In late August, we were fortunate to attend a summit hosted by Metropolis Magazine and Sunbrella focusing on designing workplaces that foster wellness and a happy, engaged workforce. As designers, we walked away with a renewed purpose to make wellness an integral part of how we conceive the workplace.

We were fortunate to hear from keynote speaker Mo Gowdat of Google share his approach to happiness. His account and perspective was an important reminder that when we design spaces which allow occupants to experience a balance between expectation and reaction, workers can have healthier and more productive shared experiences. A minimalist design approach can help neutralize expectation and perception.

Multiple studies examining the larger impact that small environmental changes have on humans highlight the growing benefits of biophilia in the workplace. Exploring the measurable and tangible effects of biophilia on the human spatial experience provides the architectural community an opportunity to push the boundaries of our roles as designers. The evidence and results of these studies reinforces the obligation, that we, as designers, provide healthy spaces for our clients as well as adhere to the financial business case of incorporating biophilic design features.

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