The Art of Creating Intentional Gathering Spaces: Biophilic Design for Corporate Retreats
- Sarah & Darren linton
- 5 days ago
- 12 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The Art of Creating Intentional Gathering Spaces: Biophilic Design for Corporate Retreats
At a Glance
✨The 60-minute magic: Intentional spaces transform group dynamics within an hour
🌿 Biophilic design works: Natural elements reduce stress and enhance creativity by 15%
🎯 Five essential elements: Comfort, nature, lighting, flow, and sensory richness
📈 Real results: 84% implementation rate vs 23% average from traditional retreats
🏡 Applicable anywhere: Principles work from boardrooms to living rooms
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There's a moment, usually within the first hour after guests arrive, when you can feel it happen. Shoulders drop, voices soften, families, friends, colleagues or peers are sharing stories they hadn't planned to tell.
This isn't accident. It's part of our intentional design. The ancient art of creating intentional gathering spaces where people feel safe to be authentic, ordinary moments transform into something way more sacred.
Here in Rotorua, adjacent to forest, native bush and geothermal wonders, we've applied years of gathering wisdom to create Redwoods Oasis. Not designed for the Instagram-pretty kind of space creation, but the soul-stirring sort that happens when intention meets design, that encourages human connection, when environment becomes the invitation.
Why Space Matters More Than We Think
Humans are exquisitely sensitive to our environments, though we've largely forgotten this truth in our move towards digital connection. Research in environmental psychology shows that physical spaces influence everything from our creativity levels to our willingness to be vulnerable with others.
We know you won't need the studies. It's highly likely you have felt this yourself. Think of the last space that made you exhale deeply, that invited you to linger rather than leave. Mine was in the forest this morning - an intentional pause for presence and take in what was around us. Perhaps you can recall a friend's garden patio or deck where conversations flowed with ease, or a quiet corner in nature where your thoughts and your busy brain started to settle.
This is the foundation of biophilic design - the understanding that humans have an innate connection to the natural world. When we consciously integrate natural elements, patterns, and processes into our spaces, we tap into something deeper than aesthetic preference.
We access our evolutionary blueprint for wellbeing.
Research shows that even brief visual contact with natural elements can reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance creative thinking by up to 15%.
Our intentional spaces share common elements: they feel purposeful rather than accidental, comfortable rather than precious, and somehow perfectly suited to human connection.
Over decades of creating meaningful gatherings across numerous locations, we've observed this phenomenon countless times in both our personal and professional lives. We've been in corporate teams who arrive armoured in professional politeness and we noticed how we find ourselves sharing authentic challenges within hours. As individuals we've book solo retreats expecting quiet reflection only to discover the flow of meaningful conversations with fellow guests. Intentionally designed spaces themselves become a catalyst for connection.
Our consistent experiences led us to design Redwoods Oasis with deliberate elements that support these natural transformations. Thoughtfully crafted gathering spaces operate on a frequency way deeper than the aesthetics. They communicate safety to our nervous systems, permission to our authentic selves, and an invitation for genuine connection. When connection deepens in these environments, something sacred emerges. Biophilic design principles help us understand why: when we align our environments with natural patterns, we create conditions where human flourishing becomes inevitable. We've tested these theories amidst friends, families and our work teams.
The Chic Retreats NZ Philosophy: Designing with Nature
Our approach to intentional space creation at Redwoods Oasis draws from decades of hosting transformational gatherings across diverse locations. Through years of observing how people naturally connect in different environments, we identified a simple principle: design with the landscape, never against it.
When we discovered this extraordinary site in Rotorua (adjacent to ancient forests, geothermal wonders & pristine lakes), we connected to an opportunity to renovate a space that embodied everything we'd learned about creating containers for authentic connection. This philosophy draws heavily from biophilic design principles, which recognise that humans have an evolutionary connection to natural environments that can't be replicated through artificial substitutes.
Biophilic design is far from simply about adding plants to interior spaces. It's about creating environments that reflect natural patterns, processes, and relationships. At Redwoods Oasis, this means positioning gathering spaces to follow natural sight lines to the forest, incorporating water features that mirror the rhythmic sounds of nearby streams, and using materials that age beautifully rather than fighting the elements.
We don't impose design upon a place. We connect and collaborate with it. Every gathering becomes a conversation between human intention and natural wisdom.
Through years of facilitating gatherings in various settings, we noticed consistent patterns in how people naturally moved and connected. They gravitate towards certain configurations at specific times: spaces with eastern exposure for morning conversations, natural amphitheatres or lakeside spaces for afternoon reflections, intimate cosy nooks or seats as evening light approached.
These observations informed every design decision at Redwoods Oasis.
Far from mystical planning! Practical application of understanding how humans instinctively seek environments with natural views, varied elevations, and connection to seasonal rhythms.
Our landscaping project was intentional. (and brilliantly executed by the masterful Milly @milliesgardening ) The garden stepping stones gently guide you through the front of the garden, bringing light, energy and calm. They form the path between the spa and yoga flow area symbolising the flow of water from east to south and west. A rock water feature sits within a honeycomb pod of schist river stones. Re-cycled railway sleepers are arranged in an organic rhythm with lines symbolising the connection and bonds nurtures in this space.
Original rocks draw inspirations from the iconic love story of Hiema and Tutanekai honoring their profound connection and link to the landscape beyond. The central rock named after Mokoia island and the calabashes that Hinemoa used to stay afloat during her swim across Lake Rotorua to reach her beloved Tutanekai. The rocks represent the convergence of nature, history and human connection.
Seasonal elements shift our palette from winter's deep greens to spring's tender shoots, keeping spaces responsive to natural rhythms.
We chose decorative choices that aligned with strategic decisions to blend sustainable luxury with eco-conscious accommodation.. Natural materials like timber and stone connect guests to the earth's grounding energy. The spatial footprint mirror the complexity found in natural environments. Our colour palette follows biophilic principles, drawing from the subtle greens, browns, and earth tones that research shows reduce stress hormones most effectively.
This was more than creating outdoor rooms or bringing the outside in. We loved dissolving the boundaries between interior and exterior, between designed and discovered, between human intention and natural wisdom.
Five Biophilic Design Elements
Through years of hosting transformational gatherings in all corners of the globe, we identified five essential elements that turn ordinary spaces into intentional gathering places where meaningful connection naturally unfolds. These principles work whether you're designing a corporate retreat or simply wanting to create more purposeful gatherings in your own home.
Key Insight: When bodies feel held, authentic selves follow suit. Comfort elevates courage.
1. Comfort as Foundation
Intentional gathering spaces must feel physically welcoming before they can become emotionally safe. This means layers of comfort. Soft seating that invites settling in, throws that give permission to curl up, cushions that make floor circles feel luxurious. Our experience has shown us, that feel held, authentic selves follow suit..
Guests wrapped in beautiful blankets during self-hosted retreats share differently than those perched uncomfortably on hard chairs. Comfort gives courage, which is why every seating area at Redwoods Oasis prioritises both beauty and genuine ease.
2. Natural elements as anchors
Living elements (plants, stones, water, wood) connect us to something larger than human creation. They bring organic beauty that can't be manufactured, seasonal change that keeps spaces dynamic, and subtle scents and textures to engage all our senses.
This principle lies at the heart of biophilic design: direct nature connection through living systems. At Redwoods Oasis, we use native ferns as natural privacy screens, arrange river stones as grounding focal points, and incorporate seasonal finds like autumn leaves or spring blossoms. These elements are deliverd by nature and add immeasurable richness.
Research shows that even brief visual contact with natural elements can reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance creative thinking by up to 15%. Beyond any data, there's something more profound happening.
Natural elements remind us that we're part of something larger, more ancient, and infinitely more wise than our human creations.
3. Light as Choreographer
Light shapes mood more powerfully than any other design element. Golden hour conversations carry different energy than those held under artificial illumination. Candlelight invites intimacy that bright fluorescents would chase away.
We position gathering spaces to catch optimal natural light throughout the day, then layer additional illumination. We collaborated with David Trubridge lighting to instil his incredible design work on site. The lighting where shadows dance. String lights amidst gathering zones, strategically placed lighting elements - these maintain warmth as daylight fades.
Golden hour conversations unlock insights that morning meetings can often miss. Light does more than illuminates - it transforms spaces.
4. Intentional Flow
Well-designed gathering spaces need both communal areas for group connection and quiet nooks for individual reflection. They require clear pathways that feel natural, seating arrangements that facilitate eye contact, and acoustic properties that allow both intimate conversation and larger group discussions.
Biophilic design calls this "spatial configuration" creating environments that mirror the variety and complexity found in natural settings. At Redwoods Oasis, we create what we call "micro-environments" within larger spaces. Cosy corners for quiet talks, central circles for group activities, meandering paths that invite contemplative walks. Just as forests offer clearings for gathering and hidden groves for solitude, our spaces provide both communal energy and private sanctuary within a cohesive whole.
5. Sensory Richness
Humans connect through all their senses, not just sight. Thoughtfully designed spaces engage touch through varied textures, hearing through natural acoustics and gentle sounds, smell through seasonal scents and perhaps the faintest touch of aromatherapy, even taste through thoughtfully prepared refreshments.
The goal isn't sensory overload but rather a collective that makes spaces memorable and emotionally resonant. Thoughtfully designed spaces promote permission. Permission to exhale, to be seen, to show up authentically instead of becoming fuelled by KPI's.
When the elements work together harmoniously, ordinary gathering spaces become containers where connection can emerge naturally.
Case Study: From Boardroom to Connection Zone
Last autumn, we welcomed a leadership team from Auckland whose quarterly retreats had devolved into glorified PowerPoint presentations. Their CEO, Anna, admitted they set were seeking ways to reconnect to the art of authentic strategic conversation. It felt like the team currently staying in zones where everyone was polite, professional, with guard rails within their communication.
This transformation represents exactly why biophilic design corporate retreats are becoming essential for forward-thinking leadership teams.
Day One Challenge: Their planned conference-style setup (meeting room table facing a presentation screen) reinforced exactly the dynamic they wanted to change.
Our Solution: We suggested moving their self-hosted session from a boardroom style to create a connection circle at Redwoods Oasis, a natural gathering space created by comfortable furniture arranged in a gentle curve around a shared screen encouraging eye contact whilst maintaining individual space. A central circular plant feature provided focus on a natural environment without dominating the setup. As an expanded offer in our packages we have experimented using a covered canopy within the forest & the i-flow zone creating gathering points using outdoor furniture and sheepskin bean bags (it was fun although a little impacted by the elements!)
Alongside our aesthetic choices we kept anchoring our strategic application of biophilic design principles we had built into the space. Any natural canopy of a forest creates what researchers call a "prospect and refuge" environment - offering reflective space and sheltered intimacy. Our irregular natural lighting reduces the harsh fluorescent glare that can increase stress hormones during challenging conversations.
Within an hour of settling into this intentionally designed environment, there was a shift of human connection. Innovation began flowing in ways that sterile boardrooms simply don't facilitate.
The Sixty-Minute Magic: Within sixty minutes of settling into this intentionally designed environment, something remarkable happened. Anna's carefully prepared agenda became less relevant as team members began sharing actual challenges they'd been navigating alone. Their retreat facilitator fed back a noticeable shift that took place within the first hour of settling into our Connection Hive:
→ The Finance Manager shared his reality and the connected overwhelm
→ A breakthrough idea that had been held back for months finally surfaced
→ Strategic conversations started flowing naturally instead of feeling forced
Anna's feedback: "The space created permission for the team to drop those professional masks and engage as whole humans rather than our associated identities in our corporate roles."
Results: At the end of day 1, they had developed a stretch strategy. Because of the unconventional setting. The intentionally designed space had given them permission to drop professional masks and engage as whole humans rather than corporate roles. What began as a functional gathering had evolved into something which sparked innovation .
Six-Month Follow-up: Implementation rate of initiatives conceived during this retreat: 84%, compared to their historical average of 23%. The biophilic environment impacted beyond their conversation. It expanded their capacity to act on insights with sustained commitment.
Creating Your Own Intentional Gathering Spaces
You can take the principles of a retreat like Redwoods Oasis to create meaningful connection. Create an intention, awareness, and willingness to prioritise human connection over perfect aesthetics.
The principles of biophilic design can be applied at any scale, from a corporate boardroom to a corner of your living room. The key is understanding that humans respond instinctively to natural patterns, materials, and processes - even when they are subtly incorporated rather than dramatically featured. When these elements come together thoughtfully, ordinary spaces can become containers where light bulb moments naturally emerge.
Remember: You don't need perfection. It's about setting your intention. Every space has the potential to become a catalyst for connection.
Start Small, Think Big
Begin with one corner of your home, office, or garden. Clear it completely, then slowly add elements that feel meaningful: a comfortable chair, a small plant, perhaps a candle or two. Notice how the space makes you feel, then adjust accordingly.
Follow Natural Rhythms
Position gathering spaces to catch morning light for energising conversations or golden hour glow for reflective discussions. Work with your environment's natural advantages rather than fighting them.
Layer Comfort Thoughtfully
Soft textures, appropriate temperatures, comfortable seating will create ambience. These are not luxuries. Simple necessities for creating safety. People share more authentically when their bodies feel at ease.
Incorporate Living Elements
A single potted plant or bowl of seasonal fruit connects space to something larger than human manufacture. Natural elements bring life, scent, and subtle seasonal change that keeps spaces dynamic.
Consider Your Guests' Journey
How do people enter your space? What do they see, smell, hear upon arrival? How does the environment guide them toward connection or reflection? We encourage intentional design for the complete experience, not just the final setup.
Trust the Process
Sacred spaces evolve. What works for one gathering might need adjustment for another. Pay attention to how people naturally move and interact in your space, then adapt accordingly.
The Ripple Effect
Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of creating intentional gathering spaces is how the principles extend far beyond any single retreat centre. Guests carry the memory of being truly held by environment and use it as template for creating their own meaningful spaces.
Since opening Redwoods Oasis, we have received messages from our corporate guests who have taken an element home and implemented an aspect in their offices based on principles experienced during their retreat. Individuals have also share photos of purposeful 'nooks' they've created in their homes. The art of intentional space creation spreads, and what begins as thoughtful design often transforms into something sacred.
This is hospitality's highest calling—not just providing accommodation or meeting space, but discovering a deeper meaning to hospitality. We model what it looks like to prioritise human flourishing over function, creating experiences where genuine transformation becomes possible.
Intentional gathering spaces aren't about perfection. They are about:
Purpose
Understanding that the container shapes the content, and the environment influences authenticity
An insight that sometimes the most profound conversations happen not despite the setting, but because of it.
In our world of increasing digital connection, the art of creating physical spaces that nurture genuine human connection becomes more precious, more necessary. When we design with intention, ordinary moments can transform into something sacred.
The next time you're planning a gathering (whether it's a business meeting, family dinner, or coffee with a friend), pause and ask
How can I create a container that invites people to be authentic?
How can I design a space that gives permission for authentic connection?
The answer lies not in expensive furniture or perfect aesthetics, but in the intention combined with awareness and design blended with a deep care for human flourishing.
Every space has the potential to become a catalyst for connection.
Every gathering can be transformed by thoughtful attention to the container we create.
When we begin with intention, something sacred often emerges.
That's not simply interior design - that's alchemy.
If you are ready to experience an intentional gathering space - we can help.
Experience biophilic design in your own self-hosted retreat. Chic Retreats NZ blends sustainable luxury with eco-conscious accommodation, and in the process we've discovered a deeper meaning to hospitality.
We provide the space. You create the experience.
Self-hosted corporate retreats and leadership intensives
Personal renewal programmes designed your way
Complete retreat planning support and local provider recommendations
Optional facilitation services available as add-ons
Reach out for a chat. We can connect you to an list of facilitators, caterers, tourism operators, transport, and gift providers - everything you need to create your meaningful retreat experience.
Discover how intentional space design can transform your next gathering at www.chicretreats.com or you can email us hello@chicretreatsnz.com
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