Although we might like to picture ourselves as sun-kissed outdoor types frolicking in nature, the reality is that as a species we spend 90% of our lives indoors. This means that the built environment – especially the office, given we tend to spend more waking time there than in our homes – has a huge impact on our health and happiness. But with a recent study by Peldon Rose finding that 42% of UK employees feel that their current office environment has a negative impact on their happiness, there is a huge way to go in terms of making offices enjoyable spaces to work in. But wellness – largely split into physical health, mental health and social health – is not just for the benefit of the employee. A recent study by CBRE found that wellness initiatives in buildings can improve employee performance by up to 45%. Healthy staff also means healthy profits.
For architects and designers, the business imperative to embrace wellness is mounting too. In the UK the race is on to be the first building awarded with WELL certification, an international building standard launched in 2014 that covers the design and operations of buildings and how they impact on human behaviours related to health and wellbeing. The standard features guidelines on air and water quality, the provision of healthy nourishment, lighting type and quality, how to integrate stairwells and other elements to improve fitness, noise levels and thermal considerations. Landid and Brockton’s The Porter Building, a 11,094sq m office development that’s located directly opposite the new Elizabeth Line station in Slough, looks set to be one of the first to achieve WELL, having completed construction in September and due to receive accreditation some time in November.