CONSTRUCTION WITH WELLNESS IN MIND: How healthy is your building?
The past decade has seen the introduction of many green design principles to build more environmentally friendly buildings that not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also increase energy efficiency. Thanks largely due to LEED and other initiatives from The Green Building Council (GBC) we can breathe in an air much healthier than before. While many buildings were becoming healthier, workers weren’t getting any fitter.
In fact, the opposite has been true for a while now and it’s beginning to pose serious problems with increased risks of heart disease diabetes or stroke among others as well as adding $140 billion annually in medical costs due only Obesity-related diseases alone which affects more than 70 percent adults between 20 -59 years old today.
A new wellness building design is taking green building principles to the next level in an effort to help workers become healthier. Emerging standards such as WELL and Fitwel are including a focus on improving employee health, which will ultimately lead them to having better overall work performance at their place of employment – all while being more environmentally conscious.
The National Business Group on Health® just released data showing that more than 60% of large employers are spending money to promote wellness amongst their employees. With this increase in investment, it’s no wonder many companies around the country have started incorporating both standards into existing buildings.
WELL Building Standard
The International Well Building Institute (IWBI) has created a new standard that is scientifically based and designed to measure the health of buildings. Buildings are rated on 7 core principles: air, water nourishment light fitness comfort mind. While this may seem similar in some ways compared with other standards such as food pyramids these factors all contribute together when designing for wellness. Some buildings are certified for their environmental friendliness.
The WELL building in Sydney, Australia is one such example: it has received gold certification by Green Building Certification Incorporated (GBCI) thanks to its many forward-thinking initiatives designed with worker health and wellness as priorities. The company’s employees took part in an engagement session that led to them focusing on indoor environment quality, community health and wellness. Educating for a more sustainable workplace was also achieved through building design as well as measurement of how they are doing so far this year.
Fitwell
Fitwel was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in cooperation with the General Services Agency (GSA). Fitwel takes a holistic approach towards improving building design, which has been proven to be very beneficial when it comes to employee health & wellness. It’s starting off strong as one of America’s leading standards-of-practice.
The Bloomberg Tower is a 900,000 square foot office building on the east side of Manhattan that recently received an 3-star Fitwell certification from CAD for its design improvements which promote employee health and wellness. The company is making it easier for employees to eat healthier. They provide access and choice with community supported agriculture (CSA) deliveries, which guarantees the freshest food in your fridge each week!
Plus an interior staircase system encourages people who work here to stay active by going up or down 29 floors at their headquarters every day. You’re in luck! There’s no need for you to worry about the physical wellbeing of your employees. JeBailey & Co. can help by incorporating health and wellness design standards into any new or existing building that they work with, so all staff members are able enjoy their jobs without feeling overworked or unhealthy.
