Maximizing Inclusive Workplace Design: Wellness Rooms Recharged
We’ve all read that your company is committed to diversity and inclusion. So, let’s activate your dream team’s success. After all, dream teams yield unimaginable results. And results are what you’re all about. So, why shouldn’t your workplace be a unicorn?
Well-being has always been ‘in’. Consider maxing out your workplace’s accessibility and usability potential (and while you’re at it, your ROI). Incorporate smart lighting and sound for a sensory-inclusive experience that anyone can get behind.
Recharge Rooms. Personalized.
Designing with wellness in mind was a core theme at this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, and one that resonates well (pun intended) in the workplace.
Due to Sensory Processing Disorder, light sensitivities, and social anxieties, employees with conditions ranging from ADHD, anxiety, epilepsy to autism spectrum disorder, may require warmer over cooler hues, those moonlight ‘blues’ over daylight ‘goldens’, and variable noise levels to show up, let alone do their best work. This can even change based on the tasks employees are performing.
Why is this important? Your employees are human beings, and as human beings, some may require accommodations to show up and do their best work. Lighting directly affects mood, energy and productivity. Improper lighting can cause dizziness, nausea and even irritability and fatigue. Yikes!
Luckily, there is an intelligent fix with modern-day programmable smart lighting, thermostats, voice-activation and augmented sound. Want that Green Monster home run (yes, my Boston’s showing)? Enable identity authentication upon entry, so lighting preferences adjust to users. We’ll call that play “The Fenway”. Your employees will thank us.
And if you want to get really granular, and aren’t sure which bulbs to get…as a general rule, my recommendation is to avoid fluorescents in all workplace design. It’s not only harsh and fatiguing, but also has the perk of being quite unforgiving, which is a buzzkill for one’s overall confidence. At KBIS, I was impressed to learn about Hafele’s strip lights in different color temps. There’s tons of options out there, but I’d start with pinks, oranges and blues.
Also ensure there are windows offering natural light. And if the room is interior-facing, ensure that there are entry points for natural light in addition to shaded zones. Consider sources of glare as well as flooring type. Seating diversity and comfort should be a no-brainer.
Remember, it’s all about choice.
Don’t have a designated quiet, wellness or multipurpose room? Start ideating, and design it intelligently by incorporating different lighting zones within the space. Want more insight into other companies’ recharge rooms? Check out some examples here and here.
Want to hear more? Ask Accessity.
