A long-known fact, people are the most expensive component of running a business. How they show up is critical to both top and bottom line.
That’s Why We Created the Delight Factor
Delight Factor is a quantitative measurement that scores a building based on how it makes people feel. Combined with traditional real estate measurements, it gives you a holistic view of your investment including its compounded interest from enhanced employee performance.
An office for a confidential tech client, the design of Block 20 weaves together work, retail, and public spaces through an intentionally blurred interior-exterior environment. Here's a look at its Delight Factor:
Case Study
Cost per square foot is a valuable measurement to assess the financial viability of real estate investments. However, it lacks the ability to empirically measure a building's impact on an employee's enthusiasm for their work and where they do it.
Nature
Daylight
Variety
Socialization
Nature
The sights, sounds, and smells of nature immediately reduce stress, a huge benefit for those who need to focus, rely on creativity, or are neurodivergent.
Variety
No two people are wired the same. How they do their best work relies on their skillset, the task they perform, and the space that supports both. The more choice employees have, the higher their sense of both control and stimulation.
Socialization
Health and happiness are closely tied to relationships, which is why workplaces that encourage interaction have lower turnover and higher engagement.
Daylight
Daylight is known to be vital to sleep health, and, as an outcome, decision-making. The presence of natural light also triggers the mood center of the brain responsible for feelings of joy.
Daylight
Nature
Variety
Socialization
How long does it take for you to get outside?
Outdoors? I don’t know her.
A quick elevator ride and I’m transported.
I work outside!
Daylight is vital to our health and sleep due to its impact on the body’s biological clock. It also triggers the mood center of the brain, increasing feelings of joy.
2.6
6.4
Time to Get Outside
Amount of Green
20.6 Seconds
Diversity of Plants
24.7% of total SF
100% of people able to see 1 type of nature
2.1
6.6
Ways to Work
26% work posture variation spread out over 16 types
Diversity of Spaces
Height Variation
39% of the floor plate has diversity of space with 14% being enclosed space and 25% being open space
48% height variation spread out over 13 floor / ceiling height combinations
1.1
5.3
Ways to Gather
7 socialization spaces spread out over 76,000 SF
Ability to See Colleagues
Curation of Experience
62% of the floorplate has high visibility of others above threshold
Company-sponsored programs that support professional or personal contribution
3.2
7.2
I work in a cave.
My workspace isn’t well-lit, but there are other areas I can visit for a dose of Vitamin D.
My workplace is a daylit oasis.
How much daylight do you have access to in your workplace?
Nature
Have you ever seen Severance?
My workplace is Lumon Industries.
There’s some variety, but the cubicle still rules.
My desk overlooks a foosball table.
Does your workplace have a diversity of spaces, or is it mostly uniform?
VARIETY
The only interaction I do is from behind a screen.
We have meetings and lunch and learns, but spontaneous socialization isn’t really a thing.
Work is my social life—in a good way!
Are there opportunities to socialize with coworkers throughout your workday?
SOCIALIZATION
Contact us to discuss
how we can increase your office's Delight Factor to attract and retain talent and increase your ROI.
If you find yourself asking "what does this mean for my office?" you're not alone.
The color green, specifically at 520-560 nanometers of wavelength, can drop cortisol levels in just 2 milliseconds
Light reduces depression by activating the same neural networks targeted by anti-depressants.
After 90 minutes in the same work posture, productivity wanes. A counterbalanced set of environments supports peak performance.
Fleeting interactions with a distant colleague are gateways to novel information. These casual interactions amplify an organization's innovative pulse by exposing employees to diverse perspectives.
Daylight
Proximity to nature—even in the form of images—alleviates stress. Try getting a desk plant or taking a walk during the day.
The sights, sounds and smell of nature reduces cortisol levels and helps us feel more relaxed. The quicker we can access the outdoors, the easier it is to tap into this sense of pleasure and well-being.
Next Question
The easier it is to access the outdoors, the higher a workplace’s Delight Factor. Bonus points if you can also see nature from your window.
The sights, sounds and smell of nature reduces cortisol levels and helps us feel more relaxed. The quicker we can access the outdoors, the easier it is to tap into this sense of pleasure and well-being.
Next Question
Good for you! You’re practically a tree. Just be sure to wear sunscreen!
The sights, sounds and smell of nature reduces cortisol levels and helps us feel more relaxed. The quicker we can access the outdoors, the easier it is to tap into this sense of pleasure and well-being.
Next Question
Awesome! Keep living that
sunshine daydream.
Daylight is vital to our health and sleep due to its impact on the body’s biological clock. It also triggers the mood center of the brain, increasing feelings of joy.
Next Question
That’s rough! If natural daylight isn’t an option, try a high-brightness task lamp that can be placed on your desk.
Daylight is vital to our health and sleep due to its impact on the body’s biological clock. It also triggers the mood center of the brain, increasing feelings of joy.
Next Question
Higher light levels found near windows are best. Take a walk around your office or sit in sunligh for a few minutes to reap those benefits.
Daylight is vital to our health and sleep due to its impact on the body’s biological clock. It also triggers the mood center of the brain, increasing feelings of joy.
Next Question
Individual control creates agency and reduces stress—even switching from a cube to a conference room or sitting to standing can help shake things up.
Variety and control play a major role in how we perceive—and behave in—a space. Creating a sense of individual control and allowing employees to work where it feels best lowers cortisol and blood pressure levels.
Next Question
People prefer environments that provide a mix of enclosed and open spaces. Serendipitous run-ins with colleagues in central spaces counteract the monotony of the desk.
Variety and control play a major role in how we perceive—and behave in—a space. Creating a sense of individual control and allowing employees to work where it feels best lowers cortisol and blood pressure levels.
Next Question
Excellent. Just make sure to check your email occasionally, too.
Variety and control play a major role in how we perceive—and behave in—a space. Creating a sense of individual control and allowing employees to work where it feels best lowers cortisol and blood pressure levels.
Next Question
Fun! Just don’t let all those happy hours and group yoga classes get in the way of checking off your to do list!
Our relationships are tied to our health, happiness and well-being. Workplaces that encourage interpersonal connection have lower turnover and higher engagement.
Finish the Quiz
Hybrid work makes interaction more challenging. Meeting fellow employees at a coffee shop or organizing an off-site retreat can help build connection.
Our relationships are tied to our health, happiness and well-being. Workplaces that encourage interpersonal connection have lower turnover and higher engagement.
Finish the Quiz
Intentional ways to interact—such as mentorship or volunteer opportunities, or organized activities or learning experiences—increases ties.
Our relationships are tied to our health, happiness and well-being. Workplaces that encourage interpersonal connection have lower turnover and higher engagement.
Finish the Quiz
Evaluating Delight
Amount of Daylight
59% of the floor meets the amount of daylight target
Amount of Glare
Distance to Glass
84% of floor area is below the glare threshold
62% of floor area is within 20' of a window
Nature
Impact of nature is determined on time to get outside, percentage of green, and plant diversity.
3.5x
Daylight
Impact of daylight is calculated based on the ratio of optimal light, amount of glare, and distance to exterior glass.
Variety
Impact of variety is quantified by the number of ways to work, spatial diversity, and height variation.
Disengaged employees result in $7.8 trillion in lost revenue. Just 40% of workers are returning to the office while creative teams are emerging as differentiators.
Yet when it comes to assessing the value of where people work, cost per square foot is king. Organizations need a more informed way to evaluate real estate performance.
Cost per square foot is a valuable measurement to assess the financial viability of real estate investments. At the same time, it lacks the ability to empirically measure a building’s impact on an employee’s enthusiasm for their work and where they do it.
Employee satisfaction can save businesses money.
Socialization
Daylight
Nature
Variety
In our ongoing work with NBBJ Applied Research Fellow Dr. John Medina, we’ve identified critical factors for executive function, psychological safety, creativity, team function, and sense of belonging. We then established four preliminary ways that buildings contribute to achieving these key components of performance. When averaged together, they offer a powerful evaluation of a workplace’s Delight Factor.
The Four Factors of Delight
Access to nature is 3.5x higher at Block 20 compared to a typical office floorplate.
1.2x
Access to daylight is 1.2x higher at Block 20 compared to a typical office floorplate.
Variety is 1.5x higher at Block 20 compared to a typical office floorplate.
1.5x
The ability to socialize is 1.5x higher at Block 20 compared to a typical office floorplate.
1.5x
Socialization
Impact of socialization is calculated based on communal settings, visibility to colleagues, and investments for growth.
Thanks for taking our quiz. No matter your answers, you can always elevate your office’s Delight Score.
Continue reading below to learn how we can work together, and to read more about NBBJ's workplace design expertise.
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Wellness Workplace
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We partner with LinkedIn to discuss the design of their new HQ, which serves as a “test lab” for the future of work. Read more in Harvard Business Review.
The article that started it at all, read more about the 40% Office in this article we wrote for Fast Company.
In our latest collaboration with the University of Washington, we explore three design solutions to encourage creativity at home and in the office.
The role of the office is shifting, forcing many business leaders to rethink its purpose. In Harvard Business Review, we highlight four strategies to entice talent back to in-person work.
Even small changes can make a big impact—like removing partitions from cubicles to increase access to light. Let’s discuss other low-cost ways to elevate the Delight Factor of your office.
We get it, and recognize that being on time is everything. These analyses help you make better decisions fast. And the process can be expedient. Even a quick conversation can spark ideas to increase your Delight Factor.
While many older buildings struggle with being human-centric, studies show that even simple projections of nature provide similar benefits of newer constructions. Let’s talk about customized solutions for you.
It can be tough to know where to start. We recommend beginning by measuring your Delight Factor, which we’d love to do for you and then suggest opportunities for how to improve it over time.
We’d love to learn about what makes your workplace great…and maybe offer ideas to ensure your office’s Delight Factor has staying power.