The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal held a panel discussion recently to talk about the workforce in the Twin Cities. Panelists included Mary Lydon, a partner and founder at Midwest Financial Search Inc.; Sean Keating, founder of Oggi Professional Services; and Lisa Pool, a principal at Perkins+Will. Connie Ireland, executive director of the Governor’s Workforce Development Board at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, served as moderator.
Ireland: Lisa, how does the design of a workplace impact the health and well-being of workers?
Pool: Well-being is one of the leading considerations and initiatives our clients are considering right now. The workplace can support well-being in many ways. One way is through active design, which is designing environments that promote physical movement, such as having one central location for printers and copiers, encouraging more steps, or designing a building that encourages vertical movement with open and inviting stairs strategically located, so the elevator is not the primary choice of circulation. We are seeing several third-party certifications, such as Fitwel, which is backed by the Center for Active Design and the Centers for Disease Control and WELL Building Standard by Delos. Both of these certifications stress the value and impact the building environment has on human health and it’s great to see some rigor and evidence-based principles supporting the initiative.
Keating: When we chose our new office space, employee health and well-being were significant factors. We came from an office that was much more of a, ’80s, ’90s space.
Pool: Like the movie “Office Space.”
Keating: Literally. We now have large windows and serene views surrounding the entire office, which allows natural light to fill our workspace. It’s a much better vibe.