Six participants in a new scheme aimed at supporting the health, wellbeing and productivity of office workers have been revealed
The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) has revealed the six participants taking part in a knowledge exchange programme to support the health and wellbeing of office workers.
The six month programme will see organisation bring a “live” project into the lab. This will be in the form of an office building within their portfolio or one they occupy. The organisations will monitor key indicators in their chosen space, including indoor environment data, the experience of office users, and the economic impact of this on employers.
Guidance will be provided on the data gathering and interrogation process to identify areas that can be improved. Meetings will be held regularly throughout the programme to discuss findings, progress and pitfalls in implementing interventions that will help with health and wellbeing.
The programme will start on 6 October and at the end of the six months the group will be given the chance to share their experiences at the UK-GBC event in April 2017. These findings will be made available for the wider industry to learn from and will provide “real life” evidence on the link between building design and workplace productivity.
Campaign and Policy Director at UK-GBC John Alker said: “I am really pleased that we have been able to bring together such a diverse range of participants from across the property sector to take part in this exciting project. It demonstrates that interest in this topic shows no sign of diminishing.
“It’s well accepted that office design impacts our health, wellbeing and productivity, but translating the theory into practical action is not necessarily easy.
“The Wellbeing Lab will not only help participants take this agenda forward, but will provide useful and applicable knowledge for us to share with others.”
Participating organisations include:
- Willmott Dixon
- BuroHappold
- Standard Life Investments
- Forbo Flooring UK
- Workspace
- Greengage Environmental
- Carbon Credentials
- Max Fordham
- David Morley Architects
- The Crown Estate
- JLL
- Arup
A research project published last year revealed people who work in buildings that have green design in mind have significantly higher cognitive function. The study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Health and the Global Environment, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and Syracuse University concluded that people who work in more efficient office spaces are likely to have higher cognitive functioning scores in areas such crisis response or developing strategy.
For more information on the Wellbeing Labs programme visit:Â http://www.ukgbc.org/campaigns-policy/campaigns/health-wellbeing-and-productivity/wellbeing-labs.
