by Brianna Crandall — May 29, 2015—For facilities managers who are interested in how their buildings may be modified in the future as the design industry attempts to do its part to ensure employee well-being in the workplace, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) recently announced that the Executive Report on its recent 18th Annual Industry Roundtable is now available for download.
The Executive Report on the Industry Roundtable, which recently took place over the course of three days at IIDA headquarters in Chicago, covers the expansive and timely topic of “workplace well-being,” and how that concept affects a design strategy. The report captures in-depth conversations between some of the industry’s top design leaders and leading corporate minds as to how the design industry is adapting to ensure employee well-being and comfort in the workplace.
“The concept of workplace well-being is as timely and relevant today as it was in in the 1700s when Benjamin Franklin coined the phrase ‘Early to bed, early to rise….’,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP. “Today, well-being can be defined as not only physical and mental health, but a more expansive concept with an emotional component: feeling fulfilled, purposeful, and happy — or at least content.
“One of the many conclusions that were drawn from the 18th Annual Industry Roundtable is that cultivating well-being is not a one-time effort, or something that ends once a punch list is complete. It needs to be continually nurtured, monitored, supported, and attended to. There needs to be a strategic plan, as well as a champion and an enforcer for well-being. Not to mention a motivated and invested community. The Industry Roundtable featured not only a group of engaged and invested participants but an absolutely fascinating and sometimes boisterous dialogue on workplace well-being and how it relates to the design industry.”
Approximately 30 members of the design community and other industries attended, including representatives from Bentley Mills; Crossville, Inc.; ESI Ergonomic Solutions; Herman Miller; Humanscale; Kimball Office; Knoll; The Mohawk Group; OFS Brands; Shaw Contract Group; Tarkett; Teknion; and Wilsonart. Design leadership in attendance included the IIDA International Board of Directors and select senior design professionals.
Workplace Well-Being: How to Design for and Evaluate This Critical Element—One that’s Essential to Intelligence, Creativity, Happiness, Innovation, and Productivity is available for free download from the IIDA Web site.
