What is building health all about?
In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency released a report entitled “Healthy Buildings, Healthy People – A Vision for the 21st Century”. In the report, national objectives were listed on what could be done to improve the health of Americans by simply improving building health.
The EPA claims that “by choosing designs, ventilation systems, materials, and products wisely, we are able to create healthy buildings while substantially reducing energy use, cutting material costs, and raising productivity.” Healthy buildings are ones that contribute to people’s physical, psychological, and social health in various ways. Let’s take a look at what that looks like.
Factors that create a healthy building
Although building age can certainly be a factor, building health has less to do with that and more to do with its features, equipment, and location. Here are some things to consider:
- Ventilation and Air Quality: Clean air, temperature control, and proper humidity levels all work together to create a comfortable environment. In addition, they can reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria.
- Natural Lighting: Research has shown that natural light can boost mood and wellbeing. It’s also a factor in creating a productive work space. That makes this element a great option for improving employees’ psychological health while helping the business at the same time.
- Water Quality: Employees often spend a good portion of their day at work, which means they will likely eat and drink there as well. Ensuring adequate access to safe, quality water can contribute to their overall health.
- Location: When a commercial building is close to local gyms or a walking/jogging path, employees are easily able to exercise before or after work. Some buildings even have on-site fitness centers, making it even easier to fit in a workout during the day.
Building health is good for the business, too
Even though the focus is primarily on employee health, factors that affect building health can be beneficial for the business as well. For example, newer air ventilation systems that are effective in bringing in quality air can offer money savings in terms of efficiency. In addition, when employees are sick fewer days out of the year, productivity increases, which ultimately affects the bottom line.
At TXRE Properties, we have a variety of premium commercial properties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Many of them have newly renovated HVAC systems, are filled with natural light, and have on-site jogging paths or fitness centers … the perfect solutions for improving employee health!
If you’re ready to find the best office space for both your business and its employees, we are happy to help. Simply contact us today and our expert commercial real estate brokers can arrange a tour of any of our properties.
