by Jeana Stewart
The sunshine flows in through oversized windows with views taking in Mount Washington, Back Cove, and the Portland peninsula; the sunsets are spectacular. Light filtering window treatments on a daylight sensor automatically lower to banish glare to prevent eye strain.
Abundant natural light is just one of over 100 features under the 10 concepts of the WELL Building Standard. SMRT Architects and Engineers’ Portland office physical design, along with company-wide policies, achieve over 60 of those to claim WELL Certified Silver and recognition as a workplace promoting human health and well-being.
The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system, grounded in medical research, for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health, through the ten concepts of air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, and mind. Grounded in more than 7,000 peer reviewed studies and citations, The International WELL Building Institute applies the science of physical and social environments to positively impact people’s health, well-being, and performance.
Most people spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Ongoing research is continually identifying ways in which the built environment impacts people, which in turn impacts work performance and a company’s bottom line.
A 2022 peer reviewed study, focusing on office environments utilizing pre- and post-occupancy survey data, revealed several statistically important benefits to occupants of WELL certified buildings, including workplace satisfaction which jumped from 42% to 70%, accompanied by a 10% improvement in perceived mental health, while well-being scores increased 26%, with a 2% increase in perceived physical health; and median productivity scores jumped 10 points.
At SMRT Architects and Engineers, we’re committed to well-being, supporting design for healthier employees, clients, and communities. We embrace the WELL Building Standard, believing meaningful space inspires meaningful work.
The design of our Portland office is inspired by the past life of the century-old building as the former home of the JJ Nissen Baking Company. We celebrated this industrial history by exposing the existing brick walls, steel structure, and wood ceiling deck. We offer a rich variety of settings for employee work, from open workspace with clear sightlines and proximity to teammates, to convenient, adjacent collaborative spaces, tech-enabled meeting rooms of varying sizes, and private rooms for quiet focus.
Furnishings, including lounge seating and adjustable height workstations, offer our staff the ability to change postures throughout the day, promoting flexibility and movement within the office. The space, including gallery walls showcasing completed projects and ample pin-up and dry erase surfaces and screens, fosters collaboration and allows visitors to “see how the bread is made.” Low VOC interior finish materials and furnishings contribute to healthy indoor air quality.
Beyond promoting movement, physical comfort, and on-demand employee privacy, our workspace supports social gathering. Our daylight-filled kitchen has ample space for preparing healthy foods while encouraging people to come together – or feel comfortable sitting alone. The kitchen is tech-enabled, providing access to educational materials promoting healthy eating habits. Our office sits in a vibrant, walkable neighborhood with additional eateries, giving employees the opportunity to take a break. Trails and parks are nearby, and we have bike storage and showers enabling alternative commuting or midday exercise.
In today’s hybrid work environment, proactively addressing WELL principles creates a strong lure for employees to return to the office, supporting mentorship, collaboration, belonging, and investments in physical locations. While SMRT enjoys a hybrid work policy, leaving decisions about how employees best execute their work to them, our WELL certified Portland office is humming each day with high on-site attendance.
As part of our WELL Building certification, SMRT provides tours of our workplace to help educate building owners and tenants about the benefits of WELL design principles. Tours can be arranged through: [email protected].
Jeana Stewart
Jeana Stewart, NCIDQ, LEED AP, WELL AP is associate principal, director of workplace practice at SMRT Architects and Engineers.
