The wellness quotient

How design and innovation can redefine workplace wellness, a study by Ashish Puri, associate director & head fitout design at Colliers International India

Life is not merely being alive but being well,” said Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Almost 2,000 years later, the words still resonate with as much conviction and relevance. We spend almost one third of our time at work, making wellness in the workplace a crucial part of the global health scales. It has been established with various studies and research that workplace wellness is the new success mantra for organisations to attract and retain talent. Beyond that, wellness integrated workplaces are the future towards a sustainable ecosystem.

Timeline of workplace wellness

Let’s begin by understanding the wellness timeline at workplaces, from past to current concepts & how this is leading to the ‘wellness revolution’ in future. Wellness made a low key entry into workplaces in late 1990s with introduction of ping pong tables and micro gyms in the unused corners of the offices. Some organizations offered memberships of nearby health clubs at discounted prices. It was more like an amenity in the workplace, to offer something beyond food and work. Next decade saw the growing popularity of similar spaces. Gyms got bigger and foosball/pool tables sprang up along with ping pong tables. The growth was more organic than anything. As we entered 2010, post the global slowdown, everything around the workplace started to witness a dramatic change. Disappearance of cubicle walls is nothing short of “Fall of the Berlin Wall” in workplace evolution. ‘Wellness at Workplace’ which started as amenity, became the necessity.

Ideas of today and concepts for tomorrow

For workplace planners and designers today, wellness is as critical to the organisations as an engine to the airplane. We shall elaborate on the key aspects of overall wellness and concepts through which these are being addressed by design, technology and innovation.