Award-winning architecture and design firm, Perkins&Will, announced that the Avison Young Dallas office has received WELL certification. Conceptualized by Perkins&Will’s Dallas Studio in 2018, the office celebrates community and culture, with a design that prioritizes the human experience and puts emphasis on employee health and happiness. Today, Avison Young stands as the first commercial real estate firm in Dallas to have a WELL-certified space, a designation for advancing health and well-being in buildings.
“Knowing that Avison Young wanted a reconfigurable, multifunctional office that supports employee well-being, our team curated a space uniquely inspired by the kinetic nature of people, motion, and change,” said Brigitte Preston, Interior Design Director and Principal at Perkins&Will. “We’re incredibly proud to have been part of this project, especially as Avison Young continues to pave the way for commercial real estate firms to have healthier, happier workplaces across the country.”
Design Driven By Human Experience
Avison Young had three goals for the new office: to grow their Dallas team and expand their service lines; create a culture of teamwork and community; and to differentiate the company from other commercial real estate firms in the area. Achieving these goals meant departing from the traditional office layout and conceptualizing a more connected environment that fostered conversation and collaboration. To meet these expectations, Perkins&Will implemented different settings for employees to choose from and flexible working spaces to adapt to changing work styles.
The team placed great emphasis on designing a workplace that focused on the human experience where the health and happiness of employees is a priority. Providing workers with access to natural daylight was essential for the Avison Young team, as windows are traditionally reserved for private offices. The new workstations incorporate sit-to-stand functionality highlighted by flooding natural daylight through expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. The design team also included a corridor along the glazing from the reception area to the balcony, with views of Klyde Warren Park. The balcony is furnished with lounge seating, dining and high seating, and a tuckaway niche with planters for those wanting to step outside during the workday.
“Working with the Perkins&Will team was a great collaboration. They listened to our goal of putting the health and wellness of the Avison Young Dallas team front and center. The design team developed a fresh space that provided all the elements needed to deliver an environment that promotes positive experiences every day,” said Jim Louis, Project Manager and Principal at Avison Young.
“From an operations standpoint, the new office functions extremely well with respect to how our employees utilize the many features throughout the space. Plus, the wellness aspect of the certification allowed us to transition to healthy snacks, which is a big benefit to everyone,” said Joanne Runge, Operations Manager, Avison Young.
Striving For Sustainable, Wellness-Focused Future
Driven by a common purpose to create economic, social, and environmental value, Avison Young advances all the ways commercial real estate can make a positive impact in people’s lives. Its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Wellness strategy focuses on clean energy and climate action, good health and social justice, sustainable cities, and responsible consumption. This includes reducing its own carbon footprint. In 2019, the number of Avison Young offices located in buildings with environmental certifications rose from 29 to 32—including the WELL-certified Dallas office.
“Now more than ever we should be creating healthier spaces to improve physical and mental well-being, and the WELL certification is a badge we proudly wear to showcase our approach to wellness and the employee experience,” said Greg Langston, Avison Young Managing Director and Principal. “Building better places for people is fundamentally aligned to our purpose to create real economic, social, and environmental value, powered by people.”
Nice offices…well preventive measures during COVID-19.