The New Year often comes with a plethora of good intentions over health and fitness, and a Bath property firm is helping to make workers in the region happier and healthier in 2019.
HPH Commercial Property, which owns industrial, office and retail space across Bath, Bristol and Wiltshire, is continuing to invest in its property portfolio because it believes attractive, well managed and efficient buildings help to promote happy and productive workforces.
Research from the World Green Building Councili supports this view. It has shown that poorly managed buildings can cause illness, lower morale and reduce productivity.
A recent reportii, from global property consultancy Mace, suggests that on average, workers lose up to two hours a week due to badly designed offices and poor working environments, costing the UK economy approximately £40 billion a year.
Lindsay Holdoway, Managing Director of the Bath-based property company, said, “HPH invests in practical workspace solutions which are designed to have a positive effect on workforces. We work closely with our tenants to configure spaces in a way which encourages productivity, for example carefully laying out office floor space to maximise daylight and natural ventilation, providing attractive and well maintained common areas and helping with employers’ travel to work initiatives with appropriate facilities”.
The Mace report also identified that 50% of employees believe their workplace impacts on their productivity, with happy workers increasing productivity by 12%, whereas unhappy workers decrease productivity by 10%.
Lindsay Holdoway added, “We are always looking to innovate and for ways to make our properties more appealing to prospective occupiers.
“We manage all our properties in house and want our workspaces to be somewhere companies can thrive, workers can be productive and creative, and somewhere staff can feel happy and positive.
“Bewley House in Chippenham has been the focus of significant investment in recent years with the office block transformed internally to make it a flexible, efficient and modern space. We have incorporated a number of efficiency measures, which have created a quality working environment.”
Bewley House features include intelligent LED lighting in stairwells, high performance window film which reduces solar gain in summer, improves insulation for winter but does not reduce daylight levels, LED lighting, electric vehicle charging points, onsite parking and a new high efficiency heating system with remote online control and monitoring. Overall energy efficiency has been improved, reflected in the second floor recently achieving an energy performance certificate rating B, a new benchmark for the building.
Each floor at Bewley House has its own kitchenette and toilets. Shower facilities with changing and drying areas are to be installed shortly for those cycling to work or just taking exercise in leisure time.
The 4,300 sq ft first floor is available now with the refurbishment due to complete by the end of January.
