Jan. 5, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by TSP.

Can the mindful design of a workspace help you be more productive? Can it boost your mood, inspire ideas, foster community and even lead to more restful sleep?

Years of medical, architectural and scientific research say yes.

So does local design firm TSP Inc. In fact, the innovative company is on the forefront of a holistic trend that improves human health and well-being through new standards of architecture and design. By incorporating concepts behind the WELL Building Standard® into its work, the firm hopes to raise the bar on people-friendly design across the region.

“TSP has always been people-focused. We consider the people using the facility and not just the facility itself,” explains senior architect Sean Ervin. “This is why we became interested in the WELL Building Standard, and it is why I have studied to become a WELL Accredited Professional.”

Sean Ervin is a senior architect and has been with TSP for 35 years.

According to the International WELL Building Institute, or IWBI, the WELL Building Standard was developed over 10 years and is backed by scientific research that supports the idea that human health and well-being are impacted by the physical environment. A building filled with natural light, clean air, green materials and soothing sounds boosts the mind, body and spirit.

This is a concept architects like Ervin have intuitively known for decades, but the WELL Building Standard provides measurable criteria through an established third-party rating system.

That criteria includes 10 core features that serve as the foundation of the WELL Building Standard:

• Air
• Water
• Nourishment
• Light
• Movement
• Thermal comfort
• Sound
• Materials
• Mind
• Community

Facilities can become WELL Building Certified at the Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels depending on their ability to meet or exceed criteria for each of the 10 core features.

“The WELL Building Standard is gaining traction on the coasts but has not fully hit the Midwest yet,” Ervin explained. “We are seeing increased demand in sustainability and green practices, so this is the natural next step. When demand for the WELL Building Standard reaches our area, we will be ready.”

Becoming a WELL Accredited Professional requires passing a rigorous test covering information on over 400 pages of material.

“This is just another tool in our toolbox when it comes to providing high-value services to our clients,” Ervin said. “Our philosophy is ‘design it like you own it,’ and the WELL Building Standard concepts are in line with everything we believe about architecture and design.”

Design of attractive and open staircases encourages movement, shown here with TSP’s work at the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Research in the industry shows that wellness-certified buildings have grown ninefold in the past three years across the globe. Established green building certifications like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, are incorporating considerations for human health into their criteria.

The idea that “healthy people in healthy spaces equals a healthy economy” is the new strategy behind the U.S. Green Building Council.

Ervin said he does not yet know of any local WELL-certified buildings. Certification is no easy task because each stamp of approval must meet the ambitious standards set forth by the IWBI and its governance council. Certification requires that each WELL feature meets all four of the following criteria:

• Evidence-based to link the policy, design and build strategies to health and well-being outcomes.
• Verifiable by documentation or performance testing.
• Implementable in other projects across the world.
• Presented to the outside world in order to gain feedback from a diverse community of users, subject experts and other third parties.

“The research showing the impact WELL practices can have on a workspace is significant,” Ervin said. “There is overwhelming evidence that proves people thrive in environments that cater to these standards.”

Flooding spaces with natural light, increasing the connection to nature and encouraging stair use and movement is shown here with TSP’s work at the Dakota State University Beacom Institute of Technology.

Companies with WELL Building Certifications are reporting impressive increases in productivity, lower absenteeism and higher morale from their employees. The WELL Building Standard is an excellent retention and retainment benefit and also helps build a connected community within an organization.

Even incorporating a few of the ideas behind the WELL Building Standard into a space can make a substantial difference.

Some of the concepts TSP promotes in its design and architecture include:

• Ample lighting, especially natural sunlight and daylight.
• Enhanced HVAC.
• Green building materials.
• Reclaimed materials.
• Sound management.
• Increased connections to nature, blurring the line between outdoors and indoors.
• Access to inviting community spaces.
• Comfortable chairs and workstations.
• Implementation of fitness/movement opportunities.

Ervin explains that WELL Building Certifications must be renewed every three years to ensure these buildings are meeting the needs of a changing world. For example, the past two years have seen a flurry of activity in response to the pandemic. Considerations for hygiene, ventilation and the well-being of a building’s occupants have never been so critical.

Internal and external access to inviting community spaces and a connection to nature is shown here with TSP’s work at the Augustana University Froiland Science Complex.

“There is a new level of awareness and responsibility for creating safe, healthy work environments,” Ervin said “It is something we advocate. We have always known buildings have the power to transform people, and now there is research to back that up. It is an exciting time to be an architect.”