New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 35/01C | Page 55

These pages: Mirvac’s general manager of asset management, office and industrial Victoria Tavendale talks about what adds up to a healthy workplace in today’s business environment, using Mirvac’s own head office in Sydney’s high-profile EY Centre as an example of good practice. mentally healthy environment. Every morning, one in six working age people will arrive at work and begin their day while suffering from a diagnosed mental illness. A further one-sixth of the population will be dealing with symptoms associated with mental ill health, such as worry, sleep problems and fatigue, which, while not meet- ing criteria for a diagnosed mental illness, will be affecting their ability to function at work. This is having far reaching implications. Over the past year, one in five (21%) Australians have taken time off work because they’ve felt stressed, anxious, depressed or mentally unhealthy. To put that in perspective, this can amount to three to four sick days taken each month for those living with untreated depression. What can be done? While we are happy to leave analysis of the causes of mental ill health to the medical experts, we do know that the design of our built environment contributes significantly to our mental health. Today’s average office worker spends nearly 90% of their working day indoors, with a large part of that time in an office. This means that developers and manag- ers of office space have a critical role to play in the provision of buildings and workplaces that enhance the productivity, happiness, human experience, health and the wellbeing of employees. Over recent years, there have been significant steps taken to design and manage buildings in a way that actively promotes the mental and physical health of their occupants. As well as our social care and responsibility to create sustainable, connected communities, we believe the productivity and engagement levels of a workforce are intrinsically linked and reliant upon the health of the employees. Mirvac’s headquarters within the EY Centre at 200 George Street, Sydney, is an example of an office where a whole range of successful wellness search | save | share at