Designing Workplaces that Promote Health, Wellbeing & Performance: An Environmental Psychologist’s Perspective

I recently had the pleasure of travelling to Cape Town to present a keynote address at the Dare to Lead conference organised by Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA). I had just 20 minutes to speak on a psychologist’s view of health, wellbeing and performance; that’s a huge subject area and pretty much my whole career condensed down to the typical time it takes to boil a pan of potatoes. So, I focussed on just three psychological theories: motivation, personality and evolutionary psychology.

Workplace Standards: Over-rated or Under-appreciated?

Why standards?

If we all lived in beautiful log cabins in the mountains, then we probably wouldn’t need regulations and standards. But if we are part of a community or society then we need standards to protect us from others and protect others from us. The focus of regulations is usually on health and safety but they may offer protection of a society’s future, for example consider planning regulations. Standards also apply to products and services such as improving their quality of products and consistency. Regulations and standards shows that a society has matured and is responsible. 

Can Workplace Design Enhance Creativity?

This blog is based on the presentation I gave at the Workplace Trends conference last week, which in turn was based on a presentation I gave at an Innovation Exchange in Lisbon. The room was full of scientists presenting their latest inventions and chemical formulas, and they asked me to present on how the workplace design could assist them. Well I’m always up for a challenge and an all-expenses paid trip to Portugal.

Bloke down the pub told me … we can learn from pub design

Some of you may know that, as well as my keen interest in workplace design, I have a passion for beer – I’m training to be a beer sommelier and also part-own Haresfoot Brewery. As a consequence, I receive regular updates on the beer industry’s activities from the Morning Advertiser – “pub trade news from the industry's oldest and most-respected magazine”. 

I was particularly interested in the recent article “top pub interior design trends for 2017”. Whilst the article focuses mostly on the décor (e.g. masculine versus feminine, eclectic furniture, rawness and honesty), I have always thought that the pub offers so much more that can influence office design. Let me explain further.

Here's to a Prosperous and Productive New Year

I hope you all had a good break and have retuned to work re-energised and looking for a new challenge. As usual my thoughts turn to new ways in which we can improve workplace wellbeing and productivity.

In the recently published Stoddart Review, my research from 2012 was reported as showing that a 1% to 3.5% increase in productivity could be gained through improved workplace design. The reported figures actually refer to single design factors and the research shows an improvement of 5% to 7% is more likely if several factors (temperature, acoustics, air quality, lighting, space and furniture etc.) are addressed in a well-designed workplace. If you don’t have time to read the full Stoddart Review then take a look at the summary published in the Sunday Times, both downloadable for free.