What is wellbeing within interiors?

23.10.20

What is wellbeing? 

 

Over the last few years, the word wellbeing has been a buzz word in the design industry.  As we return to the office and evaluate how the office landscape has changed, wellbeing and people-focused design is becoming more and more important.  But how do you design wellbeing into interiors?

Wellbeing is fundamentally based on the comfort of a person, this is not just physically with spaces designed for specific tasks, good ergonomics, air quality, and temperature control, but the mental aspects of being human and our need for social interaction, for building relationships, and sleep. Environments designed with this recipe in mind have huge benefits to staff and in turn employers through the reduction in stress and burnout as well as more productive staff, increased staff retention, and attracting new talent.

How is wellbeing achieved within interiors?

 

Knowing the end-user is the foundation to wellbeing centric design, identifying areas that are lacking within the existing interior as well as areas that are being over provided or underused. Undertaking pre-occupancy surveys before starting the design process allow the designer to evaluate and address any issues within the workplace. The best way to understand wellbeing and the design requirements is to consider our genetic heritage and the basic things that we require for survival:

1. Food and water

Providing access to clean water is a not only relaxing to our natural make-up but is also really important for our concentration levels as being just mildly dehydrated can reduce our work productivity by 12% and our reaction time by 23%. Canteen or communal eating areas should be stocked with fresh, wholesome foods to encourage healthy eating within the workplace.

 

2. Light and dark

Natural light has always been prime real estate within the workplace, office workers were found to perform 10% – 25% better when they had the best possible view within the workplace. This is not just about the physical light source but that inherent nature that we must be able to see vantage spaces (seeing potential threats) that helps to reduce our heart rate.

 

Also with natural light over artificial light, there is a circadian rhythm that our body responds to throughout the day. As the light levels intensify from morning to noon and then reduce again from noon to dusk, our body including our metabolism and bowel functions respond to this rhythm. Whereas artificial light is set at a midday colour temperature for the whole day which means that staff can have sleep issues due to their circadian rhythm being thrown off by the artificial light within the workplace. Thankfully technology has allowed lighting companies to design circadian lighting systems that respond to this rhythm, this can be a huge contributor to staff wellbeing.

Image credit: https://vectormine.com/item/circadian-rhythm-vector-illustration-infographic

3. People (a tribe)

People need people. This is nothing new to anyone, providing spaces for social interaction is crucial within the workplace, from communal eating areas to agile workspaces its important that office space has variety. The key factor to this is understanding your staff. Are they mostly extroverts who will thrive in loud colourful environments and need to be stimulated to be productive? Or are they mostly introverts that are much more productive in quiet, peaceful spaces? It is important to understand your companies social structure and what they would benefit from to increase their wellbeing – is a games room or quiet reading space more important. There is no benefit to the employer if spaces are designed based on trends or what Google offices have if it doesn’t benefit and support your team!

Image credit: https://officesnapshots.com/2015/09/14/tripadvisor-needham-headquarters/

Generation X are expecting so much more from a company than previous generations, they want to support and work for companies that value social purpose. This might be through charitable work and supporting the local area, but within the interior, this can be as simple as sourcing materials and finishes that have been procured sustainably. More and more products are coming onto the market that are made from materials such as ocean plastic and discarded fishing nets (https://www.camirafabrics.com/en/inspiration/oceanic).

4. Landscapes and vantage points

This is the biophilic portion of wellbeing which is what we hear about more than any of the other elements. This is a crucial and expansive factor to wellbeing design as well as being a visually aesthetic element, but this doesn’t mean throwing as many plants at an interior as it can handle. It can be through direct and indirect biophilic elements such as plants, sounds, smells and touches that mimic nature. Creating connections with natural systems like the changing of seasons, the rise and fall of the sun, biomorphic shapes – these are shapes that mimic natures patterns and forms.

Image credit: https://cundall.com/Projects/One-Carter-Lane.aspx

Fundamental items such as carpet tiles that are selected to mimic natural textures, colours and patterns.  This affects the mind as it can evoke memories of nature woodland floors, cobbled streets covered in moss etc.

Obviously, adding a water feature within the workplace or a woodland feature in reception would be ideal but a smaller budget does not necessarily mean fewer benefits… where natural features have been applied a 15% reduction in absenteeism has been reported.

 

 

How do we measure success? 

 

The success of well-designed interiors is measured through qualitative and quantitative data. This data can be obtained by a post-occupancy survey that allows you to quantify the improvements within their environments. Measuring things such as productivity, concentration, positive impacts on your staff’s wellness and routine, energy reduction, employee satisfaction just to name a few.

The result of spaces designed with a focus on wellbeing has had significant results. Mix Magazine found that more than 130 million working days are lost to sickness absence every year in Britain.  Therefore, increasing wellness reduces absenteeism, as well as increasing productivity, creativity and staff retention, these all have positive physical and financial results.

This does not have to be an expensive exercise. Through thoughtful planning during initial stages such as positioning of desks nearer windows, providing social spaces and areas for quiet working, adding some planting or natural soundscape speakers and diffusers, will all add to the well design within your built environment.

How we approach projects can no longer be based purely on aesthetics. We must understand and evaluate the people that the environment affects.  The spaces that we are surrounded by, have a serious effect on our mental and physical wellbeing and therefore should be designed responsibly.

by Laura Baarda, Interior Designer at Bowman Riley

Sources:

Article: What is wellbeing? Mix Magazine – Sept. 2019

Article: Welling: Air and Light. Mix Magazine – Sept. 2019

Article: The Biophilic Office Project. Mix Magazine – Sept. 2019

Webinar: Biophilic Design – Designing with Human Nature in Mind – Interface (30.04.20)

Webinar: Creating Positive Spaces using the WELL Building Standard – Interface (12.05.20)

Webinar: The Future Experience of Work – Absolute Interiors (21.05.20)