonal cycles of sunlight, plant growth, and animal movement.

• Non-visual connections with nature are more subtle and operate on a subconscious level within the individual. These biophilic elements enable the designer to adopt a more holistic approach to their scheme, creating direct interactions with nature through the other senses. On their own non-visual elements will create a less noticeable impact. However, when augmented with other sensory connections, the result is a space that not only 'looks' beautiful, but also 'feels' safe and relaxing.

Examples of non-visual connections with nature in the space include:

o Random variations of airflow and air temperature.

o Hearing and touching moving water.

o Sounds of living ecosystems in nature like a forest, a river/stream, or the sea.

o Soundproofing from the outside urban environment.

o Scents and smells of nature through flowers, scented oils and even purified/filtered air.

FORMS OF NATURE - An indirect visual connection with nature through mimicry of natural shape texture and form. It is expressed through the use of organic and inorganic (man-made) materials that have been processed to symbolise or represent characteristics found in nature. Throughout history we have intuitively used nature as a template for beautiful design. Ornaments, furniture and even architecture from ancient civilisations show the adoption of natural forms and shapes through their craftsmanship and artistic expression. The mimicry of nature still prevails in modern design like natural forms superimposed into contemporary architecture and furniture or the adoption of natural arrangement like the golden ratio.

NATURE OF THE SPACE - Incorporating natural characteristics into the order, arrangement and structure of a room or building. The intention is to recreate characteristics of natural landscapes and habitats through the zonal arrangement of architecture and furniture. This again is a biophilic experience created predominantly through a visual connection. Some of the creative techniques employed in this principle include:

• Vantages - Vantages are the design of spaces with unobscured views into the distance. This style of arrangement has evolutionary validity to it, with our ancestors evolving instincts to seek areas with unobscured views in order to spot potential danger or resource opportunities. In practice vantages are created through open-plan spaces with few dividing walls and without large visual obstructions. If room dividers are featured in a vantage dominant design, they should be no taller than waist height or made out of glass.

• Refuge - Refuges are areas of withdrawal and privacy, giving people the opportunity to escape and recover from social and psychological stressors from the environment. Refuges are important areas for either focus/concentration or calm/relaxation.

Final Thoughts

Not all biophilic design features are created equal. If we look at the biophilia hypothesis above, it is clear that different design elements will have different levels of impact on the space and individuals. As some features fall into one or multiple categories of biophilic design it would be foolish to adopt a one size fits all approach or put all your eggs into one basket, expecting one feature to make all the difference. The most effective execution of biophilic design incorporates an eclectic mix of many different types of natural design elements or arrangements, providing people with the opportunity to connect with nature at a conscious and sub-conscious level. With that said some features will carry a higher biophilic value attributed to the impact they create.

One of the lessons that can be learned from the findings of this study, and the shared experience of the participants is the importance of mindfulness. The therapeutic benefits gained from interacting with the fish tank are only applicable when team members actively engage with it. As previously mentioned, not one design feature or element can always make the desired biophilic impact on its own. However, if we took a more proactive approach to our emotional wellbeing and mental health in the same way we tackle physical health we would be more likely to access the biophilic resources around us in a more meaningful way.

Our focus on aquariums as a biophilic design feature is a result of documented research in the area of fish related therapy and the common knowledge anecdote that moving fish are relaxing and calming. Aquariums carry a high biophilic value due to them having a highly visual presence in the space adding light, colour, and movement. They display natural processes through plant growth and animal behaviour. They promote empathy from the people looking after them and add the presence of water into our consciousness. The multiple layers of biophilic stimulation created from an aquarium make them an excellent tool for re-synchronising your body back into natures rhythm.

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