Name: Happy, healthy, sustainable: Designing an inclusive workplace
Uploaded: 2023-01-11T13:54:39.576Z
Duration: 561.96

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Komal A. Kotwal.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
It's not really sustainable
in our mind until it's

{{00:00:03}}
sustainability for all right?

{{00:00:05}}
And that's how the
inclusion part comes in.

{{00:00:08}}
So, when you design these spaces
that are inclusive, that make

{{00:00:12}}
people feel like they're performing
at their best, you're really

{{00:00:16}}
elevating that human performance.

{{00:00:31}}
My name is Komal Kotwal.

{{00:00:33}}
I am the Sustainable design
leader for health, wellbeing, and

{{00:00:35}}
equity at HOK, which is a global
architecture and engineering firm,

{{00:00:40}}
with offices all over the world.

{{00:00:42}}
And I lead our- primarily our
health wellbeing practice, but

{{00:00:46}}
really from a lens of equity.

{{00:00:49}}
So we're here today to talk about
something called inclusive design.

{{00:00:53}}
Mm-hmm.

{{00:00:53}}
Can you please just explain to
us what inclusive design means?

{{00:00:56}}
Sure.

{{00:00:57}}
So, you know, diversity is about really
having diverse people, but inclusion is

{{00:01:01}}
about really making the people count.

{{00:01:04}}
And when we talk about inclusive
design, it's making sure that when we

{{00:01:08}}
are designing these spaces, they're
really not just- they're welcoming

{{00:01:12}}
for all, but they also help people
perform at their best, no matter

{{00:01:16}}
their age, their disabilities or
their abilities, their race, their

{{00:01:21}}
gender, you know, all of the above.

{{00:01:24}}
What does that have to
do with sustainability?

{{00:01:27}}
Excellent question.

{{00:01:27}}
So, you know, sustainability, for a
long time we've been talking about

{{00:01:32}}
it as something related purely to the
environment, but there's an extremely

{{00:01:37}}
important part of sustainability,
which I like to- we like to call

{{00:01:40}}
human sustainability and performance.

{{00:01:43}}
So,  when you are- it's not really
sustainable in our mind until

{{00:01:50}}
it's sustainability for all.

{{00:01:52}}
Right?

{{00:01:52}}
And that's how the
inclusion part comes in.

{{00:01:54}}
So, when you design these spaces
that are inclusive, that make

{{00:01:59}}
people feel like they're performing
at their best, you're really

{{00:02:03}}
elevating that human performance.

{{00:02:05}}
And that's where inclusive design kind
of falls into that- if sustainability

{{00:02:10}}
is a three-legged stool of people,
planet, and profit, and falls

{{00:02:14}}
within the people aspect of it.

{{00:02:17}}
So, what sort of questions should
businesses be asking themselves if they

{{00:02:20}}
want to design an inclusive workspace?

{{00:02:22}}
So, first of all, businesses have
to realise that people are the chief

{{00:02:26}}
currency of their business, right?

{{00:02:28}}
So, when you're designing for
your spaces, you wanna design

{{00:02:32}}
for the people who inhibit them.

{{00:02:34}}
You don't wanna be only designing
for the male 50-something who

{{00:02:39}}
is cold in an office space.

{{00:02:41}}
So yeah, is- who likes cold
office spaces, but you wanna be

{{00:02:44}}
designing for all individuals.

{{00:02:46}}
So I think that's the number one
thing, thinking about your demographic

{{00:02:49}}
that you're designing to, not just
today, but tomorrow and beyond.

{{00:02:55}}
Thinking about the fact that, you know,
when people are creating workplaces

{{00:02:59}}
now, especially post-pandemic, we
are in an era where we really want-

{{00:03:03}}
had to have a purpose of place, a
workplace that really- there's a

{{00:03:08}}
compelling reason to go to work, right?

{{00:03:10}}
Unless you can just work from
home or work from anywhere.

{{00:03:13}}
So having these places that
really allow collaboration for

{{00:03:16}}
people to thrive in that setting.

{{00:03:19}}
That would be the second thing.

{{00:03:21}}
And then third is, if there's anything
we've learned in the past few years,

{{00:03:25}}
it has been the relationship between
buildings and our health, right?

{{00:03:29}}
So, how do you create these workplaces
that really are healthier for people?

{{00:03:34}}
Just in terms of the air quality,
in terms of the access to natural

{{00:03:39}}
light and just making people feel
like they are in a healthier place.

{{00:03:44}}
So you mentioned, I'm just gonna
pick up on one thing you mentioned

{{00:03:46}}
there, which was about temperature,
and offices being designed for

{{00:03:50}}
men who tend to like it cooler.

{{00:03:51}}
If you are a menopausal
woman, you might not like

{{00:03:54}}
it like that, for example.

{{00:03:55}}
Yeah.

{{00:03:55}}
How do you manage that kind of
diversity of wants and needs?

{{00:03:59}}
Yes.

{{00:04:00}}
That's actually something I'm
really passionate about, so

{{00:04:02}}
I'll be happy to answer that.

{{00:04:03}}
But this is- we are seeing a lot of
workplaces and we are recommending the

{{00:04:07}}
clients we work with, to go with the
concept of what we call thermal zoning.

{{00:04:12}}
So, you know, now as we are moving
away or sort of evolving from that

{{00:04:16}}
assigned desk philosophy, to more
sort of free workplaces, and it's

{{00:04:22}}
not just mean you pick up a desk,
but you have different workplaces of

{{00:04:25}}
choice throughout the office space,
but then you zone those environments

{{00:04:29}}
when you're designing them.

{{00:04:30}}
So the thermal zoning could be
something like, you know, there are

{{00:04:33}}
certain parts of this space that are
designed to a certain temperature.

{{00:04:37}}
The other aspect could be that you
allow individuals to have control

{{00:04:41}}
over their thermal environment.

{{00:04:42}}
So, you know, just like
regulating the temperature,

{{00:04:45}}
that's the third one as well.

{{00:04:47}}
So there's a couple of ways to do it,
but primarily it's thermal zoning.

{{00:04:50}}
What would be some of the
challenges that you might have

{{00:04:53}}
trying to design inclusively?

{{00:04:54}}
I think the first challenge is if we
don't do it right from the beginning

{{00:05:00}}
in a project design space and it's- you
don't want it to be an add-on, right?

{{00:05:05}}
It has to be for the- so that would
be really buy-in from the leadership

{{00:05:09}}
and wanting to do it genuinely.

{{00:05:11}}
It cannot be just like, I have
to check a box of inclusivity.

{{00:05:15}}
But, you know, it starts from
everything from- excuse me- the thermal

{{00:05:19}}
zoning part to inclusive restrooms
as well and everything in between.

{{00:05:23}}
So, just a commitment.

{{00:05:26}}
Are there some sort of key things
that people should look at.

{{00:05:29}}
Yes.

{{00:05:30}}
There's a bunch of- we have 250
principles, that we include in there.

{{00:05:36}}
But, you know, just to give you certain
examples: so one would be- so if we

{{00:05:42}}
start to look at it from, you know,
different aspects of design, right?

{{00:05:46}}
So, inclusive spaces could be based
on, say, if you're thinking about

{{00:05:52}}
it from the aspect of some certain
abilities and disabilities, like the

{{00:05:55}}
neurodiverse aspects of it, then you
would kind of create these places that,

{{00:06:01}}
you know, sort of respond to- there's
some people who love open workplaces,

{{00:06:08}}
who love to be collaborating in a space
that they thrive in that environment.

{{00:06:13}}
And there's some who
like enclosed spaces.

{{00:06:15}}
So the first thing to consider
is actually having a variety of

{{00:06:20}}
choice with the kind of spaces
you're designing within it.

{{00:06:23}}
So that's kind of the
spatial aspect of it.

{{00:06:26}}
The second part I would say is
related to sound and acoustics

{{00:06:30}}
and how you design for that.

{{00:06:32}}
There are some spaces, again, like
thermal zoning, having acoustic zoning

{{00:06:35}}
that's before we even draw a floor
plan, you know, having those quiet

{{00:06:41}}
zones versus those collaborative, noisy
zones, that would be the second part.

{{00:06:46}}
The third way of doing it is amenities
that are part of the workplace.

{{00:06:51}}
We talked about inclusive restrooms
as a given, but something like, you

{{00:06:55}}
know, ensuring that you have mother's
rooms and maternity places for new

{{00:07:02}}
moms or, in a, you know, for having a
space for prayer rooms, for different

{{00:07:08}}
religions, or the refrigerators
are separate for people who have

{{00:07:13}}
certain religious beliefs as well.

{{00:07:15}}
A lot of the things that you've
mentioned are quite big though?

{{00:07:18}}
The thermal zoning, the kind
of completely changing spaces

{{00:07:21}}
so you've got a collaborative
zone and a quiet zone.

{{00:07:23}}
If you are a business that already
has an office space and you can't

{{00:07:27}}
afford that big major refurbishment...

{{00:07:29}}
Right.

{{00:07:29}}
Where do you start?

{{00:07:30}}
That's, you know, that's a really
good question and because we

{{00:07:33}}
are seeing a lot of that, right?

{{00:07:34}}
Like where people are not
really building a lot of

{{00:07:38}}
workplaces, they're using what
they have and restructuring it.

{{00:07:41}}
So yester- you know, we have a
project where we recently completed

{{00:07:45}}
where, you know, it was a small
25,000 square foot office space

{{00:07:50}}
and they wanted to incorporate
inclusive design which is for the

{{00:07:54}}
neurodiverse within their organization.

{{00:07:56}}
But they did not want to just
go through a full refurbishment.

{{00:08:00}}
So they, you know, we worked with them
to identify an area within the office,

{{00:08:06}}
which was a boardroom, which was not
being used, which is an exclusive

{{00:08:09}}
space, which was not being used by all.

{{00:08:12}}
It was, you know, for sort
of the C-suite dedicated.

{{00:08:15}}
And, as we talked to them, we walked
them through their floor plan,

{{00:08:18}}
walked them through the space and
said, why not open this space up?

{{00:08:21}}
Create it with an environment with
chalkboards and like having these

{{00:08:25}}
small seating arrangements, having
a little a corner for someone who

{{00:08:29}}
wants to have some quiet sit down
work and open up that space, right?

{{00:08:33}}
And that kind of instantly changed
the way the office space was, but also

{{00:08:40}}
like the cultural aspect of it, right?

{{00:08:41}}
Like someone that- something that
was so sort of off the limits, a

{{00:08:45}}
boardroom with that fancy table
in there now has become like this

{{00:08:48}}
environment which is more inclusive
and has a sit down spot, has like a

{{00:08:53}}
chalkboard which everyone can use.

{{00:08:55}}
So that's a simple example
of doing it within the means.

{{00:08:59}}
And do you think that all
workplaces are gonna have

{{00:09:01}}
to start thinking like this?

{{00:09:03}}
I absolutely think so.

{{00:09:04}}
I mean, if you're not designing for
all the people that work there, why

{{00:09:10}}
would anybody want to work there?

{{00:09:11}}
Right.

{{00:09:12}}
So yes.

{{00:09:13}}
Fascinating.

{{00:09:13}}
Thank you so much.

{{00:09:14}}
Really interesting.

{{00:09:15}}
Thanks for joining us.

{{00:09:16}}
Great.

{{00:09:16}}
Thank you.

It's not really sustainable
in our mind until it's

And that's how the
inclusion part comes in.

So, when you design these spaces
that are inclusive, that make

people feel like they're performing
at their best, you're really

I am the Sustainable design
leader for health, wellbeing, and

equity at HOK, which is a global
architecture and engineering firm,

And I lead our- primarily our
health wellbeing practice, but

So we're here today to talk about
something called inclusive design.

Can you please just explain to
us what inclusive design means?

So, you know, diversity is about really
having diverse people, but inclusion is

And when we talk about inclusive
design, it's making sure that when we

are designing these spaces, they're
really not just- they're welcoming

for all, but they also help people
perform at their best, no matter

their age, their disabilities or
their abilities, their race, their

What does that have to
do with sustainability?

So, you know, sustainability, for a
long time we've been talking about

it as something related purely to the
environment, but there's an extremely

important part of sustainability,
which I like to- we like to call

So,  when you are- it's not really
sustainable in our mind until

And that's where inclusive design kind
of falls into that- if sustainability

is a three-legged stool of people,
planet, and profit, and falls

So, what sort of questions should
businesses be asking themselves if they

So, first of all, businesses have
to realise that people are the chief

So, when you're designing for
your spaces, you wanna design

You don't wanna be only designing
for the male 50-something who

So yeah, is- who likes cold
office spaces, but you wanna be

So I think that's the number one
thing, thinking about your demographic

that you're designing to, not just
today, but tomorrow and beyond.

Thinking about the fact that, you know,
when people are creating workplaces

now, especially post-pandemic, we
are in an era where we really want-

had to have a purpose of place, a
workplace that really- there's a

Unless you can just work from
home or work from anywhere.

So having these places that
really allow collaboration for

And then third is, if there's anything
we've learned in the past few years,

it has been the relationship between
buildings and our health, right?

So, how do you create these workplaces
that really are healthier for people?

Just in terms of the air quality,
in terms of the access to natural

light and just making people feel
like they are in a healthier place.

So you mentioned, I'm just gonna
pick up on one thing you mentioned

there, which was about temperature,
and offices being designed for

If you are a menopausal
woman, you might not like

How do you manage that kind of
diversity of wants and needs?

That's actually something I'm
really passionate about, so

But this is- we are seeing a lot of
workplaces and we are recommending the

clients we work with, to go with the
concept of what we call thermal zoning.

So, you know, now as we are moving
away or sort of evolving from that

assigned desk philosophy, to more
sort of free workplaces, and it's

not just mean you pick up a desk,
but you have different workplaces of

choice throughout the office space,
but then you zone those environments

So the thermal zoning could be
something like, you know, there are

certain parts of this space that are
designed to a certain temperature.

The other aspect could be that you
allow individuals to have control

So, you know, just like
regulating the temperature,

So there's a couple of ways to do it,
but primarily it's thermal zoning.

What would be some of the
challenges that you might have

I think the first challenge is if we
don't do it right from the beginning

in a project design space and it's- you
don't want it to be an add-on, right?

It has to be for the- so that would
be really buy-in from the leadership

It cannot be just like, I have
to check a box of inclusivity.

But, you know, it starts from
everything from- excuse me- the thermal

zoning part to inclusive restrooms
as well and everything in between.

Are there some sort of key things
that people should look at.

Sustainability in the workplace

Expert Insight

With hybrid working on the rise, businesses are being forced to reassess their workspaces. Employees facing cumbersome commutes increasingly expect their office time to be worthwhile and comfortable.

Komal A. Kotwal, sustainable design leader for health, well-being and equity at HOK, explains the benefits of sustainable office design and how such spaces can be achieved to maximise inclusive workspaces.

Inclusion

Sustainable Design

Design

Office

Diversity & Inclusion

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Komal A. Kotwal

Educator in Sustainable, Equitable Design and Well-being Architecture. 

Find out how inclusivity ties in with sustainability, and what this means for design.

What is inclusive design?

Kotwal draws attention to the diversity of people using one space, highlighting some of the factors that designers need to account for when striving for inclusivity.

How do I achieve it?

Managing the various needs of a diverse workforce inevitably brings challenges, but Kotwal explains how to overcome some of the main obstacles.


What are the challenges of inclusive design?

Dive into the details of what you might consider when designing an inclusive workplace, whether this is from scratch, or a renovation of an existing office space.