How An Office Fitout Can Improve Your Health And Wellbeing
Part of the: Office Fitout Collection
Smart enterprises realise the importance of a healthy workforce. An unhealthy workforce leads to lower productivity, more absences, considerable healthcare costs, workplace anxiety, and worse employee satisfaction. The World Green Building Council claims that the relationship between workplace designs and office users may have a significant impact on a company's productivity and performance.
When evaluating 'green buildings,' health and welfare are taken into account alongside raw material economies and energy-efficient technologies. On a broader scale, happiness should be assessed alongside environmental sustainability and economic development.
Interior office designers must look beyond colour and furnishings when examining the characteristics of an office design that cares for its occupants. Air quality, temperature, acoustics, interior layouts, lighting, and the incorporation of natural elements - or biophilia - all play important roles in workplace health and wellness.
A good fitout invites natural light
In research, light has been shown to alter brain functions that drive physiology, behaviour, and the circadian rhythm. Considering that we spend more than 90% of our time indoors, it is obvious that a lack of natural light has a detrimental influence on our sleep-wake cycle.
Sleep deprivation harms cognitive function and, as a result, work performance. Furthermore, research has shown that sleep deprivation has a severe influence on a person's health, such as immune weakening and heart disease.
According to a Rand Health Quarterly research released in 2017, professionals who get a good night's sleep are more efficient, creative, and make fewer mistakes than colleagues who sleep for less than six hours each night.
According to a study done by Cornell experts in the Department of Design and Environment Analysis, optimising natural light in an office enhances overall health and wellness, with 84%of workers reporting a reduction in headaches and eye strain.
Installing floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights properly distributes natural light around the workspace while eliminating glare. Furthermore, employees who are exposed to natural sunshine obtain their daily dosage of Vitamin D, which boosts energy and protects against seasonal depression.
The right fitout promotes movement
Sitting for extended periods reduces metabolism and can impede the body's ability to manage blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and break down body fat. Most office workers spend up to 9 hours a day sitting at a desk - and that doesn't include transportation, mealtimes, and watching TV.
A rising collection of information highlighting the health dangers of sedentary work emphasises the significance of mobility and exercise for optimum bodily functioning. Experts advised that you move every 30 minutes.
Mobility-friendly office design helps to keep your staff active and healthy. It suffices to say that a healthy physique supports mental health and performance. Businesses benefit from fewer absences and a more pleasurable work environment in which workers want to spend their time.
While traditional open-plan layouts integrate all of the duties of each department, agile office designs focus on activity-based ergonomic workstations that increase individual effectiveness and productivity. Because of wireless technologies and cloud computing, organisations may easily build flexible workspaces that encourage movement.
Air quality is improved with a proper fitout
Although the whole scope of poor indoor air quality is unclear, experts think toxins in the workplace can be five times worse than outside. This is because the inside air contains everything that is outside the workplace, as well as toxicity from cleaning chemicals, carpet bacteria, construction materials, and ozone-emitting office gadgets like printers and fax machines.
Employees in high-rise buildings, particularly in busy city centres, are more prone to inhale carbon monoxide and other contaminants brought in from outside. According to a BBC investigation on interior air quality, air conditioning units are essentially useless unless they are outfitted with appropriate filters.
Ignoring air quality in workplace architecture can lead to an increase in Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), a malady associated with inadequate ventilation. SBS is said to reduce productivity at work, increase absence due to sickness, and degrade efficiency.
Cleaning air ducts and changing filters regularly, according to experts, helps to maintain the airflow fresh. Maintaining a healthy level of humidity will aid in the management of dust mites, mould, and other allergies.
