Study on Health and Well-being

The working world is experiencing tremendous change. A work environment that is equally appealing, flexible, and functional contributes to employee well-being. Design Offices, in collaboration with Drees & Sommer, conducted a scientifically-based study to investigate how employees perform better and prefer to work together in such an environment.

Background

Health and well-being are becoming increasingly important in the new work landscape. Companies are realizing that their employees' well-being significantly impacts their success. Due to the pandemic, companies are facing the challenge of transitioning employees from remote work back to physical offices – after all, today's office must offer more than just a desk. In line with the motto "Feel good, work better," Design Offices aims to provide people with a place where they can collaborate more effectively and comfortably. At over 45 locations throughout Germany, companies and teams of all sizes use flexible workspaces at Design Offices, including individual offices, short-term bookable meeting and conference rooms, and inspiring coworking spaces. To better understand guest needs and further develop the concept of larger spaces, Design Offices commissioned a study in partnership with Drees & Sommer, experts in Health and Well-being.

Methodology

Based on the premise that the quality of spaces influences both attitude and behavior towards creativity, flexibility, openness, and change, 100 guests from Design Offices locations in Munich Macherei and Leipzig Post were surveyed using various methods.

1. A foundational analysis was conducted to gather information on functional processes, spatial proportions, and an emphasis on well-being.
2. A concept consisting of shadowing and an empirical survey (quantitative and qualitative) was developed to determine dependencies of qualities on the space.
3. The empirical online survey provided insights into the respondents' creativity, flexibility, openness, and adaptability levels.
4. A network analysis, created from the data, visualized movements and dwell times within the building.
5. Existing studies and results regarding the performance levels of conventional offices were combined.
6. The so-called Well-being Score was determined, consisting of 16 scientifically-based parameters, aiming to set benchmarks and categorize properties concerning health and well-being.

Results

Outlook

The study positively validated the hypothesis that the qualities of spaces influence the creativity, flexibility, openness, and change behavior of people in those spaces. The results demonstrate that the working environment at Design Offices positively affects the examined characteristics. One value stands out for Design Offices: 57% of respondents reported consistently delivering their full potential in Design Offices spaces. "This value represents a strong Office Power Index for us," says a delighted Dr. Joachim Gripp, CEO of Design Offices. "The traditional office has outlived its usefulness and must redefine itself as a workplace."