# Summer Soiree: Exploring the True Cost of Workplace Wellness
When industry leaders gather to discuss the intersection of design and human wellbeing, the conversations that emerge can reshape how we think about commercial spaces. This summer, Tangram partnered with the International Executive Committee of the Internet Marketing Association to host an intimate evening focused on "The Cost of Waiving Wellness: Building Health and Wellbeing into Workplace Design."
Set against the backdrop of Crystal Cove's stunning Pacific coastline, the gathering brought together healthcare professionals, workplace consultants, and design experts to examine a critical question: How can we create work environments that truly support human health?
## The Health Reality Check
Nick Payzant, founder and CEO of Cerna Healthcare, opened the evening with sobering insights about our aging population and the long-term health challenges we face. His message was clear: while people spend the majority of their waking hours at work, these environments often represent the least healthy spaces they encounter.
Payzant emphasized the crucial role of physical movement in preventing and managing conditions like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke recovery. For commercial designers, this translates into a fundamental shift in thinking—from static workstations to dynamic environments that encourage movement throughout the day.
## The Three Pillars of Workplace Wellbeing
Mary Butman, Workplace Consultant, and Mark Chaput, Regional Sales Manager, shared research-backed insights from Steelcase that break workplace wellbeing into three essential components:
**Physical Wellbeing**: The ergonomic and environmental factors that support our bodies through the workday
**Cognitive Wellbeing**: Spaces that enhance focus, creativity, and mental clarity
**Emotional Wellbeing**: Environments that foster positive feelings and social connection
Butman posed a simple yet powerful question that every workplace designer should consider: "Do employees feel better when they leave work than they did when they arrived?"
## Five Work Modes That Shape Design
Chaput outlined five distinct work modes that modern commercial spaces must accommodate:
- **Focus**: Quiet, distraction-free zones for deep concentration - **Collaboration**: Flexible spaces that bring teams together effectively - **Change**: Adaptable environments that can shift based on needs - **Social**: Areas that encourage informal interaction and relationship building - **Rejuvenation**: Spaces specifically designed for mental and physical restoration
These modes provide a practical framework for designers to evaluate whether their spaces truly serve the full spectrum of human work needs.
## Beyond Design: The Holistic Wellness Approach
Dr. Sajjad Syed brought a medical perspective to the conversation, introducing the concept of "choice and control" in wellness practices. His recommendations extended beyond the physical workspace to encompass:
- Mindful eating patterns (avoiding food four hours before bedtime) - Strategic meal timing (12-hour fasting windows) - Sleep pattern monitoring - Gut health maintenance - Regular exercise integration
Michael Matuz of First Step Fitness reinforced these concepts by discussing the "business athlete" mindset—treating professional performance with the same intentionality as athletic training.
## The Design Impact on Human Performance
The evening's discussions highlighted a truth that commercial designers increasingly recognize: workspaces wield significant influence over mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, often in ways that remain invisible to occupants.
Today's most effective workplace transformations integrate:
- **Innovative design thinking** that prioritizes human needs - **Ergonomic furniture solutions** that support bodies in motion - **Technology integration** that enhances rather than hinders wellbeing
The measurable outcomes speak for themselves: healthier employees, increased motivation and productivity, and notable reductions in absenteeism.
## A Comprehensive Approach to Wellness Design
Creating truly wellness-focused commercial spaces requires expertise across multiple disciplines. At Tangram, this means taking a holistic approach that encompasses custom furniture, technology integration, flooring, lighting, acoustic solutions, and strategic space planning.
The conversations from this summer gathering reinforce a fundamental shift in commercial design: from spaces that simply house work activities to environments that actively contribute to human flourishing.
As we continue to understand the profound connection between our physical environments and our wellbeing, one thing becomes clear—the cost of waiving wellness in workplace design is far too high to ignore. The question isn't whether we can afford to prioritize wellbeing in our commercial spaces, but whether we can afford not to.
