6 APRIL 2019 COMMERCIALARCHITECTUREMAGAZINE.COMD
rawing strongly on the larger societal move-
ment toward a culture of wellness, active-office
design is changing the way employees interact
with their environment by merging and prioritizing their
personal, physical, and emotional needs, along with
the productivity and functionality of their work. This
comprehensive approach to employee well being in the
workplace also benefits companies and managers. A
recent, influential study by the Global Wellness Institute,
Miami (globalwellnessinstitute.org) found that managers
who value employee health and happiness saw decreased
absenteeism and significant increases in productivity.
Meeting the millennial generation’s wellness needs
through active design is becoming a necessary and
effective investment in workplaces and in schools, hotels,
multifamily properties, and any industries where goals
include fostering healthy and welcoming facilities. It also
challenges architects to incorporate wellness activities
directly into their design solutions from the beginning.
Inventive, functional, and individualized active
design can be integrated at any organizational level, cre-
ating spaces that add a healthy twist to the increasingly
true notion that people will be living where they work and
working where they live. Consider these ideas:- Rethink how spaces are used. By strategically laying
out programmatic areas based on activities, architects
encourage building occupants to walk, climb stairs, and
move more, all day long. Occupants choose the places
and spaces that best suit their moods or tasks. In office
settings, this is called activity-based working (ABW),
where employees don’t just sit at a desk but shift locations
based on function. This approach fosters employee well-
ness, improves space utilization, and enhances occupant
experience.- Variety is the spice of life. By expanding occupant
choice for locations, spaces, and furnishings, architects
maximize opportunities for physical activity throughout
the day. Collaborating with Arup on their new workplace
in Boston, Dyer Brown used a blend of lounge furniture
and bar-height tables to completely transform the experi-
ence of daily work, regular meetings, and informal hud-
dles. The various postures, heights, and movements help
employees stay focused and invigorated, while providing
an opportunity to take a break and reset when needed. - Destination spaces encourage active work. Successful
case studies demonstrate that destination spaces are
favored by building occupants who move around. Sunny
windows by the stairs and open-air terraces, for example,
are delightful places to visit. So is the lobby café. Where
the traditional office model would allocate prime spaces
to rarely used boardrooms or C-suite offices, architects
instead can encourage occupant travel—enough to have a
positive impact on health—by organizing the plan to
locate communal or free-address spaces in those desirable
spots. - Follow the sun. Studies indicate that the best way to
encourage occupant movement is to strategically exploit
windows and sunlight. Harvard Business Review recently
reported on a convincing study of hundreds of U.S. work-
ers by consultant Future Workplace (“The #1 Office
Perk? Natural Light,” by Jeanne C. Meister, 9-3-18), con-
cluding the number-one feature of an effective workplace
is availability of natural light and outdoor views. Use
those two elements to prioritize destinations that boost
circulation in any building typology.
When some facility owners hear the term active
design, they immediately think of product solutions,
such as sit-stand desks. It’s the architects’ opportunity to
encourage clients to go beyond those easy (and valuable)
concepts and think about how architectural elements
that anchor the space can completely transform activity
patterns and movement inside their buildings.
That’s the fun part, too: Reimagining architecture to
meet wellness and lifestyle aspirations of emerging gen-
erations while also serving the health needs of an aging
workforce. CAAshley L. Dunn, AIA, is director of workplace for Dyer Brown,
Boston (dyerbrown.com). She has completed projects ranging from
4,000 to 400,000 sq. ft., taught at the Boston Architectural College
as an adjunct faculty member, and is a committee member with the
Boston Society of Architects. A graduate of the Univ. of Tennessee,
Dunn has been with Dyer Brown for almost 15 years and is the
youngest director in the firm’s 50-yr. history.For Better Architecture, Think Active
Wellness is the goal in today’s offices and active designs will deliver.
Right. Collaborating with Arup on their new workplace in Boston, Dyer Brown used a blend of
lounge furniture and bar-height tables to completely transform the work experience. Photos:
Darrin Hunter, courtesy Dyer BrownBelow. Workspace flexibility helps employees stay focused and invigorated, while providing
an opportunity to take a break and reset when needed.Ashley L. Dunn, AIA, Dyer Brown
DEPARTMENT | the architects