A Focus on Well-Being
Literature that points to the benefits of well-being-centric workplaces are plentiful and growing, as are industry guidelines that can help building owners support occupant wellness. The WELL Building Standard is one prominent example that focuses on improving building elements such as the quality of air, water, nourishment, lights, movement, etc., to positively impact people’s holistic health.
Studies have shown that adopting the WELL standards in workplaces can result in increased satisfaction with the environment as well as improved perception of health, productivity, and well-being.[1] One study showed that improvements to a building’s indoor environmental quality (e.g., reduced concentration of harmful volatile organic compounds) can improve cognitive scores by 61% when compared to a typical building.[2] Healthy and productive occupants are substantial assets to any organization’s bottom line.
A focus on employee health and safety was essential to McGough from the early stages of the project. This commitment influenced design decisions from the onset of the design process. When McGough decided to pursue WELL certification, the decision did not add significant construction costs, as it required very few additions or changes. Ultimately, the approximate additional cost McGough accrued due to pursuing WELL certification was about 1% of the estimated construction budget. This included a discounted certification rate as well as one year of operational costs associated with WELL.
McGough’s experience pursuing WELL certification is relatively unique as no major construction costs were necessary and McGough had a qualified WELL administrator on staff who oversaw the certification process. Despite these advantages, the lessons learned from this project are arguably replicable.
As seen in the HGA-led Post-Occupancy Evaluation and compared with pre-occupancy surveys and research, thoughtful wellness-centric design strategies led to high satisfaction rates in multiple WELL concepts. Below we share insights and design strategies focused on the project’s most relevant wellness components, including access to views, acoustic comfort, access to daylight, and overall well-being.