Optimize Productivity by Designing for Health and Wellness

Health and fitness are central to recruiting new talent to your organization, so amenities and features that positively contribute to wellness are key.

“Happy employees produce measurably better results and report higher job satisfaction, so wellness improvements represent a win-win scenario: employees are happier, and the company enjoys both high productivity and improvements in recruitment prospects and retention rates,” explains Sara Ross, Director of Corporate Services at Dyer Brown.

It's important that the workplace becomes more than a place where employees sit for hours on end. Proper design can energize building occupants.

“When employees feel energized by their workday experience, their productivity and on-the-job satisfaction both improve,” says Deniz Ferendeci, Director of Asset Design + Support at Dyer Brown. “Many companies and commercial property owners are introducing fitness amenities and offering healthier food options. So many of us spend a significant portion of our lives in an office environment, making that environment as healthy as possible is a must.”

Providing amenities and building features that make people feel refreshed pays dividends. Improve morale and productivity with these tips.

• Encourage employees to be active. Providing ample parking for bikes or on-site locker rooms and showers support a culture of fitness at the office.
• Gyms and other fitness-centered areas should feel well-lit and open, explains Joshua Zinder, Founding Partner of Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design (JZA+D). “The goal for gym space is not feeling like it’s in a closet,” Zinder says. “When people exercise, they want to feel like they’re in a big open room with a lot of air.”
• Game rooms contribute to employee bonding and facilitate socialization, which encourages retention and employee engagement, says Cristine Henderson, Associate Vice President, Commercial Architecture at Hoefer Wysocki, an architecture, planning and interior design firm.
• Carefully consider the type of furniture products. “They will need to support employee health, activity and wellness (e.g., with options for sitting or standing) as well as fit the space’s mission,” Ross says.
• Promote movement around the office. At Tangram Interiors, the design includes walkstations on the mezzanine for employees to get up and move during the workday, notes Marisa Anderson, Marketing Manager for Tangram Interiors.