The COVID-19 pandemic has reemphasized the importance of public health within communities. The global health crisis highlighted how the environment and space people occupy can directly affect their health significantly. In the middle of a global climate and health crisis, promoting sustainable spaces is more crucial than ever. Green and sustainable workspaces do not just benefit the environment, they greatly impact the people in them as well.
Why You Should Work in a Green Office
Much research has found a link between a safe and healthy office space and design with the overall well-being of its occupants. From health benefits to productivity boosts and the obvious environmentally friendly impact, here are more reasons why employees should work in a green building:
Health Benefits
Providing plants and real greenery is one of the easiest ways of gradually transforming an office into a green space. Studies as early as the 1960s proved how plants can drastically improve the air quality in a contained area. A study conducted at Washington State University revealed that incorporating plants in office spaces can reduce dust levels by as much as 20%, as the plants remove particulate matter from the indoor environment. Office flora can also help bolster humidity levels to the 30% – 60% range required for human health.
The biophilic design of workspaces inside green buildings incorporates ecological aspects that minimize stress levels, reduce mental fatigue, and elevate mood.
Increased Productivity
Having large windows that allow maximum natural light to come into the space also positively impacts the wellness of employees. Exposure to sunlight was proven to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused, improving morale and productivity.
A study from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign also discussed how improved indoor environmental quality doubled their participants’ cognitive function and boost creativity.
Friend of the Environment
In a press release, UN Environment has highlighted how buildings are a key driver of energy demand globally.
Green buildings are designed and constructed to significantly reduce global emissions, as the buildings sector is responsible for around 39% of all energy-related CO2 emissions and 36% of final energy use.
Sustainable real estate is an effort to reduce the grave impact of buildings which accounts for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of all solid waste generation in developed countries, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
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Premium green buildings, such as JEG Tower @ One Acacia, invest in the well-being of its building occupiers by addressing health and wellbeing in a holistic approach. By following industry-set standards and optimizing building design and operations, it is one of the most ideal locations to work in Cebu City. JEG Tower puts a premium on its tenants’ health while practicing sustainability and energy efficiency.
Named as 2020’s Best Green Commercial Development in the Philippines, this 22-storey tower has achieved its LEED Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council. With 68 points, it is the highest-scoring LEED 2009 project in the province.
Contact KMC via jegtower@kmcmaggroup.com for leasing inquiries and more information today!