Well-being

May 4, 2018

Designing with the WELL Building Standard in mind

At the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), our mission is to lead the movement to promote health and wellness in buildings and communities everywhere. We are very pleased to see the growing investment and interest across the globe, including initiatives such as the WELL Building design guide published by Interface. By placing people at the…

April 12, 2018

CBRE Madrid: WELL Building and the Benefits in Practice

In 2013, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) launched a movement to address issues regarding health and well-being within the built environment (issues which are somewhat overlooked by existing standards). From this the WELL Building Standard™ was established, with the aim to provide architects and designers with guidelines on how to make a real and…

December 15, 2016

Attracting New Talent and Maintaining a Happy Workforce

The era of nomadic working is shifting. Recent studies, including Peldon Rose’s Summer 2016 Happy Office survey, have found that working remotely can leave employees feeling increasing disconnected from colleagues and community. 66% of people found that their productivity decreased outside the connectivity of the workplace. With the return of an office-based culture; how can…

March 9, 2016

14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: Presence of Water

Water – from crashing waves to trickling streams, wading pools, and water fountains – enhances the experience of a place. Pattern 5: Presence of Water The Presence of Water biophilic design pattern has evolved from research on the health and wellbeing benefits associated with access to water, including reduced stress, lower heart rate and blood…

January 21, 2016

A Focus on Nature: The Attention Restoration Theory

Spending a long period of time on a task that requires intense focus and concentration can be mentally exhausting for the human brain. Within modern day working environments, we are required to remain attentive during different tasks and activities throughout the day. However, working under pressure, or for a vast period of time can increase…

December 14, 2015

14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: Complexity & Order

Complexity, as one of the more abstract biophilic concepts, has gained quite a bit of traction as a welcomed design challenge. We talk about the objective of the Complexity & Order pattern (#10) as a means for creating a visually nourishing environment, based on an understanding of the symmetries, fractal geometries and spatial hierarchies that…

September 9, 2015

3 Vital Principles to Ensure Well-Being at Work

In the majority of cases a workers environment, usually an office, is not catered towards maximising their potential health and well-being. This must change. The World Health Organization describes wellness as “…a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.“. Do most desk workers fall into…