ASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK19OCTOBERTogether, the two can evaluate not simply where greenery looks attractive, but where particular plants can realistically survive and perform", says Rajalakshmi Iyer, Manging Director and Founder, Deeproots Design and Living Products.DEEPROOTS DESIGN's experience spans projects from smaller spaces to large campuses and developments, with work associated with organizations including Microsoft, Bagmane for Google, Infosys, TCS, ITC and Taj. Its move into interior landscaping created the practical foundation from which Living Products' product innovation emerged.The collaboration also enables customized solutions. Projects begin by understanding the site, client aspirations, surrounding context, user requirements and, where relevant, corporate brand standards. Concepts are then developed around spatial storytelling before being refined against budgets, timelines, installation requirements and maintenance realities.This combination is particularly relevant as Singapore pushes nature deeper into its built environment. NParks itself describes biophilic design as applicable across scales - from indoor and corridor planting to sky gardens and larger urban landscapes - reinforcing the growing need for greenery that can work within increasingly dense environments.Sustaining Greenery, Not Merely Installing ItFor Living Products, sustainability begins with longevity - ensuring that biophilic greenery can continue to thrive rather than merely looking impressive at the point of installation. It also extends to responsible material selection and the responsible use of water as a resource.An installation that appears lush at handover but deteriorates because it is difficult to maintain does little to advance biophilic design. The company therefore considers longevity, maintenance and responsible resource use alongside aesthetics. Its product philosophy explores ways to reduce dependence on conventional soil, manage water more efficiently and develop materials and systems suited to longer-term use. Living Products has also secured GreenPro certification for its products, while DEEPROOTS DESIGN's India office is IGBC Gold certified.The broader ambition extends into wellness. Both partners believe the next phase of design must address not only environmental ecology but what they describe as the `ecology of the mind.' As technology occupies more of everyday life, environments that encourage calmness, sensory engagement and interaction with living systems will assume greater importance. This will help in rooting the user and provide a sense of being with empathy and humaneness at the core."That thinking also explains why the partnership looks beyond plants as visual objects. Bird-friendly environments, native planting, water elements and spaces that allow closer interaction with foliage can help make nature something people experience rather than merely observe", adds Swaminathan Iyer, Founder and Director, Living Products.Taking a Modular Biophilic Vision to Global MarketsLiving Products has already installed more than 10,000 units, an important milestone for a business operating within a specialized and still-emerging product category. Repeat customers have been particularly significant, offering practical validation that ease of maintenance and usability matter alongside design.The road ahead, however, involves changing established habits. Greenery is still frequently introduced after architectural and interior decisions have been made. Living Products wants to shift that conversation upstream, encouraging architects, developers and organizations to consider nature during the initial design process."Our next phase will also focus on expanding across global markets and collaborating with like-minded designers, businesses and partners. As urban homes and workplaces become denser, the company sees modularity, customization, ease of installation and low-maintenance design becoming increasingly relevant", mentions Rajalakshmi Iyer.Ultimately, Living Products' ambition is larger than find-ing new places for plants. It is working toward environ-ments where nature no longer has to fight for leftover space. By combining industrial design with landscape intel-ligence, the company is seeking to make greenery a practi-cal, enduring and effortless part of architecture - bringing the idea of living among nature closer to the everyday urban e xperience.
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