In this episode of the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, host Gregory Plavcan talks with Gary Strehlke, the Wellbeing Navigator at Steelcase. Gary’s career has focused on wellbeing in the corporate sphere, which traditionally focuses on physical health. When he joined Steelcase, they were working with IDEO to expand their wellbeing approach to include social, cognitive, emotional and psychological resources to improve employee wellbeing.
Gary begins by describing wellbeing hubs at Steelcase as an accessible approach to HR. Rather than the “principal’s office” HR tends to be, a wellbeing hub is an intentional space designed with a holistic approach: a place where employees can address concerns both directly and indirectly related to work. From a design perspective, the hub removes barriers to access by having a large glass window into the space, and private, semi-private, and public spaces inside. The goal is to make people feel comfortable enough to engage the resources.
