INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER 34 SUSTAINABILITY & WELLNESS IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
Sustainability & wellness in commercial buildings
question mark over the future of urban commercial environments such as offices and retail settings. As a result, designing spaces which promote a broad set of sustainability benefits, including employee wellbeing, is now in the spotlight, as a means to bring staff back to workplaces. However, lockdowns have also triggered a greater focus on sustainability and wellness, with companies resetting or refocusing their priorities, as well as consumers and commuters similarly reassessing how they want to live and work. Workplace tenants are facing a perfect storm of stiff competition for staff, compounded by the move away from commuting to offices, and pandemic-based health and safety concerns for buildings going forward.
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Sustainable buildings also make economic sense in the commercial sector. A 2013 report by the World Green Building Council suggested that certified ‘green’ buildings could add a 30% premium compared with ‘conventional’ counterparts, and also found that BREEAM certification in particular could increase rental rates by up to 24.9%.
There has been much speculation that ‘public’ buildings, post-pandemic, must change to offer safer, better ventilated spaces, while also helping building owners such as retailers return to profit. The question is, how can this be done practically and efficiently? And in the past few years, sustainability has become the focus of much construction and product innovation, accentuated by climate change, plus the UK’s legally-binding pledge to hit net zero carbon in 2050. It is also increasingly demanded by the staff that office tenants are looking to attract. One of the many drivers within sustainability – one
he pandemic has left a
which is increasingly coming to the fore in workplaces, is wellness.
This more human-centred concept is being harnessed by building owners to offer the promise of not only happier staff in healthier environments, but reduced costs from sickness, and higher retention and productivity. It is being viewed as a sustainability metric at least as important as whether the correct air-tightness or lighting efficiency is being achieved. Air quality, space, light, noise levels, balancing distraction and isolation, quality of furniture, access to the outdoors – perhaps individually simple components, but difficult to optimise in many settings. However, the commercial sector, from individuals and as corporate entities, is growing its awareness of what people need from buildings to do their job properly. And many companies are aware of how it can impact them, both in terms of staff happiness and therefore retention, but
55% of survey respondents believed staff wellness was ‘very important’ for their clients in terms of attracting office staff back to cities, post-pandemic
also a measurable financial driver, i.e. increased productivity. It’s self-evident that a valued workforce is likely to feel more engaged, motivated and happy. However, the degree to which investing in environmental sustainability factors such as good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) can assist productivity is increasingly backed up by scientific research. Studies such as on the effect of air quality on cognitive state are beginning to offer compelling proof of
“How important is building sustainability and employee wellness in attracting offi ce staff back to cities for your clients?”
Building Sustainability Employee Wellness
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF FEBRUARY 2022
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