Workplaces Green Up to Boost Health, Productivity

SAN FRANCISCO—The World Green Building Council recently released a report that provides tangible insights on why greener workspaces are healthier, more enjoyable places to work, and this has a direct impact on productivity, employee health and the bottom line. In this exclusive, Eric Ibsen, chief design officer at FORGE, discusses how corporate clients are embracing these ideals to enhance work environments and culture.

GlobeSt.com: Do you find that more of your corporate clients are seeking sustainable and innovative solutions for workplaces?

Ibsen: Sustainability is part of a larger movement in response to the recognition that today’s workplace is both a recruitment and productivity tool, and a hedge against turnover. The battle for talented people is spreading across various industries and well-being is no longer a nice-to-have feature, but an increasingly essential component of business success. Our clients are increasingly interested in ways to make the workplace a healthier, more responsible environment.

GlobeSt.com: How are companies balancing the focus on providing healthier work environments/energy efficiency versus making changes to workplace culture? Is one area being prioritized over the other?

Ibsen: As mentioned, a work environment that focuses on well-being is increasingly the standard, no longer the exception. For our clients who have been moving in this direction, we see an integration of the two, not a prioritization of one over the other.

GlobeSt.com: Has the process of collaboration with corporate clients changed as client needs have evolved?

Ibsen: Absolutely. Our inquiry process at the outset of a project (formerly programming), has expanded dramatically to cover not only functional needs but business goals and cultural emphasis. Our most innovative clients bring in professionals from HR, finance, marketing/sales and operations to provide us with a broader perspective about what’s important to the company as a whole, not just from an operational or facilities standpoint. These groups are working together for the best outcome, not vying for departmental priorities. It’s an exciting experience for us to have the opportunity to impact our clients’ business at this level and to respond to and conquer those inherent design challenges as part of the team.

GlobeSt.com: What are other ways you are seeing corporate clients using design to impact business and productivity?

Ibsen: Technology has had a huge impact on design, as well as a desire to bring the outside in by incorporating social and community efforts in the workplace. Connectivity and collaboration impact the bottom line, so we are constantly finding ways to bring those to clients and projects.

GlobeSt.com: What are a few examples of recent projects by FORGE that exemplify meeting these design challenges?

Ibsen: The DPR Construction San Francisco office, which is LEED Platinum-certified and the first net zero energy commercial office building in San Francisco, and VF Outdoor, a 14-acre LEED Platinum campus in Alameda comprising office, R&D and warehouse projects, are two great examples.