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A business case for wellbeing
For decades, workplace design has treated wellbeing and productivity as a trade-off. Then Covid rewrote the brief, and what emerged was a genuine rethinking of how we work and what we want from a workplace.
Today's workforce wants more than a place to get tasks done. They want spaces that support focus, recovery and connection — and the research shows the cost of not delivering is steep. Presenteeism alone is estimated to cost the New Zealand economy NZ$46.6 billion a year, with affected workers operating 33% below their peak performance. Globally, the picture is even larger: the World Health Organization estimates US$1 trillion is lost annually to depression and anxiety.
But the upside is just as significant. Gensler's research shows high-performing workplaces — those designed to balance functionality with employee experience — deliver up to three times the positive impact on individual, team and organisational outcomes compared to their lower-performing counterparts.
In this insight piece, we explore what's driving the shift, what's costing businesses when they get it wrong, and what well-designed workplaces are doing differently. From treating quiet as infrastructure to designing for recovery, this is a practical look at how architects and designers can build workplaces that serve both how people work and how they feel.
For architects, designers and anyone shaping the future of workplace.
Sustainable Healthcare Design
Climate change and healthcare are inextricably linked, with rising global temperatures associated with everything from the spread of infectious diseases to the impact of dangerous weather events. Globally, healthcare facilities are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of natural resources, and there is a pressing need for the healthcare sector to take action.
The Importance of Noise Control in Healthcare
Sound, in its various forms, profoundly impacts the experiences of patients, staff, and visitors in Healthcare settings. While some sounds can be soothing and therapeutic, unwanted noise often becomes a source of stress and discomfort.
The Right to Rest in Healthcare
Medical staff frequently highlight their “right to respite” and the need for private spaces that are dedicated not just to work but also to rest. Medical staff need to know that the healthcare environments they work in have been designed with due consideration given to their personal and professional needs, including their need for areas of rest and respite.
Infection Prevention and Control
The COVID-19 crisis was a powerful reminder of how infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies are essential in healthcare and aged-care environments to stop the development of infections and antimicrobial resistance. It highlighted the importance of effective cleaning protocols for preventing transmission.
Intuitive Wayfinding in Healthcare
Wayfinding is a crucial element in healthcare design, impacting patient experience, staff efficiency, and overall hospital operation. Adopting a holistic approach to wayfinding not only supports better patient, visitor, and staff outcomes but also enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire healthcare facility.
Healthcare and the Psychology of Colour
Studies show that a well-designed hospital environment can have a profound impact on a patient’s experience, accelerating recovery and promoting wellbeing. It also delivers economic benefits through cost savings that come from improving patient outcomes and reducing their length of stay, boosting staff productivity, and attracting and retaining talent.
Designing Healing Environments
The demands on today’s healthcare facilities are vast. Healthcare facilities are expected to provide excellent patient care while simultaneously reducing operational costs, lowering their environmental footprint and working to humanise healthcare in a highly medicalised environment.