The NASA Space Shuttle, impressive in size, was fabricated to the size of its booster rockets. These rockets in turn were determined in size by train track widths which transported it, and those tracks were measured based on the breadth of ancient Roman roads. Those roads accommodated the width of chariots, whose size was based on the comfort level of its human passengers. In today’s post-pandemic world, we could probably say the same process is affecting the future of office space design. Specifically, how some well-thought details are now determining how humans will envision, plan and build the workplaces of tomorrow.
The social oasis: How water brings us together
Let’s focus on two human essentials: hydration and social interaction. Drinking water daily is crucial for human survival in a physiological aspect. But proper hydration is essential for mental health as well, as sleep quality, cognitive abilities and mood is also affected. Equally important for humans is the need for social interaction and engagement. A sense of belonging and support is vital for good mental health, and we often take it for granted that casual, random conversations with people contribute greatly to building beliefs and values, as well as stimulation for the mind to grow healthier.
It may not be obvious, but these factors are documented to be real, practical considerations by companies when providing better work environments for productivity. In this new, post pandemic workplace, human-centred design is a priority. The demand for mental health services have never been greater, a fact business cannot ignore. And for these needs, like the Roman roads of old, it may come down to the details.
Fit-outs for healthy mindsets
In the United Kingdom, BRITA water researchers created a blueprint for planning the workplaces of the future called H20 Home to Office, identifying six basic elements to contribute to a healthy work environment. The six elements identified are: the presence of nature, comfort and ventilation, proper rest spaces, adequate room for movement for fitness, a space for social gatherings, and space for hydration.
On the final two, it was found that designing hydration stations with proper filtered water from well-designed dispensers have become a chance combination that designers cannot ignore. It is in the water-cooler conversations, which were once considered by many employers as a counter-productive activity, that has now become a new daily social trigger that psychologists find essential in helping people break from unhealthy routines and screen oversaturation. Workspace design elements of layout, light, sound and ventilation all play a role in planning an environment for productivity and engagement. Yet physical installations of structural components as well as plumbing, electrical and data/IT requirements often take precedence over the human interaction needs. Hydration station planning thus became a rare combination where both are addressed.
Engagement with design
It is well-known fact that the German company BRITA has an ethos of combining efficiency with human centred design in their commercial grade water dispenser solutions. This can be seen with BRITA’s Extra C-Tap water dispenser that has the HygienePlus solution with ThermalGate™.
The Extra C-Tap’s sleek and functional appearance lets an installation of a water station become tactical for business productivity planning rather than be dictated by physical limitations. Adding an Easy Access panel lets the tap controls be accessible to all in a non-obtrusive and user-friendly manner. The BRITA Top Pro dispensers also present an easy and effective way of providing access to mains-fed filtered water at different points throughout the office, and yet again not triggering logistics of adding complex planning and sacrificing hygienic standards and pleasant appearance.
Vision for tomorrow
How the world perceives the value of mental health and social interaction is evident with the increasing shift to human-centred design. Today, new structures are rising based on the details dictated by needs of health and well-being, challenging previous ways of thinking. And with future office spaces, we are on the cusp of seeing how much a well-designed water cooler can influence what lies ahead.
