On the link between lichen and “hotelisation” of the workplace, with Joel Williamson of GH Commercial

The connection between the forest floor and commercial workspaces might not seem immediately obvious. So we sit down with Joel Williamson, the National Sales Manager at GH Commercial, who talks to us about GH Commercial’s commitment to biophilic principles in the design department, and explains why the Lichen Community product fits so well with the needs of a modern workplace.

“Lichen Community is such a fantastic example of a biophilic concept,” Joel starts. “To design the product, we actually sent biologists into the field to study lichen blooms, and then we translated that into carpet using our custom Pattern Perfect® Technology.”

Mimicking lichen’s organic forms, Lichen Community enables architects and designers to fade the blooms in and out, to zone out specific sections of the floor, creating spatial definition. But while the original concept was predominantly colour-driven, the latest iteration of the product leans into a warmer, more pared back palette, further augmenting the carpet’s biophilic properties. “On top of the existing cooler stone shades, we wanted to introduce a warmer colour selection, as well as enhance the realism of the pattern by introducing some bark texture,” Joel explains.

“We named the product ‘Lichen Community’ partly because our commercial spaces have been used differently since the pandemic,” Joel says. “We’re seeing more of that ‘hotelisation’ of the workplace where you’re booking rooms and you’re using the office buildings as event space, which is then complimented by hybrid work which sees people working from home. The range has been designed specifically for that trend, and the name ‘community’ also reflects the fact that lichens are not singular organisms. It’s about symbiosis between multiple organisms, and we think that that’s reflective of the new era of the workplace and how we work with each other.”

Joel adds that from a design point of view, the company hopes that Lichen Community can help create interiors that bring the sense of neutral environment indoors – and this notion encapsulates both GH Commercial’s broader sustainability strategy as well as their commitment to biophilic design. “We want our products to help people feel like they’re in a natural environment, they can be more productive and feel less stress,” he says.

This notion definitely ties in with the company’s guiding motto: ‘Believe in Better.’“When we say ‘believe in better’, we want to talk about being better for people – both for our customers, people who are using the product, but also for the people who handle it while it’s being manufactured in our factories. Ideally, the goal is to create products using less materials that can perform for longer, and are better for both people and planet,” Joel summarises. “It all ties together.”