All of the indicators suggest that there is an ongoing “uberization” of health and wellbeing in buildings which is revolutionising the demands placed by users on the property industry. 

 

A revolution driven by the growth of an innovative “philanthropic” approach to building that places a “Do No Harm” component at its core.  And so, began Delos and the WELL Build certification standard, built to codify a healthy building estate for the people-centric, ethically aware organisations who are responding to these new employment market trends.

 

Components of a healthy building

Physical and mental wellbeing is not of itself a property of buildings, it is a state of being of the occupants who occupy them.   That said, As as researchers and qualified WELL AP we know that the physical boxes we surround ourselves significantly contribute to a healthy and well individual. 

 

The knowledge of how to build healthy is already in place, much of it based on groundbreaking medical research carried out in the last 10 years. Research that tells us healthy people are happier, more productive people, who take less time off work, and care more about the company they work for. 

 

High performance, highly sustainable building design promotes health by inclusion of;

• The selection of natural and healthy materials, such as wood and natural stone

• Avoidance of use of off-gassing VOC or HFC chemical emissions in buildings

• Use of natural daylight and avoidance of radiation emissions from fluorescent lamps

• Protection of the outside natural environment and encouragement of active outdoor spaces

• Protection of drinking water from contaminants and avoidance of airborne water-based pathogens 

• Designs that permit ease of cleaning 

• Inclusion of exercise, walking and cycling facilities 

• Control over mold, legionella and both high and low humidity

 

In the face of a potential health and wellbeing epidemic from obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyles, along with the expected future growth of m-health aware occupants (within 5 years m-health will see occupants use Artificial Intelligence and augmented reality incumbent mobile devices and wearables tap into their vital signs, environmental contaminants, and body chemistry performance metrics), these new ethical and people aware corporates will be in the vanguard of health promoting property and interventions. 

 

This should be prompting corporate organisations to think more seriously now about the risks to employee health and wellbeing as a measure of good business practice.

 

Built in, operational interventions to encourage movement, exercise and taking care of the mind include;

• Making staircases more prominent, and reducing prominence of lifts

• Incorporation of sit stand desking 

• Meeting rooms with standing room only 

• Areas that legitimise staff to unwind, de-stress even sleep. 

• Examine work processes and ecosystems or spaces that allow changes in cerebral stressing. 

• Enforcing healthy working hours and patterns. 

• Consideration of food and nourishment aspects across working hours. 

• Curbing driving habits in favour of healthier travel options

• Include biophilia in design, more plants and views of nature

 

All of this can have positive engagement influences on staff leading to happier, healthier and more focused work teams.

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Healthy building services designs

At Ollio we have the expertise along with WELL Build certified professionals to work with the architect and his team to put in place design frameworks that lead to health and wellbeing built environment outcomes.  We understand what it takes to create healthy building systems to include;

 

• Natural and wind driven ventilation systems that allow users to stay in control

• Buildings that control daylight and include the circadian colour rendering of artificial lighting, and allow to change with the transition of the day for better night sleep patterns. 

• Temperature drift; Instead of maintaining a rigid linear trace, allow the internal temperature to shadow visible diurnal changes.

• Include lighting changes and transitional scene setting through the day

• Remove VOC and ozone depleting chemicals from plant, construction materials, furnishings and equipment

 

 

What we bring to the table

As experienced WELL Building APs and chartered building services designers we can help design teams to implement and adding these elements to those of our knowledge of Biophilia we assist design teams to design more comfortable, healthier spaces for  significant paybacks in absenteeism, presenteeism, churn, and productivity.

 

We can also involve our partners at Sheffield Hallam (Staff Health and Wellbeing Programmes) and Coventry University (m-health, e-wellbeing Stress and Work-life Balance management ) arriving at highly effective low-cost estates and facilities interventions.

 

Where new importance is attributed to;

 

• Commissioning, air, water, light, sound

• Improved toxicology monitoring and control of air and water systems

• Increased Hygiene, Cleaning and detergent chemical compounds and use.

• Education for behaviour change and helping staff manage their relationship with work.

• Advising on the provision of “Chill Spaces” or “ Zen  Rooms” and cultural permission to use them.

 

All leading to health and wellbeing planning that goes beyond IWBI WELL Building, but still available for certification should the client feel it is important for the building to carry the IWBI-Delos plaque.

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