by What is more important, work or prosperity?
What’s more important, work or prosperity? Do we have to choose? A “good work ethic”—as in putting work above all else—was a badge of honor, certainly among Generation Xers who grew up with postwar parents and a recession to contend with as they continued. working life in the 1990s. Today’s economic climate may present similar struggles to secure a wage among their offspring, the so-called Generation Z, but it is nevertheless this emerging set of workers that is teaching the rest of us to work with any cost – especially that to our mental and physical well-being – should not be a life’s ambition.
Rockfon will host a discussion on what it means to be human-centric when it comes to office design and is expected to address everything from acoustic comfort to building community and inclusion
all images courtesy of Rockfon
The shift towards human-centered office design
It gives architects and workplace designers a lot of food for thought. Bolstered by Covid restrictions and 2020’s focus on nurturing health, it’s a shift in priorities that fits into the office environment. If management wants employees in offices together, where team spirit and common purpose can best be fostered, then well-being must be met. Human-centered design is no longer a bonus. it’s nesessery.
The subject is of particular interest Rockphone, an international brand specializing in rockwool sound absorbing products. While acoustics may once have been thought of as practical, functional thinking, it is now understood to be something that promotes well-being. “Sound is physical, noise is psychological,” says Pascal van Dort, Rockfon’s Global Acoustics Ambassador. “By optimizing acoustic environments, we can create spaces that encourage positive emotions and experiences for everyone.”
Creating an environment that comfortably accommodates both collaborative teamwork and quiet focused work is one of the key considerations in keeping employees happy
Rockfon invites leading thinkers to the conversation
As Rockfon deepens its understanding of how human-centered design can redefine how we feel in corporate environments, it invites experts in the field to reflect on the topic. “Workplace design has for several years been focused on data – usually lots of it, and on optimization at the expense of aesthetics and sensuality,” says mtre partner architect Anne Sarto, a member of CF Møller Architects, who is one of the panelists participating in a webinar on the topic hosted by Rockfon later this month.
“Workplace design is about creating spaces where people thrive and are affected by the space they enter”
Sarto has been working with workplace design for decades and promotes an approach that looks at how architecture can positively affect users’ senses. “Workplace design is about creating spaces where people thrive and are affected by the space they enter. This requires spaces that speak to all our senses.’
Rockfon’s webinar invites industry experts to panel, including mtre partner Anne Sarto, who believes architecture can provide sensual comfort in the workplace
Biophilia in the mix
What does this mean practically? Maximizing natural light? Judicious use of color and texture? Compatible headphones? Chlorophytum comosum in the corridors? It is undoubtedly all this biophilic thinking and more. “One of the biggest missing pieces in human-centered design is a true appreciation of what it means to be human and how our brain, body and cognition interact with our environment,” says Sophie Schuller, who currently is doing a PhD in “psychoneurophysiology”. and workplace design’ at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Schuller is also invited to Rockfon’s virtual table to delve into ways we can improve human-centered office design. As a neuropsychological researcher researching the intersection of buildings, the brain and human behavior, she has spent years working with organizations to understand how workplace design and the built environment affect the health, well-being and performance of workers.
Sophie Schuller, who currently runs a ‘Living Lab’ to dive deep into the effects of our environment on mental health, will share some of her findings
Schuller is also invited to Rockfon’s virtual table to delve into ways we can improve human-centered office design. As a neuropsychological researcher investigating the intersection between buildings, the brain, and human behavior, she has spent years working with organizations to understand how workplace design and the built environment affect employee health, well-being, and performance.
Virtual roundtable showcases solutions and strategies for creating a workplace that fuels well-being and keeps employees engaged
Compromising difference
For the past two years, Schuller has also led a ‘Living Lab’ research program at Cushman & Wakefield EMEA, focusing on attentional processing, mental health, neurodiversity and indoor environmental quality. It provides insight into the importance of diversity and inclusion in design decision-making, also key interests of Justin Treacy, Director of Corporate Interiors at Perkins&Will who rounds out the panel. The words “compassion” and “community,” “people” and “joy” loom large in his company’s design manifesto. Meeting mental health needs can be as much about accepting gender-neutral restrooms as it is about paying attention to biophilia.
“At Rockfon, we believe in the power of human-centered design to improve the well-being of building occupants”
There is no doubt that attitudes to office culture are undergoing significant change and there is some urgency for the development and design industries to respond. “At Rockfon, we believe in the power of human-centered design to improve the well-being of building occupants,” confirms van Dort who chairs the webinar. Carrying the title “The Art of Human-Centered Design: What Are the Missing Pieces in the Workplace Design Puzzle?The platform is a place where developments are explored, lessons learned, solutions proposed and effective strategies shared by some of the most knowledgeable in the field.
