Plus X Brighton to revolutionise workspace wellbeing
Plus X Brighton, the new innovation hub opening in March at Preston Barracks, Brighton aims to be the first building in the city to be accredited Platinum standard by the WELL Building Institute, with its design and fit out focused solely on the health and wellness of its future occupants.
Olga Hopton, MD of Plus X Brighton, said, “We are delighted to be the first building in the region on track to win this global accreditation which has some tough criteria. We quite literally want to make Plus X Brighton the healthiest workspace in the city – a place where the environment aids positivity and productivity and the Plus X team will be fostering a nurturing environment.”
WELL standards have been created by Wellspace, the leading application and training services for health and wellbeing in the work place. They are built on eleven features addressing issues that impact on the health, comfort or knowledge of people working in the building. They cover the quality of the air, water, nourishment on offer, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, community and innovations.
Jake Adams, co-founder of Wellspace, commented, “We see people conduct blanket activities which result in low take up, time wasted for a lot of staff and money wasted for the business. We’re delighted to be working with Plus X who are embracing the concept from top to bottom, creating an easy to use programme that increases engagement and knowledge of the importance of wellbeing for their members.”
Throughout the design, Plus X has taken everything into consideration. The air quality is monitored for such things as CO2, dust and humidity and adjusted to meet WELL standards. The Plus X team is mental health trained and on hand to assist members working in the space, who will also be offered twice-weekly yoga classes delivered by Brighton’s Namaste Yoga. The team will also manage a programme of member and community events in its spectacular event space, offering a 50 per cent discount for local charities.
Some examples of extraordinary features included in the fit out of Plus X which have helped it reach Platinum WELL include its use of green electricity, solar panels and zero to landfill policy, making it carbon neutral, as well as using locally sourced produce in its café and eco cleaning products.
As studies have proven that when surrounded by plants, people’s happiness, focus and productivity improves, Plus X has a ‘biophilia strategy’ incorporating plenty of greenery allowing people to commune with nature both inside and out. A dog-friendly policy also allows people to bring dogs to work, which is known to help stress management.
Brighton’s first rooftop terrace featuring edible plants and herbs will be opening in spring for private events and for members to use as thinking space. Work spaces will also be flooded with natural light from large windows, as this is believed to support the circadian rhythm, improving people’s sleep-wake cycles.
Details such as rosemary infused water, proven to help focus and boost immunity and a partnership with Bird and Blend Tea Co to create ProductiviTEA, an exclusive fusion of yerba mate for alertness and productivity, lemon balm for stress reduction and rosehip and ginger for immunity and digestion, on offer in the kitchens and meeting rooms, will contribute to getting members’ creative juices flowing and supporting healthy lives.
Continued Olga, “People react to the environment they are working in and it is possible to feel healthy and inspired in the work place. Plus X is there to make it easy so that our members can focus on what they do best, which is running their business.”
Opening in March 2020, Plus X is the winning formula for business and social success.
About Plus X: Plus X is a partnership with specialist regeneration developer, U+I. The partnership is designed to transform places, creating work spaces that unlock potential, driving business growth and innovation, community collaboration and positive social impact. https://www.plusx.space
About U+I: U+I is a specialist regeneration developer and investor. With a >£11bn portfolio of complex, mixed-use, community-focused regeneration projects including a £154.0m investment portfolio, we are unlocking urban sites bristling with potential in the London City Region (within one hour’s commute from Central London), Manchester and Dublin. We exist to create long-term socio-economic benefit for the communities in which we work, delivering sustainable returns to our shareholders. www.uandiplc.com
About WELL Certification: The International WELL Building Institute is leading the global movement to transform our buildings and communities in ways that help people thrive. IWBI delivers the cutting-edge WELL Building Standard, the leading global rating system and the first to be focused exclusively on the ways that buildings and everything in them, can improve our comfort, drive better choices and generally enhance, not compromise our health and wellness. www.yourwellspace.com
Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, which contributed £7.7 million from their Local Growth Fund to help create Plus X Brighton. www.coast2capital.org.uk
Key Facts About Plus X Brighton
+ 7 floors
+ 53,000 sq ft
+ Space for over 550 people
+ Memberships from £100 per month
+ 11 studios for 4-20 person studios and bespoke turn-key solutions for 20+ size business
+ Green and sustainable building standards including zero to landfill, green energy suppliers, coffee cup recycling scheme, no plastic cups, LED lightbulbs, eco cleaning products, biophilia and local coffee delivery.