Tarkett explains how indoor comfort is key to unlocking employee wellbeing.

As UK and European-based companies gradually return to the office after months of working from home, the importance of indoor comfort and its impact on employee wellbeing can’t be overlooked. Returning to an office environment has renewed talk around the benefits of living walls and breathable buildings. But what other solutions can be utilised to create office spaces that employees feel at ease coming back to?

Hit the mark on comfort
The pandemic and all of the social activism that followed has changed what the working world now looks like. Although employees are keen to return to their previous working routines, there is an expectation and desire to be able to work flexibly. Studies show that to encourage people back, the spaces they inhabit would do well to heighten their focus on health and wellbeing.

There are numerous ways to enhance a sense of comfort in the workplace; from health programmes and benefits, to ergonomic work areas. However, in order to create a balanced workplace, it tends to be a combination of factors that get people smiling from the inside. Small details that make a big impact include the carpet beneath our feet.

DESSO AirMaster® is a key example of a pioneering solution that takes design and functionality to the next level. It contributes to better health, wellness and wellbeing of people in offices and other commercial environments – welcome news to employees returning to their place of work.

Air quality
Indoor air quality is a prominent consideration for many workers, with an increasing number of us becoming hyper-aware of the air we breathe inside. A study published by Tarkett last year titled ‘Rethinking Workplace #1 Shifting Perspectives in the midst of Covid-19’ combined information from three global surveys of 2,800 office workers in collaboration with workplace consultants WKSpace. The core findings were that the office is essential and so are distinctive spaces, with indoor air quality and noise management considered top concerns.

Numerous factors can impact indoor air quality including humidity, thermal comfort, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), CO2 levels and particulate matter. All of these combined make the perfect cocktail for a low-quality indoor environment that has a negative effect on productivity and wellbeing.

DESSO AirMaster® is a solution that contributes to better indoor air quality, setting its own standard. The DESSO AirMaster® patented technology is formed by the unique combination of the structure of the product and the three varieties of yarn used in the construction. The DESSO engineered product is constructed from a high- and low-rib structure. The high piles consist of many ultra-fine yarn filaments (DESSO AirFiltersTM), which capture and retain the smallest particulate matter (PM10, < 10 μm).

Particulate matter is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air which can be harmful to human health. The coarser dust is captured on and in the thicker yarns of the lower pile (DESSO DustCollectorsTM). The open product structure enables the coarser dust to sink in, regenerating the carpet’s filtering and retaining capacity. Once the fine dust is captured and retained in the piles the structure prevents the fine dust from becoming airborne again.

Such is the flooring’s ability to improve indoor air quality, the DESSO AirMaster® carpet is the first product in the world to be awarded the GUI Gold Plus label – the highest possible accreditation awarded by Gesellschaft für Umwelt-und Innenraumanalytik (GUI), Germany’s leading independent air quality testing organisation.

Optimum sound absorption
Tarkett’s study shows that indoor air quality isn’t the only priority for employees returning to the office – noise is a key factor too. Thankfully, there is a flooring solution available to create a quieter, more productive workplace, in the form of DESSO SoundMaster. DESSO SoundMaster backing optimises the sound absorption and insulation of any carpet tile it is applied to. The felt backing is made from 100 per cent polyester (containing 80 per cent recycled content) and is specifically chosen for its advanced sound insulation and absorption properties.

Flooring solutions such the DESSO AirMaster® and DESSO SoundMaster can be used to create the optimum working environment for employees, allowing them to breathe and work easily throughout the day. Indoor air quality and noise will be key focus points moving forward, and with the right solutions in place, returning to the workplace never looked so good.

Contact Details
For more information, please visit the Tarkett website.