Originally published on March 13, 2024, by Jennifer Lefurgy, Ph.D., for NAIOP.
Warehouses used to be spartan, utilitarian production and storage spaces. The emphasis was on throughput and convenience. However, some companies are incorporating human-centric features focused on wellness to capture market differentiation, increase employee retention and impact productivity. Authors of the recent NAIOP Research Foundation report, Designing for Wellness in Distribution Centers, spoke to I.CON West attendees about their design ideas, and an end user who has incorporated wellness standards in their facilities.
Why Design for Wellness?
Nate Maniktala, principal at BranchPattern, Inc. stated that workforce retention is a top priority for warehouse tenants. If developers can leverage design to support that goal, there’s an opportunity. Between 2020 and 2023, there was a 50% increase in the number of people who work in a warehouse in the United States. Warehouses can be dangerous places and thoughtful design can help mitigate these impacts.
“Typically, we think of wellness as individual wellbeing, physical health, mental health… but it also incorporates spiritual health and how individuals within an environment interact with one another,” said Maniktala. Other concerns are air quality, acoustical and visual properties, and thermal comfort.