The wake of the coronavirus pandemic has presented an opportune moment to re-evaluate and renew physical workplaces as employees return to them.
“The link between good workplace design and productivity is unmistakable,” states HMC Architects in its recently released report, titled “Designing for Wellness and Good Governance,” which focuses on design work done for public-sector clients by the firm’s six studios in California.
The report’s authors note that workplace design for the public sector comes with challenges. “As today’s office landscape becomes less hierarchical and younger staff more interested in a collaborative environment, employers must evolve to meet the needs of the next generation. Public optics, safety, many departments, and unique bidding processes must be considered.”
Those challenges are compounded by the shifting toward hybrid work and how offices must now function. “We are leaving behind a workplace that operates like a machine, where roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and predictable,” the authors write. “Our new future is a workplace that functions like an ecosystem and requires adaptability and unpredictable roles and responsibilities.”
The 28-page report, which can be downloaded from here, aims to present a “blueprint” to craft workplaces “that transcend functional utility and metamorphose into nurturing hubs of growth, connectedness, and mutual success.”
A holistic approach to wellness design
HMC Architects spells out what offices need to be doing today, starting with empowering people to do their best work. Cost-effective environments that blend flexibility, health, and wellness have a better chance at attracting new talent, enhancing employee satisfaction, and fortifying retention rates.
“Wellness is good business,” states the authors, pointing to studies that show that employee absenteeism is reduced, productivity increases, and employee turnover is significantly reduced. “Employee health and wellness investments make people feel valued and often encourage them to invest in their physical and mental well-being.”
However, creating a healthier work environment does not necessarily mean relocation or a complete revamp of existing space; there are cost-effective changes that can have significant impacts, such as bringing in new furniture and lighting for better comfort, temperature, mood, openness and flexibility. HMC says that prioritizing occupants’ thermal comfort is a “cornerstone” of a productive and content working environment
HMC’s solutions are holistic, encompassing the nurturing of wellness through healthier in-office nutritional choices and amenities such as fitness centers, private respite rooms, and access to outdoor recreational areas. “Investing in these purposeful amenities underscores a resolute commitment to cultivating a work environment that is supportive and engaging,” the report states. “Such an environment reflects a genuine concern for the welfare of employees.”
Case studies showcase different design approaches
The report homes in on seven public-sector “case studies” throughout California that amplify some of its general wellness points:
•The County of San Diego North Coastal Live Well Health Centers, whose interior design takes advantage of daylight and fresh air;
•The University of California San Diego North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood, whose design balances privacy and collaboration in office spaces;
•Kaiser Permanente’s Fontana Medical Center, a Medical Office Building whose interior design includes biophilia inspired by nature;
•Riverside Office of Education Conference Center, whose design (elevates collaboration and comfort to encourage success;
•Los Angeles County Department of Public Works’ landscape Improvements that include a wellness garden which redefines the workplace experience;
•Mammoth Lakes Civic Center that reshapes the city hub; and
•The Ontario City Hall Annex that creates an office oasis. Along the building’s periphery, open office ergonomic workstations bask in daylight and offer glimpses of the outdoors, facilitated by intelligent sun control mechanisms that subdue glare. Internal offices, adorned with generous glazing, harness natural light cascading within.
The Riverside case study is an example of how design brings disparate elements together. The building’s ground floor serves as nexus for communal engagement, with an interplay between indoor and outdoor spaces. There’s a fusion of private space and open workspaces, and an expansive conference room within the building’s core. Overhead glass and sliding doors unveil a terrace that extends the conference space to an inviting outdoor area, commanding panoramic views of the neighboring landscape.
Related Stories
| Jan 31, 2012
Chapman Construction/Design: ‘Sustainability is part of everything we do’
Chapman Construction/Design builds a working culture around sustainability—for its clients, and for its employees.
| Jan 26, 2012
Three dead, 16 missing in Rio buildings collapse
The buildings, one 20 floors high, collapsed on Wednesday night in a cloud of dust and smoke just one block away from the city's historic Municipal Theater.
| Jan 26, 2012
Summit Design+Build completes law office in Chicago
Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen's new office suite features private offices, open office area, conference rooms, reception area, exposed wood beams and columns, and exposed brick.
| Jan 17, 2012
SOM Chicago wins competition to design China's Suzhou Center
The 75-level building is designed to accommodate a complex mixed-use program including office, service apartments, hotel and retail on a 37,000 sm site.
| Jan 15, 2012
Hollister Construction Services oversees interior office fit-out for Harding Loevner
The work includes constructing open space areas, new conference, trading and training rooms, along with multiple kitchenettes.
| Jan 15, 2012
Smith Consulting Architects designs Flower Hill Promenade expansion in Del Mar, Calif.
The $22 million expansion includes a 75,000-square-foot, two-story retail/office building and a 397-car parking structure, along with parking and circulation improvements and new landscaping throughout.
| Jan 12, 2012
CSHQA receives AIA Northwest & Pacific Region Merit Award for Idaho State Capitol restoration
After a century of service, use, and countless modifications which eroded the historical character of the building and grounds, the restoration brought the 200,000-sf building back to its former grandeur by restoring historical elements, preserving existing materials, and rehabilitating spaces for contemporary uses.
| Jan 4, 2012
New LEED Silver complex provides space for education and research
The academic-style facility supports education/training and research functions, and contains classrooms, auditoriums, laboratories, administrative offices and library facilities, as well as spaces for operating highly sophisticated training equipment.
| Jan 3, 2012
VDK Architects merges with Harley Ellis Devereaux
Harley Ellis Devereaux will relocate the employees in its current Berkeley, Calif., office to the new Oakland office location effective January 3, 2012.
| Jan 3, 2012
Rental Renaissance, The Rebirth of the Apartment Market
Across much of the U.S., apartment rents are rising, vacancy rates are falling. In just about every major urban area, new multifamily rental projects and major renovations are coming online. It may be too soon to pronounce the rental market fully recovered, but the trend is promising.