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Circulation around atrium
Fifth Floor Offices
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Putting Green to Work

Putting Green to Work

Integration of Greenery into the Workplace to Maximize Wellness and Productivity

Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Project

Faculty
Philip Ra, AIA
Mini Chu
Awards
B.Arch Thesis Commendation

Architecture must challenge the health and wellness issues that are common among employees who are working in poorly designed office spaces. This begins with reinventing the concept of a downtown workplace by designing it around the employee's well-being. Implementing sustainable strategies, as well as integrating large green spaces in the building, will maximize wellness and productivity.

Stress caused by working in a poorly designed office space in combination with unhealthy corporate culture has damaging effects both economically and medically. Studies have shown that working in an office that incorporates greenery, social spaces, and sustainable design can boost productivity and wellness. Software corporations such as Google, Apple, and Facebook have recognized that, and as a result, they have developed their workplaces into large campuses. These campuses house an array of alluring amenities such as fitness centers, social areas, cafeterias, green spaces, and leisure spaces. However, this corporate campus model comes with a significant drawback; it requires a lot of space. This type of campus is not possible in a downtown setting, where most office buildings and workers are located.

The aim of this thesis project is to create a repeatable model, inspired by the software campus type, and adapt it to a densely populated downtown setting. That includes providing programs such as green spaces, a wide range of amenities, and a healthy workspace on a limited urban site footprint. These programs are distributed evenly throughout the height of the building. Providing green spaces and amenity spaces on different floors will enable all workers to have quick access to these spaces.

Wellness and sustainable design go hand in hand. Therefore, focusing on providing as much natural ventilation and daylight as possible is a criterion for the form generation. Providing a large open atrium in the heart of the building that opens up toward the south in combination with floorplates no deeper than fifty feet will provide optimal light and natural ventilation throughout the whole building. At the base of the atrium, there is an open public green space that allows the community to participate taking advantage of some of the features the architecture affords.

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