Choose wisely
Sheela Shukla, interior designer, reminds us that the workforce is composed of real people with diverse needs and designers must respond to their requirements.
Employees around the world want flexibility at work to balance their physical and mental well-being and support healthier lifestyles. Post-Covid working conditions and safeguarding mental health are high on the agenda and the required flexibility means different things to different organizations. Employers are experiencing a shift in their thinking, recognizing that 'the workforce' is composed of real people with diverse needs - so accommodating these requirements is no longer a trend, but a responsibility that employers and we, as designers, must consider as fundamental for the new workplace. Every brief is different. We can bring findings from our work across multiple sectors, including education and healthcare, where issues like intuitive wayfinding, space for learning and collaboration, and material selection have always prioritized health and well-being. All forms of flexible workspace need to be considered holistically and environmentally, with space, lighting, acoustics, air movement, integration of technology, thermal comfort, and choice of 'good' materials all crucial to the success of the space.
For example, biophilic design in offices is highly discussed. We know it's beneficial in supporting restorative environments and genuinely beneficial to mental health, but how do we promote and measure its effectiveness? The preconditions of the WELL Building Standard™ offer guidance on area and number of plants to improve the internal environments, and access to nature can be integrated in different ways. We consider indoor planting, calming colours, textures, shapes, forms, imagery, sounds, lighting, and views to external areas. There is also an opportunity to develop an 'internal' Urban Greening Factor, like that in the London Plan, to assess and quantify the amount and quality of natural, healthy greening measures in offices.
Ultimately, we are designing for people, to conduct work - to focus, collaborate and perform. We discuss the role of restorative facilities and policies to support employee well-being. We aim to motivate our clients to be ambitious in prioritizing well-being in any brief so that the design is meaningful, useful, and thoughtful. Healthy designs also need to be cost and space-effective, while acknowledging the clear link between a healthy thriving workforce and business success. Perhaps the newest trend in healthy and supportive design is that of increased and real choice. Choosing where to work is an option that many more employees and employers now have for the first time and design concepts that truly support this are still in their early stages. Employees are requesting to return to a dynamic environment where they can reconnect with their colleagues and be inspired - balanced with the choice to work from home for a portion of their time. We are still learning and continuously refining our approach to designing for hybrid working as it becomes the new standard.
To achieve the most beneficial results for our clients, we collaborate closely with Human Space, a consultancy within BDP that specializes in a comprehensive approach to accessibility, wellness and inclusion to create safe, fair and resilient built environments. Our collaborative efforts incorporate ideas about flexible design from around the world and bring a new level of research, data, and understanding to our approach. We also continue to conduct pre-occupancy and post-occupancy surveys to identify best practices, to deliver universally good design that is flexible and adaptable, supports the culture of the business, and responds to the health and well-being needs of its people.