Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and SUNY Upstate Medical University have launched a new study into how the indoor environments of 100 office buildings around the world impacts its occupants' productivity and health.

The study is supported by WorldGBC Corporate Advisory Board members, United Technologies and JLL.

Jonathan Cartledge, head of public affairs with the Green Building Council of Australia, told SCHWARTZWILLIAMS that research into the health and productivity impacts of the built environment are ongoing, but the benefits have already been well established.

Some of the tools used in buildings to enhance wellbeing include:

• air quality
• temperature
• an emphasis on acoustic comfort
• visual sight lines
• building materials
• end of trip facilities
• walkability
• nourishment
• cross ventilation
• aspect to the sun
• plants  

Cartledge said so-called 'green' features are one of the major trends shaping today's built environment, and the body of evidence supporting their use is only growing.

The business case for taking a "holistic view" of buildings is strong, said Cartledge.

It has been proven that healthy buildings can lower the number of staff sick days and improve staff wellbeing, and they are also a strong recruitment tool, he said.

The GBCA's green star rating tool currently applies to commercial buildings and major residential communities, but at this stage doesn't apply to freestanding homes.

But that hasn't stopped Australians for incorporating 'green' features into the design of their homes. "A lot of the same principles are flowing through [to residential]," said Cartledge.

The new US study will assess employees’ cognitive function by placing an environmental sensor on each worker’s desk and by having staff wear wrist monitors to capture feedback about their sleep and levels of physical activity. 

The new research builds on the COGfx studies, which revealed that cognitive function improves significantly when staff work in green building environments.

The first COGfx study found a doubling of cognitive test scores when participants worked in a setting optimised for indoor environmental quality. A second study found a 26 per cent improvement in cognitive test scores for those working in certified green buildings.

Read about the COGfx research into the impact of green buildings on wellbeing.

This third, three-year study aims to create a better understanding of specific building-level features to deliver improved thinking, productivity, and health for building occupants world-wide.

Bob Best, executive vice president at JLL, said, “The ‘human experience’ is becoming the driving force in how workplaces are designed, built and managed.

"The future of work is here and this research is key to our new strategy.”

Initial findings from the new research is expected in 2018.

Read more about the GBCA:

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GBCA appoints Frasers Property CEO, Rod Fehring as new chair