Dive into the AT webinar, in collaboration with Geberit, Interface, and Oscar Acoustics, that delves into the evolving design and construction of workplaces, focusing on enhancing health, wellbeing, and carbon efficiency.
Office presents: Balancing User Comfort and Carbon-Conscious Design in the Workplace Environment
Modern workplaces and practices are undergoing rapid transformations as architects and their clients work tirelessly to not only improve the environmental performance but also the comfort and well-being of employees. But what's the dance between delivering carbon-conscious design and prioritizing user health and well-being? How do we strike a balance between competing environmental and social needs? These questions and many more were addressed in this AT webinar, backed by Geberit, Interface, and Oscar Acoustics.
Hosted by AT Editor Isabel Allen, the panel consisted of Julia Barfield, Founding Director of Marks Barfield Architects; Lee Thompson, Specification Sales Manager at Geberit; Becky Gordon, Regional Sustainability Manager at Interface; Nicola Gillen, IMEA Lead for Total Workplace at Cushman Wakefield; and Ben Hancock, Managing Director of Oscar Acoustics.
From left to right: Julia Barfield, Ben Hancock, Nicola Gillen, Lee Thompson, and Becky Gordon.
Becky Gordon shed light on Interface's commitment to sustainability, dating back to 1994 when a customer questioned the company's environmental efforts. In response, the company established 'Mission Zero', a roadmap aimed at eliminating their negative impact on the environment by 2020. Interface strives to improve their environmental impact continuously by developing 'ecometrics' to track progress, finding new ways to streamline the carbon footprint of their products. For instance, in 2021, they replaced a bitumen-based, petro-chemical intensive, hard-to-recycle material with CQuest Bio, a carbon negative, reusable, recyclable material that significantly reduces the carbon impact across their carpet portfolio.
The adoption of carbon negative materials in Interface's CQuestTMBioX backing, combined with speciality yarns and tufting processes, gives birth to a carbon negative carpet tile.
Julia Barfield discussed Marks Barfield Architects' transition from sustainable design to regenerative design, with a particular emphasis on The Lantern, a 17,300-square-metre mixed-use scheme in Camden housing workspace, 17 homes, cafes, restaurants, and shops. The project retained 33% of the primary structure of the existing building on the site by reusing carbon-intensive foundations, basement, and ground floor.
Designed for wellbeing, the building boasts an abundance of natural daylight and fresh air while embracing biophilic design principles, encompassing gardens and planting alongside office space and a 'forest floor' in the atrium that spills into the reception area. Double-height pocket gardens and landscaped roof terraces offer flexible workspace, opportunities for informal work, reflection, and socializing. A feature stair in the atrium encourages occupiers to traverse between floors, fostering chance encounters among different tenants.
Biophilic elements, such as double-height pocket gardens and landscaped roof terraces, provide versatile workspace and opportunities for informal work, reflection, and socializing.
Lee Thompson provided insights into the eco-friendly sanitary products developed by Geberit as part of their mission to deliver added value with minimal energy consumption. Since 2007, eco-design principles have guided the development of their products across every stage, from raw materials to disposal. Every new product they unveil is greener than its predecessor, with continuous improvements in energy efficiency and water consumption. They are always on the hunt for ways to minimize waste and recycle where necessary. One example is the iCon Rimfree WC, made from a lead-free ceramic with a coating that makes cleaning easier, thus reducing the amount of cleaning products discharged into waterways. Innovative flush technology ensures that flush water is directed effectively to clean the pan, reducing the need for cleaning, even with the partial flush.
The Geberit sanitary laboratory in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland.
Ben Hancock delved into the role of acoustics in enhancing or deteriorating the health and well-being of people in the workplace. He explained how the quality of the acoustic environment can significantly impact employee performance, with UK office sectors underperforming in this area, and research indicating that eight out of ten professionals in the finance sector have experienced reduced performance due to excessive noise. Hancock shared how Oscar Acoustics' SonaSpray range of acoustic finishes can absorb noise, promoting serenity even in the noisiest working environments.
An office furnished with SonaSpray K-13 applied directly to the concrete slab in grey (ph: Hufton+Crow).
Finally, Nicola Gillen shared findings from Reworking the Workplace, published by the RIBA and written by Gillen and Richard Pickering along with other Cushman & Wakefield contributors. Key takeaways highlighted the crucial role of the physical environment in terms of health, well-being, community cohesion, and social life. Moreover, the report stressed the urgent need to repurpose and reuse existing building stock, as new energy certification compliance requirements threaten 76% of EMEA's building stock with obsolescence by 2030 if left undeveloped. Gillen closed with a quote from Johann Hari's book Lost Connections: "Social media can't compensate us psychologically for what we've lost - social life."
The AT webinar also touched upon the importance of lifestyle in maintaining health and wellness, with a focus on sustainable living and home and garden practices that minimize carbon footprint.* Julia Barfield highlighted the importance of environmental-science in regenerative design, emphasizing the need to consider climate-change and its impact on various aspects of the built environment.* Becky Gordon discussed the role of culture in embracing sustainability practices, recounting how questions from clients propelled Interface into adopting sustainable-living initiatives and incorporating environmental-science into their operations.* The panel also delved into the finance aspect of sustainable workplaces, with Nicola Gillen underscoring the economic benefits of repurposing and reusing existing building stock, as outlined in the report Reworking the Workplace*.* The webinar also highlighted the connection between science, technology, and environmental-science, as demonstrated by Interface's development of ecometrics and CQuest Bio, a carbon negative, reusable, recyclable material for their carpet tiles.* Lee Thompson spoke about the role of technology in delivering health-and-wellness in the workplace by developing eco-friendly sanitary products, applying eco-design principles at every stage from raw materials to disposal.* Ben Hancock emphasized the role of entertainment in fostering health and well-being in the workplace, showing how acoustic solutions like SonaSpray can create a pleasant and conducive work environment, promoting productivity and social interaction among employees.
