Ellie ThompsonIn our society, well-being at work is becoming more and more important. Creating a healthy environment for employees is crucial to their productivity and the company’s success. Many factors affect us in our workspace. Sounds, temperature, light, and office design are just a few common examples. Considering all these factors, the question is: “How do you build a healthy office space?”. To find a solution to this question, we need to first understand the problems with the existing office spaces.
How do you build a healthy office?
One of the main issues, especially in open-plan offices, is the lack of privacy, which puts employees under stress. Due to the lack of acoustic measures and the overall volume in most offices, employees can’t concentrate and aren’t able to have private or work-related conversations without distractions. Thanks to our hush pods, all this becomes a thing of the past. For example, our hushPhone is a flexible phone booth that provides you with the privacy and silence you need for an efficient conversation. You can place your laptop on the built-in foldable table if you need it or lean against our ergonomic shelf – whether you are sitting or standing. You won’t be distracted by any sounds from the outside. Also, nobody will be able to listen in on your private conversations. We have options for all kinds of scenarios. Do you need some space for a face-to-face meeting? A quiet conference room or a place to have coffee with your coworkers? No problem! To help you find the perfect hush pod and incorporate it into your office design ideas, we have created an easy-to-use configurator to arrange a healthy office space per your specific needs.
The link between office lighting and workplace well-being
Apart from office design, the link between office lighting and workplace well-being is also vital. Light is the primary tool for setting our circadian rhythm, also known as the body clock, and there can be many detrimental health effects if this rhythm is disturbed. Stress, depression, and obesity have all been linked to negatively disrupted circadian rhythms. When used well, though, lighting can be used to influence our body clocks positively, increasing energy levels when we need an extra boost of stamina or helping us to relax. Whilst it’s not always possible to get lots of natural light in a space, filling it with poor lighting will do nothing to help people stay awake and productive at their desks. In fact, the results of research carried out by Staples* have shown that 25% of the surveyed are frustrated with having to deal with poor lighting in their workplaces, which means this problem isn’t uncommon. Our hush pods are the perfect solution. You can adjust the lighting in every pod just as you like it – and create optimal working conditions.
Furniture for the office
Besides lighting, greenery is also a factor that improves well-being at work**. Therefore, we created optional greenWalls, which can be attached to each of our hush-pods. They bring calmness to the acoustic office and positively affect the indoor climate. Our immediate environment exposes us to poisonous materials, and we are not always aware of them. Substances and polymers like plastics, paint, building materials, dyes, older types of solvents, adhesives, detergents, fabrics, and cosmetics have volatile toxins that may get into the air we breathe. Some common examples are benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, and ammonia. Toxins like these cause weakness, dizziness, headaches, and irritation of the mucous membranes in the nose, eyes, throat, and respiratory tract. NASA has been studying indoor plants for many years to identify the most effective species in removing these toxins from the air.
In conclusion, with their elegant design, our hush pods fit into all existing office interior designs. They can be used as additional furniture pieces or as room dividers in big open-plan offices to create different work zones. The high flexibility of our Hush-pods makes them the perfect furniture for any office.
** https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230754655_Green_ergonomics_Definition_and_scope
