Building Community in Strides
Running off the previous success of ‘the year of yoga’, we introduced an all-levels run program affectionately known as Oxford Stride.
Building-specific run clubs were offered as a complimentary amenity to office customers throughout the spring and summer months at our buildings in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, New York and Washington. The clubs met once to twice a week for a multi-week series with the intention to engage customers and promote wellbeing initiatives. Each program was designed for various levels, including those just learning to run.
Runs were led through some notable landmarks in each respective city, including Central Park in New York, Washington Monument in Washington, DC, Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canoe Landing Park in Toronto, and along the Eau Claire River in Calgary.
The run clubs built a great sense of community among our various customers as a chance to get to know new faces in the building and enjoy exploring the built environment around their work space.
Overdelivering on a Healthy Promise
Delivering on Australia’s first ever WELL Core & Shell Pre-certification is no easy feat for a 23-story commercial office building. Exceeding expectations and achieving Platinum instead of the intended Gold certification…that’s unparalleled. Completed in 2018 and currently operated by our partner, Investa, Barrack Place proudly claims this title.
Some of the design features that brought Barrack Place up to Platinum include advanced air filtration to provide the highest level of indoor air quality, an ‘Organic Response’ lighting system that supports the body’s circadian rhythm throughout the day, direct access to mass sustainable transit, and achieving the highest Green Star Rating (6 Star) from the Australian Green Building Council.
Certainly, these design features are further paired with a host of operational activities that work to support the health, wellbeing and comfort of the people in the building. Examples include a world-class cleaning program, wellness education and amenities for customers and building staff, such as bicycle storage, fitness facilities, and nutritional offerings and messaging circulated throughout the building.
The WELL certification pushes the commercial building industry toward healthier thinking and investing. And this is what Barrack Place represents – a healthy space for people to thrive in, whether for work or leisure.
Oxford Wellbeing Priorities
What are the highest priority wellbeing features for our customers that we should focus on?
That’s the question that a global team of Oxford team members leaned into in 2018 and continued to work on in 2019. The team studied leading standards (WELL and Fitwel), surveyed our customers and debated a wide range of issues. Here is the list of 7 priority areas – (1) Air Quality, (2) Water Quality, (3) Nutrition & Hydration, (4) Individual Health, (5) Shared Space, (6) Lighting and (7) Biophilic Design.
The team conducted a benchmarking study across the global portfolio and uncovered some key findings that serve to help building teams develop capital plans and implement activities focused on health and wellbeing. Highlights include: 98% of our global office and retail portfolio offer fitness amenities, such as gym facilities, classes, and events; 75% of the buildings have secured bike storage facilities; 76% of buildings have daylighting mechanisms in place. Over 70% of buildings have accessible stairwells; and 92% of buildings offer healthy food options to customers.
While these numbers are impressive, we know our buildings have the potential to offer more. Health and wellbeing continues to be a top priority for Oxford.
Wellness Fairs Set the Trend
Given that the average office worker spends 6.5 hours a day sitting and 90% of time indoors, it’s clear that a focus on a healthy environment and programming can have substantial health and productivity benefits. Buildings across our portfolio offer unique wellness events and programs for their customers – from puppy yoga to ergonomic assessments – there is something for everyone.
This is what the team at MidCity Place, in London, England, aims to focus on as part of their annual wellness weeks. Customers can tap into free yoga classes, mini health checks, gym pop up events, free massages, and nutritional workshops and food samples.
Customers rave about the wellness weeks and look forward to their arrival. It is proof that people crave more amenities and programs dedicated to their health and wellbeing no matter where they are working from.
Accessible Water Refilling Stations
A simple solution to increase accessible drinking water while reducing the use of non-reusable bottles.
That’s what the team at MetroCentre, a two-building complex located in Toronto, Canada, achieved by installing water bottle re-filling stations in the building’s common areas.
By creating a place for customers to refill their water bottles, the team took a strong step forward on sustainability and wellbeing. As part of the WELL building standard and Oxford’s internal wellbeing standards, installing accessible filtered drinking water promotes proper hydration and overall health.
And in doing so, the team is also promoting the reduction of plastic water bottles that get sent to landfill.
To celebrate the launch of this initiative, the property team distributed complimentary re-usable water bottles to customers, spreading awareness about the filling stations and getting them started off on the right foot with a branded MetroCentre refillable bottle of their own.
This is a scalable and low-cost way to promote wellbeing among customers throughout our portfolio.
A Quiet Lounge
In 2019, Royal Bank Plaza, an office complex located in Toronto’s financial district, opened their Urban Lounge. This marked the newest concept in providing Royal Bank Plaza customers with catered lounge style amenities aimed to make their work day as enjoyable as possible.
With wellness as the underlying theme, the Lounge offers a dedicated space to escape, relax, meet or work. Guests that visit the space are welcomed with standing desks, seated desks with active stools, an essential oil diffuser, green wall and live plants throughout, and two reclining massage chairs.
As the role of the office continues to evolve, the importance of spaces that foster employee engagement, creativity and building relationships increases. Flexible and dynamic lounge areas offer space to host a variety of uses and amenities to support just this.