People, Light and Nature at the Hearth of a Sustainable Business.

• July 22, 2024
• 114
• Laura, Serena, Simona, Giordana
• Becoming

As in the past years, in this 2024 Business Diamonds and The Slow Corner decided to participate in the Sustainable Development Festival sponsored by Asvis.

(For more information on Asvis click here, for more information on the Sustainable Development Festival and to access the replay of official events click here)

On May 16, together with my colleagues, architects Serena Bartalucci, Simona Ventura, and Giordana Arcesilai, we spent two hours with our online audience to inform and engage in discussion.

In this article you will find a concise summary of the content covered during the event.

(For more information about the event and speakers click here)

The theme chosen for this latest edition covered the various possibilities for integrating sustainability in the company, focusing on the people who work there and taking into consideration their activities, productivity and well-being. The link between these elements and sustainability in the broader sense still remains unknown to many, and that is why we have decided to summarize the broad outlines in a two-hour, free, online seminar with advance registration.

Why this event

Sustainability is based on the so-called Triple Bottom Line, or the Person, Planet, Profit triad, which was also named during the event in the form of the English acronym ESG (Environment, Social, Government).

With Simona and Giordana we recently participated in an event organized in Bologna by Impronta Etica (For more information about Impronta Etica click here). During one of the panel discussions the term “three-legged stool” was used to define this triad in order to explain in a simple and straightforward way how each of its three pillars is vital for the stool to stand, and thus to be able to ensure a sustainable future for us.

When we talk about sustainability we instinctively tend to bring our attention to aspects related to ecology (the planet). Indeed, the ecological aspect is crucial, and recent data regarding the effects of induced and unstoppable climate warming provide confirmation of its importance.

On the other hand, it is also essential to consider the social aspect (the person) and the economic aspect (profit management).

Recent updates in European legislation on Corporate Social Responsibility and non-financial reporting are forcing most companies to pay increasing attention to both positive and negative impacts of their activities, and to consider all 3 axes of people, planet and profit.

For example, starting with the latter, profit, the way we manage our economic resources as well as those of our businesses has an influence on the level of sustainability of our society. In this regard, we have a whole range of possible actions available to us : remunerating suppliers and employees fairly, preferring the local and circular economy, choosing banks committed to sustainability, investing our money in SRI-certified funds or with financial institutions committed to sustainability.

On the social level there are numerous aspects to consider :

(a) Education and awareness of the general public.

Being in possession of adequate knowledge instruments to understand the major issues of sustainability is important. It can start even from basic actions, such as carrying out waste sorting: if it has been clearly explained to me how to do it and the importance of my action of sorting waste has been emphasized, it is possible to raise the bar higher and get to talk about my responsibility as a citizen in putting in place this small daily gesture, and thus about my contribution to everyone’s well-being, both mine and that of others.

When we face a change in habit and behavior we face 5 basic steps (for more information on how to face a change click here ) :

• First of all, we must become aware of the problem to be addressed ;
• then we need to be able to learn about the situation and the options for change that are available to us ;
• we must therefore make choices and set achievable and measurable goals ;
• Finally, we need to determine what actions to put in place in order to achieve these goals ;
• once the chosen actions have been implemented, we will find ourselves assessing the results of the change we have implemented. Is it working? Did I achieve a positive result? If yes, for whom?

It becomes essential, therefore, to be able to provide people with the tools to understand reality, to act correctly but also to defend themselves and assert their rights.

b) Social rights.

Speaking of rights, we cannot fail to mention the right to decent and fairly paid work, but also gender equality and equal rights among people, regardless of their culture, nationality or beliefs.

c) Health.

All these aspects are extremely important, but in everyone’s eyes they become secondary without health. Access to adequate, quality care, either free or at a cost commensurate with one’s income, should be a universal right.

In recent decades, the management of people’s health has shifted from cure to prevention and cure. The prevention aspect is gaining more and more importance among the two, leading us to pay attention to new aspects of our daily lives : the quality of the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink. But that’s not all. Posture, exposure to screens, exposure to sound, exposure to light, management of human relationships, respect for our psyche. Just to name a few.

Most workers are on full-time contracts, which means that these people spend about 35 to 40 hours per week (or more than 40 in the case of overtime) at the workplace.

The way we live our experience in the company and the way we contribute to society through work are influenced by and at the same time influence the three pillars of sustainability : the planet, the person and profit.

It is only recently that statistics have begun to “ break out the numbers” regarding the relationship of efficiency that links well-being at the workplace not only to corporate productivity but also to the reduction of impacts on stakeholders both inside and outside the company.

Companies are able to actively contribute to the achievement of the 17 goals through actions that start from inside the company but have a butterfly effect on the surrounding environment and beyond.

Companies, made by people and for people, are capable of becoming laboratories of collective intelligence and engines of improvement. But for this to happen, it is necessary for the people working within them to be enabled to act in balance among the three pillars.

Therefore, company well-being is measured not only in terms of the appropriateness of the physical space but also in terms of healthy relationships, considering all the potentials and needs of the human brain, which requires an appropriately structured and personalized context in order to be efficient and productive.

Human relations, architecture, air, water, vegetation, light : these are some of the basic elements to be considered to build a healthy working environment. In addition to these are many others, derivative but not secondary.

Building a pleasant work environment does not necessarily require huge costs; rather, it is a matter of working on best practices, focusing on the essentials, and remaining open to suggestions and possibilities for improvement.

It is necessary for companies to move from observation to action, by becoming aware of their ability to have an impact, proposing intentions directed toward the generation of positive results as well as minimizing or nullifying the negative consequences of their activities.

It is with this mindset that we have gathered, to propose a roadmap for businesses in order to begin a journey of improvement and to put the human being back at the center of work, as an actor and author of change bringing positive and lasting impact.

Arch. Serena Bartalucci: sustainability in business through WELL certification

Throughout our lives, whether at work or in our private lives, we spend 90 % of our time inside buildings. More specifically, considering that we work an average of 8 hours a day, we spend a third of our lives in the workplace, very often enclosed in offices.

Numerous studies have shown that the environment in which we work affects us in terms of our health, both physical and mental, as well as our productivity.

Low-quality buildings can make us sick (see for example the so-called “Sick Building Syndrome”) and thus can reduce our performance; in contrast, healthy, comfortable and stimulating environments can reduce absenteeism and improve performance by up to 2%.

Something can and in many cases must be done. This is why Serena became involved in WELL certification, a movement that applies environmental science for the benefit of people’s health, well-being and performance.
(For more information on WELL certification click here )

The WELL protocol is concerned with defining and measuring the well-being of people occupying buildings, especially company buildings.The WELL Building Standard certification represents a roadmap for creating spaces in which human health and well-being are enhanced.

By pursuing certification, companies can monitor parameters that influence workers’ health and performance and improve them with a positive payoff for all stakeholders involved. This can also help companies certify and demonstrate their commitment through environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting.

According to the WELL protocol, the aspects that influence our relationship with the context can be identified in the following:

• Air

• Water

• Nourishment

• Light

• Movement

• Thermal Comfort

• Sound

• Materials

• Mind

• Community

Analyzing in detail a selection of these main parameters we can observe that:

• Air

We take about 25,000 breaths a day. Consequently, it is easy to realize that up to 75% of exposure to toxins occurs through the air we inhale. High concentrations of pollutants in the air, such as PM, VOCs, and NO2 can cause problems of various severities, from mild such as nose and throat irritation, fatigue, and headaches, to more serious such as diabetes, circulation problems, and cancer.

It has been proven that even simple exposure to excessively high levels of CO2 reduces a worker’s mental performance.

Important in reducing problems due to air pollution is the monitoring of pollutants (there are a number of commonly used instruments on the market for this purpose), ventilation (as natural as possible), and mechanical air purification.

• Water

Water is an important matter for a building, both with regard to its consumption as well as the structural problems that can result from improper handling of water and humidity: the latter can cause mold growth or bacterial accumulation.

It should be noted that our body is composed of 60% water and water, if free of pollutants, is essential for our existence. Ingestion of pollutants such as heavy metals but also Pfas or drug residues can cause various diseases such as infections, reproductive diseases or cancer.

To reduce the risks from improper water treatment, it is necessary to:

• Provide adequate toilet facilities;

• Carry out a proper monitoring and management of the humidity in the building;

• Provide sufficient filtered/purified water to the building inhabitants.

• Thermal comfort

Thermal comfort affects the energy consumption of buildings, which among other things accounts for 40% of a building’s ongoing expenses. Thermal comfort also contributes to human satisfaction by influencing levels of motivation, attention, concentration and mood.

The parameters that influence thermal comfort are: temperature, humidity and air speed. Problems that can result from improper balancing of parameters include mold growth (resulting in health damage), respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and deterioration of mental well-being.

In order to maintain adequate levels of thermal comfort it is important to monitor air temperature and humidity, as well as to provide the possibility to adjust the temperature differently according to the areas of the building and the workers concerned.

• Materials

A large part of the pollutants inside buildings come from the materials contained inside them, whether they are working or building materials. Some of these materials contain substances harmful to health, such as lead, mercury, asbestos, PFAS, and PVC, which can cause endocrine disruption, inflammation, and consequently can induce infertility, developmental and neurological problems, diabetes, and cancer.

Important to limit the associated risk is to always choose sustainable and certified materials.

• Mind

Thirty percent of adults experience a mental health condition during their lifetime: 2/3 of these are workers, which means that their work productivity is impacted by their mental health status. It is estimated that this results globally in an economic loss to businesses of about 1 trillion dollars per year .

Important to limit the risks of developing adverse mental conditions is to integrate nature into the workplace, both as a visual and as a living element.

Arch. Giordana Arcesilai – The role and importance of lighting in the workplace

Recent studies in the field of lighting technology show us that proper lighting helps to improve staff productivity and well-being, creating a healthy and stimulating work environment.

Starting from the natural ecosystem itself, we can already understand how light is able through its different wavelengths to influence the animal world by producing an effect not only on the natural elements but also, for example, on human sleep.

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has increased our awareness of this issue by narrowing the boundary between indoor and outdoor environments and has made us realize that we are not meant to be exposed to static light for too long.

The observation of the stimulating effects of natural light as well as, for example, the application of lighting effects in theatrical settings can become a source of inspiration in the design of next-generation work spaces.

Just to name an example Naomi Miller, an American lighting designer, since many years states that “There is a human need for bright light during the day, and a much lower level of light during the evening and night; we may need a whiter light (or one with higher content of blue wavelengths) during the day, and light at night that has far less blue and more red wavelengths. The human body has evolved to respond biologically and psychologically to variation in intensity, spectrum, pattern, and direction. Lighting for people is not static!“

Such concepts are derived from the Kruithof diagram (for more information click here), which teaches us that there is an important balance to be respected that links illuminance and temperature/color, both of which are essential for the right atmosphere at different times of day in indoor environments.

Light must be designed: it is not an accessory but rather an essential part of the project from its initial design steps. Properly lighting a work environment is also a duty to the staff working inside it.

At present, one of the goals of lighting design is to bring daylight variations back into people’s daily lives with biologically active artificial lighting, also known as HCL (Human Centric Lighting, for more information click here)

There are many studies on the influence of light on humans, with effects, for example, on the production of hormones (cortisol and melatonin) and thus on their circadian rhythm.

There are many positive effects of proper lighting: good visibility, visual comfort, safety, orientation. In terms of positive biological effects, we can mention alertness, concentration, cognitive performance, and regular sleep-wake cycles.

Light can also have positive effects on a person from an emotional point of view, such as improving mood, excitement, relaxation, or impulse control.

UNI standards are also increasingly aimed at personal well-being; at the same time we can see a continuous evolution of technologies that give us the ability to simulate daylight by creating illusions by creating regenerative indoor spaces.

It is important to note that the development of the office environment is continuous: we have spaces of relationships and multitasking about which lighting design must account by overcoming the rigid office layout that was used in the past.

Yet most workplaces are poorly illuminated: light often comes last in the order of priorities so that staff become accustomed to unhealthy environments.

Therefore, it is necessary for entrepreneurs to become aware of how to enhance their workspaces: regardless of the industry, people are a company’s most important and valuable resource. Not only that, as Serena pointed out, staff also represent a major operational cost, and it is necessary to continuously invest in them to improve their productivity, work assiduity, and loyalty, all of which can make a difference for the company.

Arch. Simona Ventura: The importance of vegetation inside and outside the company.

Even in the area of the green, our considerations begin with an observation: countless researches developed in recent years in the scientific field have largely demonstrated how vital it is for human beings and their well-being to have constant contact with nature.

Edward Wilson, an American biologist and promoter of the concept of Biophilia (love of life) back in the 1980s, stated that human beings are biologically predisposed to seek contact with natural forms and that it is not possible to live a healthy and complete life away from nature.

Yet it is a fact that people tend to spend less and less time in nature. In this regard, it is estimated that the time spent on these activities has decreased over the past 30 years by about 35 %, all to the expense of both physical and psychological health.

Research has also shown that spending time in nature brings countless benefits: reducing stress, improving memory, increasing self-esteem, helping brain activity, etc.

An approach in line with biophilia in work environments is definitely the winning key to bringing these benefits to the quality of life of workers and the environment itself.

• Benefits for the work environment

The presence of plants in indoor environments when chosen in the best performing varieties (such as based on their ability to absorb toxic volatiles) and in the appropriate quantities contributes significantly to the improvement of air quality.

The indoor greenery by means of foliage plants also helps to increase indoor relative humidity, making the air healthier and more comfortable. Relative humidity inside indoor environments, is often below the range, between 30 percent and 60 percent, considered the optimum for human comfort, especially in the case of heated buildings. Research has shown that due to the presence of plants in the right amount, relative humidity increases from 25% to 30%.

• The benefits for people at the workplace

In addition to what has been mentioned so far, workers’ productivity has been shown to increase significantly under the presence of plants. Several experiments regarding human concentration, mental ability and manual processing have shown that workers’ reaction times are significantly increased in environments integrating green elements; furthermore, there is a decrease in mental fatigue resulting in increased productivity.

Conclusion

It is therefore evident how proper coexistence of the three elements Person, Light and Nature within companies can have a positive influence not only on the human being but also on the natural environment and the company’s economy.

On this occasion, we would like to thank once again the whole team of the Sustainable Development Festival that every year manages to put up this fantastic initiative and introduce so many citizens to sustainability issues.

I would also like to thank the speakers, the wonderful Serena, Giordana and Simona, who proved to be three wonderful contributors and allowed us to cover so many interesting topics.

The event has come to an end, but I recommend : don’t hesitate to share its contents and continue the discussion with the people around you!

For further questions and information you can write to: info@theslowcorner.com