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Smart Glass for Better Health & Wellness

By: Krishna Prasad,

Companies spend significant amounts of money while building their campuses to provide multiple amenities to their employees to create a positive work environment. These amenities can range from cafes and restaurants dishing out international cuisine, soaring lobbies, state-of-the-art gyms, childcare centers, yoga classes, free mental health counselling sessions, and more.

While each of these amenities is useful, the question is: How many employees use these amenities? Nearly all require an employee to specifically ‘opt-in’ to use them. This is one of the reasons employers realize a lower return on investment from these amenities.

On the other hand, what would it cost employers to move into buildings or build campuses that maximize daylight inside offices—without the glare and uncomfortable temperatures— that naturally improves their employees’ health and wellness? It’s priceless!

According to research published in the Harvard Business Review, natural daylight is the #1 amenity that employees desire to have in their workplaces. Multiple scientific studies prove that employees working in offices with Smart Windows experience 51% lesser eyestrain, 63% fewer headaches, and 77% less likely to report being depressed. Also, they experience an additional 37 minutes of deep sleep and demonstrate 42% higher cognitive function. This equates to a 21% increase in productivity, boosting their bottom line and allowing them to justify an investment in smart windows with payback periods ranging from a few months to a couple of years.

As part of a post-COVID-19 return to office plan, employers are developing new standard operating procedures to provide a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. With smart windows installed as a digital façade on buildings, an additional 8%-10% of perimeter space is available for employers to provide more social distancing between employees or plan for a larger work area per employee. Further, with the elimination of blinds and shades, smart windows can help eliminate one other germ-carrying surface at face level, reducing the risk of infection and loss of work due to employee sick days.

When it comes to workplace amenities, it is tempting to choose something fun and flashy, but the most beneficial amenity a company can provide is one that everyone can enjoy while improving their health and productivity.