Design, price, proximity to schools, the length of the commute: for decades, European home purchasers have weighed up a largely unchanging set of factors when choosing a property.

But those priorities are shifting following spikes in energy prices and amid rising public awareness of the built environment’s contribution to global warming, experts say. Instead, lower-impact features such as air-source heat pumps, solar panels and energy efficiency are increasingly important attributes as consumers seek to cut their expenses while being kinder to the planet.  Energy classifications and certification are also starting to have an impact. 

For people living with conditions such as autism and ADHD, regular offices can be an energy-sapping mix of noise and distractions. A new report co-authored by Skanska suggests that tweaks to workplace design could improve working environments for both ‘neuroatypical’ and ‘neurotypical’ people alike.

If you’re reading this article in a shared space, like a train or a bus or an office, take a moment to look around before you read any further. Now consider this. Statistics suggest that up to one in five of the people around you is ‘neuroatypical,’ meaning that they have a brain that functions slightly differently from the norm. Whether they are living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia or one of a range of other conditions, their unique ‘neurotype’ or brain type presents them with both challenges and opportunities in their daily lives. There’s a 20 percent chance that you are neuroatypical yourself.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced a radical shift in our understanding of what a healthy workplace is. Now, as we adapt to the new normal of flexible work, we have an opportunity to shape a more sustainable future for the work environment that prioritizes employee health and wellness.

This episode features Dr. Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President at International WELL Building Institute, Ewelina Kałużna, Head of Strategic Workplace Solutions Advisory CEE at Skanska and Managing Director at Business Link, and Theres Söderlund Lakso, Head of Internal Communications, Business Area Cloud Software & Services at Ericsson. Together, they’re creating a work environment where people want to be, one that incorporates social, environmental and urban sustainability.

Location, location, location. For years, these have been the three main criteria of selecting an office building for your company. They have been repeated as a mantra by developers (including Skanska), agents and clients.

The place your organization is based and the ease of getting there are both key as they determine employees’ willingness to work at the office. 

There is a growing demand for sustainable consumer choices. Over one-third of global consumers say they are willing to pay more for sustainable product alternatives, and in the US that number climbs to two-thirds. The challenge now is for suppliers and developers to provide options that enable consumers to lean into these changing desires as it relates to sustainability at home.

Vanessa Butani, VP of Group Sustainability at Electrolux Group; Guillaume Charny-Brunet, Co-Founder and Head of Ventures at SPACE10; and Juhani Aspara, Regional Manager at Skanska in Finland, are all working to create built environments that enable healthy, sustainable living.

Many people around the world are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprints and live more sustainably. Our homes and communities are essential in shaping a healthy and safe built environment

The latest episode of Shaping Sustainable Places, the global podcast from Skanska, features Vanessa Butani, VP of Group Sustainability at Electrolux, Guillaume Charny-Brunet, Co-Founder and Head of Ventures at SPACE10, and Juhani Aspara, Regional Manager at Skanska in Finland. Each offers some insight into how to make sustainable living more accessible on the individual level. 

The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta, Georgia is the most environmentally advanced educational and research facility in the US Southeast.

It’s the first building in Georgia, and 28th in the world, to earn the Living Building Challenge certification and is net positive in both energy and water consumption. Its construction phase boasted a zero carbon footprint. 

This episode features Shan Arora, Director of the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design at Georgia Institute of Technology and Jimmy Mitchell, Senior Director Business Development at Skanska.

The Kendeda Building is the most environmentally advanced educational and research facility in the US Southeast. It boasts an innovative sustainable design and was also the first building in Georgia, and 28th in the world, to earn the Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification. It is net positive both in energy and water consumption, and its construction phase achieved a zero carbon footprint. It was designed and built to be a healthy, inclusive and attractive workspace for the faculty and students.