Feature
Green Buildings
The financial impact of improved staff health is also now being monitored in real conditions,
as has been shown in such recent Australian case studies as:
Trevor Pearcey House, Australian Ethical Investments in Canberra: 6-Star Green Star
certification with annual energy savings of about $20 000; and a 6.2% improvement in
perceived productivity equivalent to $300 000 in salary costs.
500 Collins Street, Bovis Lend Lease in Melbourne: 5-Star Green Star certification with a
reported fall in sick leave of 39%; and 10-20% reductions in headaches, colds and flu, fatigue
and concentration difficulty.
In South Africa, health is rapidly becoming a priority for industry leaders. The new Google
Head Office in Bryanston, Johannesburg recently won the International Green Interior Award
2015, and is targeting a 5-Star Green Star SA Interiors v1 and a LEED Gold for Commercial
Interiors v2009.
In line with the organisation’s drive to create a healthy and productive work environment,
all materials on the project were required to conform to the company’s Healthy Materials
Program – which takes into consideration public references such as the Living Building
Challenge Red List, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chemicals of Concern List, and
established VOC (volatile organic compound) limits. Through a rigorous process of assigning
scores based on material health and transparency, this initiative allows design professionals
to make informed choices about which products to specify.
Better Places and the WELL Standard
Recent initiatives such as the WELL Standard and the World Green Building Council’s Better
Places for People programme are beginning to play a more important role in the design of
buildings for developers who wish to benefit from higher staff productivity, lower operational
costs and improved ROI.
Reinink explains, “The WELL Standard is the world’s first building standard that focusses
solely on human health and wellness. The standard was developed over seven years in
collaboration with scientists, doctors and architects. It addresses seven categories relevant to
health in buildings, namely Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind. It is a
performance based certification system, meaning that the building has to be in operation for
at least a year to be able to justify the initiatives.”
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