July 10, 2018 by

Design News You Can Use—Health 2.0 Edition

Looking for a major dose of news you can use? In this edition of Design News You Can Use, Workplace Strategist Joelle Jach explores brain health, productivity and practicing what you preach.

Guess who’s back: While the workplace as we know it has changed a lot in recent years, there’s still something to be said for keeping things old-school. Rather than solely target younger generations, companies should find a balance between the flashy and traditional to appeal to all employees.

Lived-in: The American Society of Interior Designers headquarters in DC made history as the first building to earn WELL Platinum and LEED Platinum certifications. But is all the sustainable design working for tenants? Here’s how the building is performing after the first few months of occupancy.

Well works: Environments that make people healthier often make them happier—designing for human health can increase employee satisfaction and productivity. Luckily for organizations, these benefits also translate to the bottom line—designing for health and well-being translates to commercial success.

Watch out: We know that there are certain hazards involved in our everyday lives, but we don’t tend to think of the workplace itself as being a hazard. From work-related stress to environmental factors in the office, the workplace can pose a threat to our mental and physical health.

Think about it: We know that office work – especially sedentary work – can put our physical health at risk. But is this type of work actually bad for our brains? As it turns out, too much sitting can have effects far beyond musculoskeletal issues – sedentary work can also negatively impact cognitive function.

Get schooled: Just as offices have undergone design shifts through the years, classrooms have changed as well. From open classrooms of the 1970s to today’s experience-based environments, classrooms have always sought to foster learning, development and productivity. Sound familiar? Looks like offices could take a page out of the classroom workbook… class is in session!

Local buzz: While wellness and wellbeing have certainly become hot topics in recent years, they often take the form of trends or buzzwords, diminishing their importance in the workplace. But what does wellbeing actually mean? Understanding the meaning and employee implications behind wellbeing can help companies do more than pay lip service to employee health.

Remote control: While many workers crave the flexibility of remote work, whether situational or full-time, working from home can have long-term impacts on employee engagement and morale. It’s important for companies to assess the appropriate balance between remote and in-person work for their workforce, being sure to engage employees near and far.

Across the board: Think of an executive-level workplace, and you might picture a luxurious boardroom. Long a mainstay of the corporate workplace, these fancy meeting spaces are slowly disappearing in response to clients’ demands for more flexible, collaboration-based spaces that serve both clients and colleagues.

Take two: While the open office (and its haters, for that matter) is nothing new, designing the workplace can be a years-long experiment with lots of trial and error. While the open office doesn’t work for every company, understanding the pitfalls can help companies refine their workplaces.