designers are motivators In a world of 400 million obese and 1.6 billion over-weight adults, interior designers — perhaps as much as

nutritionists or doctors — can encourage physical activityand, in turn, healthy lifestyles. By Jan Stone

POWER OF DESIGN

2008

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ES Costs of the epidemic vary. But an

October 2007 study from the Milken

Institute, led by former Surgeon

General Richard H. Carmona, esti-

mates the total U.S. economic

impact, calculated on the cost of pre-

ventable chronic diseases, at $1.3

trillion annually; $1.1 trillion of that

represents lost productivity costs.

In Europe, the World Health

Organization reports, adult obesity

accounts for as much as 6 percent of

direct health costs.

So what’s behind it all? “Over the

past half century or longer, major

technological innovations — automa-

tion and the consequent decline of

physically active occupations, labor-

saving devices in the home and

dominance of the automobile for

personal travel — have substantially

reduced the physical requirements of

daily life,” the TRB Institute of

Medicine report says.

But the report goes on to say that

efforts to reverse the epidemic require

interdisciplinary, international collab-

oration to leverage the expertise of the

architecture and design, public health,

physical activity, urban planning and

transportation research communities,

among others.

Fortunately, a staggering number

of international groups are working

to stem the epidemic, including many

professional design associations such

as IIDA, AIA, AAHID and ASID.

IIDA’s Healthcare Forum, for

instance, is designed specifically to

address pressing health-related

issues such as obesity. It does so

through Webinars and collaboration

with other organizations. Linda

Gabel, IIDA, AAHID, IIDA Healthcare

Forum Advisor, has also hosted a

series of programs to address the

bariatric population and their specific

needs in this regard. AIA’s New York

Chapter, of which Blumenfeld was

2007 president, conducts annual pro-

grams such as 2007’s Fit-City 2:

Promoting Physical Activity Through

Design, which brought together acade-

mia, government, USGBC, IIDA and

others to discuss issues.

Many other groups have programs

in conjunction with researchers at

colleges and universities, where

grants are given by various private

and government entities. The first

global alliance united solely to

address obesity prevention is the

International Association for the

Study of Obesity (IASO). It consists

of five principal medical non-

governmental organizations formally

linked to the World Health Organi-

zation: the World Heart Federation,

the International Diabetes Federation,

the International Pediatric Asso-

ciation, the International Union of

Nutritional Sciences and IASO itself.

The interior design community

is poised to take on one of the

largest leadership roles in its history,

as it works to ensure all of these

research results are put into action

with solutions.

RESPONDING WITH SOLUTIONS

Blumenfeld insists strong advocacy

positions are critical. “As designers,

we have the ability to proselytize,

and we must make every effort to do

so. When you reach into the built

environment, you affect lots of peo-

ple,” she says. “It’s a great way for

any business, school, municipality or

healthcare facility to communicate to

staff that the powers-that-be care

about their employees’ health.”

She put these principles to

practice in a number of ways as

President of AIA’s New York

Chapter, literally changing New

York City’s City Hall. Blumenfeld

wrote a letter, co-signed by IIDA,

POWER OF DESIGN

2008MOTIVATORS

As designers, we have the ability to proselytize, and we must make every effort to do so. —Joan Blumenfeld, IIDA, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, Perkins + Will

Could something as seemingly simple as a well-placed, alluring stair-case save a life? Many interior designers are finding that an invaluablesolution to one of the world’s largest problems may be as straight-forward as convincing people to opt for a flight of stairs over an elevator.

Joan Blumenfeld, IIDA, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal at Perkins + Will inNew York, considers a well-situated stairwell perhaps the single mostobvious way in which a designer can help stem the obesity epidemic,which causes diseases of the heart, lungs and circulatory systems, aswell as a host of other illnesses.

Of course, it’s not just staircases that can help reverse the obesity trend.From creating collaborative work environments that encourage constantmovement to allowing for plentiful daylight access, interior design-ers can have a direct positive impact on public health and well-being.

According to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Institute ofMedicine report, Does the Built Environment Influence PhysicalActivity?, “the available empirical evidence shows an associationbetween the built environment and physical activity. … Those respon-sible for the design and construction of residences, developments andsupporting transportation infrastructure should be encouraged to pro-vide more activity-friendly environments.”

The need for interior designers to step up to the plate is great andimmediate. “Designers have a unique opportunity to address the obesityproblem through identifying and creating aspects of the workplace,homes, schools, and urban and community plans that promote ahealthier lifestyle,” says Michael I. Goran, Ph.D., Professor at theUniversity of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine andDirector of USC’s Childhood Obesity Research Center.

Joan Blumenfeld, IIDA, FAIA, LEED AP

0091_NIKOLAI 5/5/08 10:31 PM Page 1

30 summer 2008 www.iida .org

to Mayor Michael Bloomberg sug-

gesting he integrate the healthful

interior designs of his corporate

offices into city buildings. “He and

his office embrace the notions,”

she says. “He advocates trans-

parency in government, and he lit-

erally created that transparency

[through design].”

At City Hall, walls came down

and, where necessary, were

replaced with glass, providing light

access and transparency for

employees. The mayor sits in a

workstation surrounded by more

than 50 employees, also in work-

stations instead of behind closed

doors, making it difficult to be

sedentary. “Workstations make it

easier to communicate,”

Blumenfeld says.

Blumenfeld also worked with

New York’s Department of

Construction and Administrative

Services (DCAS) to arrange a sympo-

sium to highlight the importance of

high-performance, sustainable and

healthful Interior Design. Besides

final decision-makers, many DCAS

staffers responsible for procuring

product and services are also encour-

aged to attend. “Though we know

municipal processes are slow to

change, giving information to DCAS

staffers about some things they can

easily affect — knowing about the

chemicals in paints, materials used

in furnishings — can make a differ-

ence toward providing a healthier

environment,” Blumenfeld says.

GET MOVING

Simply getting people up and walking

is a great start, says Gabel, Senior

Associate at NBBJ in Columbus, Ohio.

“We, as socially responsible interior

designers, need to be thinking of expe-

riential ways to get the population

moving,” she says. “Providing pleasant

stairwells and walking routes so the

journey is part of the experience is

one way. Big landings can become

places where people connect.”

USC’s Goran says designers

should “plan spaces and buildings

that integrate physical activity into

their utility, thus enabling users to

be more physically active in an

enjoyable way.” Interior designers

can provide incentives for end-users

to get up and move. “Examples could

be placing elevators at the end of

the hallway instead of the begin-

ning, requiring users to walk past

interesting building features or art-

work, or designing parking lots further

from the entrance but incorporating

some attractive landscaping,” he says.

The Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC), through its

“StairWELL to Better Health” initia-

tive, found solid numbers linking

design and physical activity. A team

transformed grungy stairwells located

near elevators in the Rhodes Building

in Atlanta. They incorporated brightly

colored paint, framed artwork depict-

ing people being active, carpeting,

strategically placed motivational sig-

nage and background music.

Of the building’s 554 permanent

employees, there was nearly a 9 per-

cent increase in stairwell usage.

“That may not seem like a lot of peo-

ple, but when you consider such an

increase nationwide, that’s a lot more

active people,” says Tim Hensley,

Media Relations for the CDC’s

Division of Nutrition, Physical

Activity and Obesity. “It’s been suc-

cessful enough that we’re going

nationwide with it.”

But Gabel suggests interior

designers think beyond increasing

walkability and mobility. “Nor-

malizing biorhythms can’t be

overlooked either; therefore,

access to natural daylight plays a

huge role,” she says. “It helps

We, as socially responsible interior designers, need to be thinkingof experiential ways to get the popu-

lation moving. —Linda Gabel, IIDA, AAHID, Senior Associate, NBBJ

Linda Gabel,IIDA, AAHID

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32 summer 2008 www.iida .org

> Interior designers alone can’t improvepublic health. Product designers, the medical community

and others also are working to find solutions to overweight and obe-

sity problems.

One such example is the Walkstation, the brainchild of Grand Rapids,

Mich.-based office furniture company Steelcase’s Details division and the

Mayo Clinic’s James A. Levine, M.D., Ph.D. This height-adjustable worksta-

tion with an integrated treadmill was created to improve the daily habits of

sedentary workers. It allows users to walk on the treadmill, type on a key-

board and view a monitor simultaneously.

Levine, Endocrinologist and Obesity Researcher, along with his research

staff, was studying how spontaneous activity affects weight and ultimately

pioneered NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), which explains the

influence of metabolism on obesity. It was through this research that he cre-

ated the “Office of the Future” and devised the treadmill-desktop prototype,

which evolved into the Walkstation.

“People want to lose weight for different reasons. It’s not solely so they

can eliminate diabetes. It’s so they can go to the park, play with their kids. No

one wants to be [unhealthy], but how many have the time or money to go to

a gym after work?” Levine says. Thus, he searches for solutions where the

population spends most of its time — at work or school.

Levine’s philosophy and timing fit perfectly with research being con-

ducted by Steelcase’s Details President Edmund “Bud” Klipa regarding

standing vs. sitting, blood flow and lower back pain. Together, they created

the Walkstation, which only goes up to 2 miles per hour but can produce sig-

nificant results when used long-term. The Walkstation was formally intro-

duced late in 2007, with distribution beginning first-quarter 2008.

“It’s very practical,” says Klipa. He expects units will be shared — one for

every four to five employees. “I’ve been connected to Steelcase for 23 years

and never seen any one product strike such a nerve. Our goal is to help peo-

ple feel healthier when they’re leaving the office than when they came in,

and I think we’ve found one of the solutions.”

With help from global product and industrial design group IDEO,

Steelcase’s Details division is now working on an extended FitWork line,

inspired by the recent introduction of the Walkstation.

“Corporate wellness programs aren’t novel,” Klipa says. “This is simply

the logical next step: wellness provided at work.”

decrease depression, known to

cause overeating, and maintains

healthy circadian cycles. Providing

a long view of the exterior world, not

just three feet in front of someone,

helps body rhythms stay healthier and

enables better sleep. Individuals more

rested are less likely to eat poorly.”

Change brought on by interior

designers can’t happen fast enough,

especially considering the CDC obesity

map, says Craig Zimring, Ph.D.,

Environmental Psychologist and

Professor of Architecture at Georgia

Institute of Technology, who has spent

his career studying the integration of

physical activity into daily routines.

According to the CDC, no U.S. state

reported an adult obesity rate of 20

percent or more in 1996. Compare

that to 2006, when just four states –

Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii and

Massachusetts – reported less than a

20-percent obesity rate. That year, the

latest with available data, two states,

Mississippi and West Virginia, had

obesity rates of more than 30 percent.

But there is hope. “When designers

are conscious of their decisions, espe-

cially the evidence linking design to

health and behavior outcomes, the

results are significant, be it on an

urban scale or at home or in the

office,” Zimring says. Adds James A.

Levine, M.D., Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic

in Rochester, Minn., “We’ve got to stop

discouraging people from working on

being healthy wherever they can. So

many work two jobs, have a family to

support and no time or money to go to

a gym. Why shouldn’t we make the

workplace healthier?”

The Right Tools

34 summer 2008 www.iida .org

When Giselle Newman Young, IIDA, ASID, first

conceived in the ’90s the idea for interior design and

architecture firm Environments in Life, her goal

was to create a vehicle to put research into action —

designing healthful environments, primarily in the healthcare, corporate and hospitality

industries. “As designers, we know obesity is an epidemic,” says the Nashville, Tenn.-

based designer. “And we can’t just satisfy the problem, we must help solve it.”

Newman Young is passionate about incorporating design measures to curb the over-

weight/obesity problem. “It’s too easy for some designers to give into the ‘big boys,’ the

ones who want the fast-food restaurant in their lobby because it’ll pay big dollars per

square foot,” she says. “If our role is to educate, we have to be willing to stand up to

decision-makers to make choices for healthier lifestyles and buy into wellness first.”

She believes in creating environments where it is more pleasant to walk a short dis-

tance and use stairs instead of an elevator. Interior Design, she says, involves these

issues as much as sustainability or any other hot-button issue. The key is to participate

in the construction process early on.

“We’ve got to get involved during the master-plan process, along with the developer.

Or we’ve got to present enough compelling information when we get involved to get

clients to change plans if they aren’t supporting a healthy lifestyle,” Newman Young says.

One project her firm is working on is a mixed-use medical complex in Somerset, Ky.

The client wants the campus to represent healthful surroundings. The paths to different

buildings encourage getting a breath of fresh air instead of trying to find the closest

parking space. Newman Young’s team incorporated quaint brick streets and designed

facilities a good walking distance from one to another.

The interiors interact with the outdoors as much as possible. “We’re using windows

to bring the outside in, so people have a nice, long view. We try to design our corridors

with windows,” Newman Young says. She also strategically places non-egress stairwells.

“The stairwells are more visible than the elevator where we can do so to encourage

their use,” she says. “We’ve also designed areas a level up so people will take the stairs.

There’s a respite area on the second floor of one building for the workers. There’s a

library, but it’s not on the first floor either.”

With this particular client, Newman Young took her own advice. “I knew this doctor

was eventually going to need bigger facilities. I’d send information about different

healthy options as it became available. When he was ready to move, he called me in

along with the developer,” she says. “That’s how I get my work. I keep talking about the

importance of this issue.”

Spreading the word about the problem and what interior designers can do to solve it,

she says, is crucial. “It’s all about education. We have to keep talking, giving information

to the public and our clients and prospects,” she adds. “We have a huge responsibility.”

GiselleNewman

Young, IIDA,ASID,

Principal,Environments

in Life Inc.

Put Into Action

POWER OF DESIGN

2008MOTIVATORSS P O T L I G H T

36 summer 2008 www.iida .org

0091_IIDEX.indd 1 5/11/08 10:21:37 PM

exercise:1) Give three examples of how interior designers through space planning can encourage physical movement of those

that occupy the space.

2) What design solutions are suggested to encourage stairwell use in large buildings?

3) Aside from encouraging movement, what other factors can help curb the obesity problem in the United States?

After reading this article, you should be able to: = Understand the important role designers play in promoting public health = Identify techniques to encourage clients to promote healthy lifestyles at work = Implement specific design solutions to help curb the obesity epidemic.

contact information:

Name ______________________________________________________ Firm _____________________________________________

Mailing Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________

E-mail Address _______________________________________________ Phone ____________________________________________

instructions:Individuals who read this article and complete the series of questions above are eligible to receive continuing education

credit (CEU), as approved by IIDA. Completed exercises should be returned to IIDA via:

mail IIDA Education Department

c/o PERSPECTIVE CEUs

222 Merchandise Mart Plaza

Suite 567

Chicago, IL 60654-1103 USA

fax IIDA Education Department

C/O PERSPECTIVE CEUs

312.467.0779

e-mail ceu@iida.org

There is a $12 NCIDQ registration fee to register and obtain CEU credit.

This course has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit (0.1 CEU). Upon returning a completed exer-

cise to IIDA, registration information will be forwarded to you. If you have any questions, contact the IIDA Education

Department at 312.467.1950 or toll-free at 888.799.IIDA.

Adapted as an exercise by Suzanne Heath, Senior Director, Education and Professional Development

ceu designers are motivators