The mental health of workers has emerged as an urgent topic within the construction industry, with firms considering the issue as part of their employee wellness initiatives.
One such firm is Minneapolis-based general contractor Gardner Builders. Three of its jobsites currently include Wellness Pods, 6x8-ft steel boxes that provide workers with a temporary, anxiety free sanctuary for private activities. The heated and cooled pods are wheelchair-accessible, with a mini fridge, desk and chair, and rug.
The concept for the pods dates back to last year, when Gardner Builders noticed that its employees engaged in activities that might be best served by having a private space to retire to. This need was expressed further during a meeting of the company’s internal Pulse group, which discusses employee concerns. A 20-year-old female laborer pointed out that she had nowhere to go while at work to pump breastmilk. “The idea for the wellness pod was borne from this,” says Jessica Stoe, Gardner Builders’ Brand, Wellness, and Marketing Director, and Wellness Pod Lead.
The first pods, built in May 2022, were small plywood boxes within Gardner’s offices. Stoe says the goal, then and now, was to create a place that is soundproof, comfortable, and accessible for everything from meditation, telehealth, privacy, and prayer. Based on worker feedback, most employees seem to be using the pods for private calls.
Future pods will be mobile
![A steel Wellness POd](/sites/default/files/inline-images/image001%20%282%29.jpg)
The pod is more of a concept than a static structure; some are on wheels, for example. Gardner has also partnered with the furniture supplier Teknion to develop its steel pod with a glass door. Stoe estimates that a plywood pod costs Gardner $3,000; the steel model runs between $12,000 and $16,000.
Right now, a jobsite’s foreman or superintendent handles the scheduling for using jobsite pods. Stoe says Gardner is looking into scheduling software similar to what office workers use to book meeting rooms.
Future iterations of the pods, says Stoe, are likely to be more mobile so they can be moved around a jobsite as needed. And Gardner is developing a ground-up, climate-controlled model for exterior use. That model, says Stoe, would have an iPad mounted to it that allows workers to schedule the pod themselves.
Gardner Builders has gotten inquiries about its Wellness Pods from the local YMCA and Chamber of Commerce, and wants to share the concept with other contracting firms.
Related Stories
| Jul 16, 2014
ASHRAE, IAQA team up to improve resources on indoor air quality
Indoor Air Quality Association will become part of the ASHRAE organization while maintaining its own brand and board; HQ will relocate to Atlanta.
| Jul 15, 2014
Michael Graves talks with Washington Post about new design eye from life in a wheelchair
Celebrated American architect Michael Graves sits with the Washington Post to talk about how being on a wheelchair changed the way he focuses on design.
| Jul 15, 2014
A look into the history of modular construction
Modular construction is more than a century old, and throughout its lifespan, the methods have been readapted to meet specific needs of different eras.
| Jul 15, 2014
AECOM to buy URS Corporation in $6 billion deal
Together, the firms will form a massive global giant with more than $19 billion in revenue and 95,000 employees in 150 countries.
| Jul 15, 2014
Trade groups form task force to further transparency and optimization of building product ingredients
The Harmonization Task Group will offer marketplace benefits including consistent messaging, simplification, elimination of redundancies, and creation of more accurate, faster and less costly assessments.
| Jul 14, 2014
Meet the bamboo-tent hotel that can grow
Beijing-based design cooperative Penda designed a bamboo hotel that can easily expand vertically or horizontally.
| Jul 11, 2014
First look: Jeanne Gang reinterprets San Francisco Bay windows in new skyscraper scheme
Chicago architect Jeanne Gang has designed a 40-story residential building in San Francisco that is inspired by the city's omnipresent bay windows.
| Jul 11, 2014
Are these LEGO-like blocks the future of construction?
Kite Bricks proposes a more efficient way of building with its newly developed Smart Bricks system.
| Jul 10, 2014
Unique design of Toronto's townhome The Tree House
Plans for a new Toronto townhome brings cutting-edge design.
| Jul 10, 2014
Berkeley Lab opens 'world's most comprehensive building efficiency simulator'
DOE’s new FLEXLAB is a first-of-its-kind simulator that lets users test energy-efficient building systems individually or as an integrated system, under real-world conditions.