Engineering consulting firm Arup has become the first company in Ireland to receive the WELL Certification by the International WELL Building Institute.
The certification is given to companies that have exceptional design and healthy work environments. Arup is only the 9th office to be award the prestigious honour in Europe.
And it’s not hard to see why.
Arup’s Cork office has become the first WELL Certified project in Ireland. WELL is the world’s first building standard that focuses on the health and wellness of people in buildings. #WELLBuildingStandard #WeAreWELL https://t.co/f2cVtaTQ3G pic.twitter.com/OjxVqQ2UKf
— Arup Ireland (@ArupIreland) February 13, 2018
The state of the art office in Cork City is unlike any boring office block you may be familiar with. It’s bright, airy and full of colour.
The 170 strong staff are encouraged to move around during the day, changing their posture and workspace multiples times.
The Albert Quay office was designed around the seven categories of building performance; air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.
Moving from Oliver Plunkett Street to One Albert Quay was an exciting milestone for Arup in Cork. https://t.co/RPupPS2jvn pic.twitter.com/iaYM8bENNt
— Arup Ireland (@ArupIreland) April 19, 2017
Not only is each ceiling vent simulated to eliminate any uncomfortable downward drafts, Arup also has a sensor kit in the office that records and maintains air quality. So you can say goodbye to stuffy afternoons spent falling asleep on your laptop.
The office also has a specialised acoustic design, which means that noise distractions are reduced and privacy levels are increased.
If employees want to take a load off and relax they can kick back in one of the many focus rooms or huddle spaces.
You might be thinking, what’s the point in all this? Well, according to the company there has been a 25% improvement in performance since they made the changes. That’s definitely not something to be sniffed at.
Speaking about the new design, Office Manager Liam Luddy states that.
”Achieving WELL Gold Certification for our own office puts us in a unique position to advise our clients who are interested in doing the same. We are delighted to be the first office in Ireland to achieve this innovative certification. With our busier lifestyles, it is important that we place an increased focus on health and wellness at work. By specifically focusing on including well-being features into the design of workplaces, we can create spaces where people are happier, healthier and more productive.”
All images courtesy of @ArupIreland
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