For generations, experts have stressed green spaces, fresh air, and sunlight for our children. Who said adults don’t need it as well?
Two major organizations are stating that we do. Both LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and WELL (a project of the International Well Building Institute) standards have been instrumental in the shift toward more sustainable buildings, with LEED focusing on the building structures and WELL reinforcing the same principles with the application to human health. Both hope to make green building a focus for today’s property stakeholders via programs for new construction, as well as upgrades for existing buildings. Through their joint efforts, changes are happening worldwide.
While there’s certainly a feel-good reason to consider voluntarily upgrading the workspace with better choices in lighting, air, and overall aesthetics, many companies can be reluctant to invest in “green” unless it can be tied back to the ever-important dollar ROI. Some of the upgrades do save on energy costs, but what about the more innovative approaches (such as air circulations systems that measure and monitor C02)? There’s good news for budgeters on that front, too.
Scientific Data Values Human Capital
Data have been growing in support of “green” buildings, and a 2016 Harvard report gives numbers that should make any good HR manager do a double-take. Employees working inside green-certified building showed cognitive function scores 26% higher than their peers in non-certified buildings. They also had 30% fewer symptoms associated with “sick building syndrome”—such as “watering eyes; hoarseness; headaches; dry, itchy skin; dizziness; nausea; heart palpitations; miscarriages; shortness of breath; nosebleeds; chronic fatigue; mental fogginess; tremors; swelling of legs or ankles; and cancer.”
The number crunchers have brought the benefits of doubling ventilation, for example, to big business. Recent estimates tie this single environmental change to a $6,500 per person annual productivity return. (This boon doesn’t even take into account money saved from reductions in absenteeism or health care costs tied directly to those sick building symptoms mentioned before).
Biophilic design (when living green plants are integrated into office design) also has scientific backing. Workers exposed to greenery in their daily work lives report a 15% higher level of well-being, are 6% more productive, and are 15% more creative. Strategic placement of certain plant types has also been proven to reduce noise and create a less stressful environment.