The architecture of business and well-being

CORPORATE SPACES AS A RESOURCE TO VALUE WORKERS

Efficiency, safety, but also productivity and employee satisfaction. Optimizing each of these aspects involves carefully conceived work spaces that pursue corporate goals and promote the health of those who are part of it

The well-being of any company is closely linked to that of its employees. In fact, the happiest and most fulfilled employees tend to show greater concentration, initiative and productivity, as well as a longer stay within the company. Not surprisingly, a report conducted in 2021 by ManpowerGroup shows that 49% of employed Italians would be willing to change companies in exchange for greater well-being. A data that has significantly contributed to the pandemic, placing a new emphasis on issues related to safety, psycho-physical health and the importance of working in contexts – physical and social – capable of valorizing them.

In this scenario, the design of traditionally business-related places has also seen a radical change: not only offices, but also production facilities today require an innovative approach that combines efficiency and functionality with solutions that increase the comfort of collaborators.

Natural light to strengthen the body and mood

The main ingredient for well-being at work is the sun or, more precisely, the possibility of constantly being exposed to natural light and, in the best of designs, also to a pleasant view of the surrounding environment.

The presence of a natural light source not only allows us to perceive the passing of time (effectively regulating the body’s physiological rhythms, such as sleep and wakefulness, or concentration and relaxation), but also allows us to synthesize vitamin D, which is very important for bones and the immune system, and to activate – alternately with darkness – the production of melatonin, which affects the quality of sleep and the prevention of carcinogenic processes.
Large openings to the outside can also impact mood and concentration: spaces with insufficient windows tend to cause psychological discomfort, usually amplified by the widespread use of cold artificial lighting.

Designing the inclusion of windows and glass surfaces becomes essential, as is their correct positioning that must be able to take advantage of the sun’s rays for as long as possible during the day – also favoring energy savings – and be made available to workers.
In particular, production sites see windows, usually located at the top of the building, lowered to human height to take advantage of the view and the entry of light. Similarly, doors, passages and doors also become glazed to exploit the potential of each opening.

Thermal and acoustic comfort for industry as well

Ensuring employees a sheltered, well-insulated and climatically comfortable space in every season is a fundamental requirement, regulated by specific norms on the microclimate of company environments, which indicate optimal values for air temperature, humidity, mean radiant temperature and the speed of possible air currents.
These aspects can indeed impact the well-being of workers, but also the risk assessments of workplaces, especially for those activities subjected to thermal stress (cold chains and industrial production) or frequent transitions between inside and outside, such as production areas, workshops and logistics departments.

In this case, industrial architecture can count on advanced solutions that allow the environment to be insulated, to maintain the desired temperature inside, without incurring high energy consumption. Walls, windows and doors can in fact make use of systems that act by exploiting the thickness of the profiles and the presence of special inserts in the joint, such as seals or gaskets, which limit the flow of air and maintain a constant temperature.

But the necessary insulation is often also against noise, in the case of departments with high levels of noise pollution that must therefore be contained with respect to the rest of the production line.
Not only must the environment be soundproofed from the outside, but transitions must also be particularly fast in order to limit the dispersion of noise: a perfect task for a high-insulating rapid door.

Weather-proof solutions

For carriers and logistics personnel, constantly engaged in loading and unloading activities, the ability to carry out their duties protected from cold temperatures, wind, and precipitation represents much more than a comfort, but a real necessity.
Even the design of loading areas can therefore be implemented in favor of the well-being of workers, choosing to equip each access with effective isothermal portals, ideal also for preserving the transported goods and the internal thermal insulation of company spaces.