Green Star is not a physical activity star
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on research investigating the relationship between physical activity and workplace design. In particular, the paper explores the social–ecological context of a new workplace building. This paper seeks to understand why better physical activity outcomes for the staff were not observed in the new building despite influence from a staff wellness committee during design; achieving success against existing best-practice indicators; and staff reporting increased feelings of wellness, energy and satisfaction with the new building.
Design/methodology/approach
Three design aspects are taken as a focus from within an opportunistic pre-/post-physical activity study of an organisation as they move from a building they occupied for 30 years into a new purpose-designed building. This study was conducted through mixed methods, incorporating ethnographic, architectural and quantitative means.
Findings
The social, spatial and personal context is important for understanding participant workplace-based physical activity. Despite the health and well-being goals and 5 Star Green Star outcomes of the new building, participants were sedentary for a substantive part of their workday in both buildings.
Practical implications
A well-designed environment can support staff feeling healthier, but the 5 Star Green Star rating does not implicitly ensure a healthier, activity-promoting environment. Facilities managers and designers can act to provide physically active paths as the most straightforward circulation option in workplaces.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the opportunity to conduct a pre-/post-study of physical activity where the organisation, workforce and type of work are constant and where the variable is the building design, spatial configuration and location. The methods used in this study draw from both health promotion and architectural research practices.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by Healthway and HBF. The funders had no involvement in any aspect of the study or reporting of findings. This study was supported by the Department of Sport and Recreation, WA. The authors thank those who participated in this study. We acknowledge the contribution of the research assistants: Krysten Blackford, Rachel Pages-Oliver, Lauren Reid-Dornbusch and Leanne Tollis. Figure 1 shows the building plans, courtesy of the participating organisation. Figure 3 is drawn by Rachel Pages-Oliver. Figure 5 is a photograph taken by Leanne Tollis and Robyn Creagh.
Citation
Creagh, R., McGann, S., Tye, M., Jancey, J. and Babb, C. (2017), "Green Star is not a physical activity star", Facilities, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp. 81-98. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-12-2015-0092
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited