What is a Green Office? Characteristics and Benefits

In recent years, the concept of a Green Office has garnered interest from many businesses. An office space abundant with greenery and environmentally friendly is one of the strengths that can help companies attract talented individuals and increase the satisfaction of existing employees.

1. What is a Green Office?

A Green Office is a term used to describe an environmentally friendly workspace. The purpose of creating a green office is to minimize human impact and office activities on the surrounding environment, specifically:

• – Minimizing the consumption of non-renewable fossil energy.
• – Reducing the impact on global warming (climate change).
• – Creating a sustainable lifestyle, integrating with nature.

To assist businesses in creating a green office environment, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) introduced the WWF Green Office management system in 2002. This system acts as a standard for businesses to establish their own green workspace models.

The Green Office is suitable for all types of businesses, from small-scale to large corporations, from private companies to state organizations.

Within this system, WWF has set criteria for businesses to assess their effectiveness in reducing CO2 emissions. More broadly, the Green Office is a stepping stone for workers in companies to change behavior, creating a more sustainable future.

2. What are the characteristics of Green Office?

A Green Office typically refers to a workplace or office environment that prioritizes sustainability and environmentally friendly practices. Here are some characteristics commonly associated with a Green Office:

• – Energy Efficiency: Implementing energy-efficient technologies and practices such as LED lighting, motion sensors, and energy-efficient appliances to reduce electricity consumption.
• – Waste Reduction: Implementing recycling programs, reducing paper usage through digitalization, and minimizing single-use plastics to decrease waste generation.

• – Sustainable Procurement: Purchasing environmentally friendly office supplies, furniture, and equipment that are made from recycled materials or are sustainably sourced.
• – Water Conservation: Installing water-saving fixtures, promoting water conservation practices, and minimizing water waste in office operations.

• – Transportation Options: Encouraging employees to use eco-friendly transportation options such as carpooling, biking, or using public transportation to reduce carbon emissions from commuting.
• – Indoor Air Quality: Ensuring good indoor air quality by using eco-friendly cleaning products, maintaining proper ventilation systems, and incorporating plants to purify the air.
• – Green Spaces: Creating indoor or outdoor green spaces within the office environment to improve air quality, reduce stress, and promote employee well-being.
• – Sustainable Practices: Incorporating sustainable practices into everyday operations, such as printing double-sided, using refillable ink cartridges, and promoting virtual meetings to reduce travel.
• – Employee Engagement: Educating and involving employees in sustainability initiatives, encouraging them to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors both at work and at home.
• – Continuous Improvement: Regularly evaluating and improving green initiatives, setting goals for reducing environmental impact, and striving for continuous improvement in sustainability practices.

By embracing these characteristics, a Green Office not only reduces its environmental footprint but also promotes a healthier and more sustainable workplace for employees.

3. What are the benefits of a Green Office?

When businesses create a green office model in their workspace, they can reap specific benefits:

1. Minimizing CO2 emissions into the environment, reducing the business’s impact on the surrounding environment.

For example, the WWF office in Finland has reduced over 12,400 tons of CO2 emissions from 2007 to 2021. This amount of emissions is equivalent to 2,413 round-trip flights from Bangkok (Thailand) to the capital Helsinki (Finland).

2. Motivating office employees to establish a green, environmentally friendly lifestyle, integrating with nature.

3. Working in a green office helps employees enhance physical and mental health; increasing job satisfaction.

4. Serving as an excellent communication tool for businesses to convey to the public.

4. Green Offices Increase Work Productivity by 15%

There are many ways to help employees improve their work efficiency, but a relatively simple method that can increase work productivity by up to 15% is to harmoniously decorate and arrange plants in the office.

Indeed. According to a recent study at the University of Queensland (Australia), decorating and arranging plants in the office can indeed make employees feel happier and increase labor productivity by up to 15%.

Co-author of the study, Professor of Psychology Alex Haslam (University of Queensland), said: “Offices with many plants show employees that their employers care about them and their welfare. Moreover, these types of offices create a comfortable, cool space, thereby helping employees work more effectively.”

This study, considered the first evaluation of the long-term impacts of the surrounding environment on productivity, mainly focuses on three workspaces in the UK and the Netherlands. Minimalist offices decorated with plants, air quality, concentration, and job satisfaction will be monitored over two months.

“The findings show that investing in decorating and beautifying the workplace helps maximize the quality of life and work productivity for employees,” Professor Haslam said.

Incorporating green spaces into the work environment has also been proven to help employees recover quickly from stress, increase patience, and satisfaction with life. Beyond these benefits, green office spaces play a key role in compensating for the heat reduction effects due to urbanization processes.

5. Outstanding Green Office Buildings in Ho Chi Minh city

5.1 Officehaus Tower

OfficeHaus situated in the heart of Celadon City in Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City, is a modern office building designed with a focus on sustainability, resource savings, and minimizing environmental impact. Inspired by Bauhaus principles, which emphasize ‘form follows function,’ OfficeHaus offers a minimalist and efficient workspace conducive to productivity and well-being. The building provides the largest available floorplates in the city, over 2,500 sqm, designed to meet the needs of modern businesses looking for flexible and spacious work environments.

OfficeHaus boasts a LEED Gold certification, underscoring its commitment to environmental stewardship and energy efficiency.

5.2 The Mett

The METT is a prominent Grade A+ office building situated in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, poised to be a new landmark with its state-of-the-art design and prime location. Offering panoramic views of the Saigon River and Thu Thiem, The METT is ideally positioned just two minutes from District 1 and five minutes from Ba Son Metro station, making it highly accessible and an attractive location for multinational corporations in finance, commerce, consultancy, and real estate sectors.

One of the distinguishing features of The METT is its Green Mark Gold certification, awarded by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore.

5.3 The Hallmark

The Hallmark is a distinguished Grade A+ office tower located in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. As the first premium Grade A office building in Thu Thiem NUA, The Hallmark is designed to offer a high-end work environment with panoramic views of the river and city. The architecture of The Hallmark supports flexible office layouts and features a customizable security system, catering to the diverse needs of its tenants​.

The building stands out not only for its location and design but also for its commitment to sustainability, holding a Green Mark Gold certificate. This reflects its energy-efficient amenities and environmentally friendly design elements.

5.4 The Nexus

The Nexus stands as a distinctive high-end complex within Ho Chi Minh City, integrating a shopping center, three residential towers, a five-star hotel, and a Grade A office building. This development is noteworthy for achieving dual certifications: LEED Gold and WELL Silver, underscoring its commitment to environmental sustainability and the well-being of its occupants.

Above are the insights from Maison Office on the concept of Green Offices, as well as the benefits and a few exemplary examples of this office model when applied to the workplace environment. Thank you for your interest in following the article!

Bui Duc Huy

Editor and content team manager at Maison Office.

With over 5 years of experience in consulting and extensive content editing in the real estate services and interior design field. Sharing valuable information with customers, partners, and attracting millions of views.