Do you think of your building as fixed overhead that consumes resources from your core business, or would you consider it a profit center? A properly designed building can increase worker productivity while driving cultural change within an organization and community.
A company with a “work hard, play hard” culture will thrive when employees can throw boomerangs in a courtyard during their breaks. Another company might have an open-door policy on paper but be stuck with an office layout that hinders rather than supports that policy.
Any given building can be a source of revenue generation for the owner and users, or it can leave workers uninspired and make a company less profitable.
Building on success
When buildings are an expression of the core values of a business, those values are communicated consistently to employees and customers, reinforcing why that company exists.
For instance, a company with a family-oriented culture and environment can provide a specially designed room for family activities, as well as lactation and child care. Workers immersed in the culture of a company become passionate about their contribution to its overall success. When there is alignment between the core values of a company and its employees, attracting staff as well as customers requires less effort.
“Location, location, location” remains a mantra to keep in mind. Developing thriving communities that capitalize on the uniqueness of a particular location is essential to create long-term value for building owners, as well as a sustainable business and living environment. Locating businesses in healthy communities will attract workers and customers.
For any given project, it is possible to quantify the return on investment for developing a high-performance building and community. A building designed with consideration for its context, users and environment is not simply an object on a piece of land. It is an integral part of a natural system — fresh air, sunlight and greenery — with which people interact.
Going green
High-performance, or green buildings, can be the catalyst for increased worker productivity. Daylighting and indoor air quality have been proven to increase staff productivity and employee retention.
In retail environments, daylighting drives retail sales. Lawmakers have recognized that we must become more competitive with regard to the use of energy. Many states currently are considering legislation that will reward companies for developing buildings that conserve energy and generate electricity at the same time.
There are tax credits available in most states that will begin to offset the first cost for energy-producing assets. In North Carolina, organizations exist that provide incentives for production of green power. Net metering soon will be a reality nationwide.
We are becoming a nation of obsolete buildings. In a competitive global business environment, we must develop high-performance buildings and communities to compete internationally.
The highest order of sustainability is regenerative buildings, which collect and reprocess water, sewage, waste, and energy. If we begin to consider our buildings as regenerative and environmentally sensitive architecture, then we will succeed in making them profit centers.
Robbie Ferris is president and CEO of SFL + a Architects and Firstfloor K-12 Solutions LLC, Raleigh.
To learn more
SFL + a Architects, with offices in Raleigh, Charlotte and Fayetteville, offers architectural planning, design, construction, land planning and interior design services to clients. The company was founded in 1982 and has focused on sustainable projects for several decades. For more information, visit www.sfla.biz.
Firstfloor K-12 Solutions LLC, Raleigh, is a development company that partners with public entities to develop high-performance buildings. For more information, visit www.firstfloor.biz.