WELL Story: Mind at CBRE Madrid

Almost every urban dweller can relate to the feeling of staring longingly out an office building window on a beautiful summer day wishing they could escape the indoors. What if you didn’t need to leave the office to experience nature? CBRE’s office in Madrid used strategies from WELL’s Mind Concept to create a space with the look and feel of being outside. With an innovative layout and beautiful biophilic design, the office offers employees the opportunity to collaborate, relax, and focus all while feeling connected to the outdoors.

What was the inspiration behind CBRE Madrid’s unusual design?

The design was inspired by a cabin in the forest. The open space and the work area is meant to simulate the forest while the inner area that is used for client presentations represents the cabin. Throughout the office there are multiple biophilic elements, including a green wall, wood flooring, furniture that mimics shapes found in nature, and carpeting that appears grass-like. To further enrich the connection to the outdoors, conference rooms are named after natural wonders, like Kilimanjaro and Grand Canyon.

How did CBRE embrace WELL’s Mind Concept in the Madrid office?

CBRE’s focus on creating a beautiful space with such strong ties to nature aligns with the intents behind Feature 87 (Beauty and Design) and Feature 88 (Biophilia I – Qualitative). In addition, CBRE recognizes the variety of work that employees are doing (both internally and with clients) and chose to incorporate varied spaces throughout the office, meeting the requirements of Feature 89 (Adaptable Spaces). These spaces differ in size, aesthetic, and furniture offerings so that employees can select a workspace most conducive to the work they are doing. Finally, as a demonstration of CBRE’s commitment to both wellness and sustainability, the company implemented policies protecting employee health and released a sustainability report detailing its environmental impact to meet Feature 92 (Building Health Policy) as well as Feature 98 (Organizational Transparency).

What has been the feedback on CBRE Madrid’s achievement of WELL Certification?

Since becoming WELL Certified, CBRE Madrid has observed a significant increase in overall health and wellness awareness amongst employees. Not only do employees say that they feel more creative in this office compared with others, but they are noticeably making more health-conscious decisions while at work. By implementing a number of features from WELL’s Mind Concept, CBRE Madrid has created an environment where employees’ cognitive and emotional health can benefit.

To learn more about strategies to optimize cognitive and emotional health through building design and policy download our new app, Build WELL.

Madeleine Evans is on the Technical Solutions team at IWBI, drawing upon her deep understanding of the built environment’s impact on human health and sustainability to help guide project teams through the WELL Certification process. Passionate about social justice and committed to expanding IWBI’s community impact, Madeleine spearheads IWBI’s corporate volunteer initiative and spends her free time with New York Cares teaching New York City children to read.