Alongside her role as architect and interior designer at Ditt Officemakers, Gabriela Lima is also a wellbeing expert. However different these roles may seem, they are closely aligned in ambition: across all her work, Gabriela applies her expertise to create a positive impact on both the workplace environment and the people within it.
“Wellbeing in the workplace is often reduced to healthy eating and staying active. Of course, those aspects matter; but wellbeing goes far beyond that,” Gabriela explains. “It encompasses the entire workplace experience: ventilation, temperature, ergonomics, access to daylight — as well as the variety and quality of spaces available within the office.”
The office of the future
A wellbeing-focused workplace, for example, includes acoustically insulated rooms where people can concentrate effectively, alongside relaxation areas and more energising spaces featuring stimulating colours or ambient background music. “It is crucial to cater to all of these needs. The office of the future is far more focused on flexibility and individual autonomy than on a single, shared concept for everyone.”
“In a space where you spend such a significant part of your time, you want a degree of control over elements such as lighting and temperature. Wellbeing is also about having agency over your own working environment.”
Agency over your own working environment
Autonomy is also a key factor. “In a space where you spend such a significant part of your time, you want a degree of control over elements such as lighting and temperature. Wellbeing is also about having agency over your own working environment.”
This personalised approach does not mean there are no common foundations:
“Give all employees the opportunity to exercise, in a way that suits them best. Provide healthy food options and share valuable knowledge. For example, organise an event with a skilled chef who can teach employees how to prepare enjoyable, nutritious recipes.”
A catalyst for a healthier lifestyle
If you succeed in creating a healthy working environment, you offer your people far more than just a better office.
“Wellbeing in the workplace can act as a catalyst for a healthier, more fulfilling personal lifestyle. This in turn leads to reduced stress and greater happiness, as well as increased job satisfaction and higher productivity.”
Gabriela experiences this ambition to create such an environment every day at Ditt Officemakers itself. “That does not mean we get everything right one hundred per cent, but it does mean we have a clear mission that we put into practice whenever possible. We continuously explore and refine it, and we aim to let our clients and their people benefit from it as much as we can.”
“Wellbeing in the workplace can act as a catalyst for a healthier and more fulfilling personal lifestyle.”
Wellbeing Facts
- Improved productivity: Good indoor air quality can increase productivity by up to 4%.
- Increased life expectancy: A healthy lifestyle can extend life expectancy by up to 12 years for men and 14 years for women.
- Greater satisfaction and improved health: In healthy buildings, 95% of occupants report higher levels of satisfaction, while 72% experience an improvement in their health.
- Improved concentration: Daily physical activity stimulates melatonin production, supporting better sleep and enhanced focus.
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