While it may sometimes feel like the challenges our world faces are overwhelmingly large and complex, taking a step back and assessing what specific impact you can have empowers you to put our planet, step by step, on the path to a more just and sustainable reality. This is how stok approaches its work. We have previously shared with you how stok is driving positive environmental impact; now let’s discuss their social impact.

stok works with partners to create engaging work environments, prioritizing the experience of the occupant and a building’s place in its greater community. Creating a healthy, engaging, and productive work culture is becoming a priority for many organizations and is an exciting and powerful advancement in the field of impact design.

Did you know there is now a way to formally measure a building’s impact on the health and well-being of its occupants? The WELL Building Standard measures the ability of a workplace to create a healthy and productive indoor environment for building occupants, reflecting a seismic shift in the real estate industry toward health and wellness.

So how does stok create spaces that promote occupant health and well-being? While there are myriad ways to achieve workplace wellness, here are three of stok’s top strategies.

1.    Incorporate flexible workspaces and conditions to create environments where people are productive and engaged.

stok creates buildings that are not only sustainable, but healthy, comfortable, and safe for the people inside. One example is Salesforce Tower, the tallest building allowed in San Francisco by zoning. stok provided LEED consulting, energy modeling, and life cycle cost analysis services for the project, resulting in stringent materials specifications, floor-by-floor air intake for natural ventilation, and metal sunshades to maximize daylight and views while reducing solar heat gain. These design features work together to create a healthier and more enjoyable indoor work environment.

2.    Utilize biomimicry to design spaces with the creativity and efficiency of nature. 

Biomimicry seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating patterns and strategies found in natural systems. For example, living walls, like those found in stok’s own office, illustrate biophilic design principles, bringing nature into the workplace to purify air and provide a beautiful aesthetic.

3.    Lead by example.

stok’s social impact goes farther than creating spaces that improve the physical and emotional well-being of their occupants. Early in 2016, the stok team finalized a thorough soul-searching process that allowed them to define their core values and purpose as an organization, leading to the complete restructuring and rebranding of the company. Realizing that social justice and equity are inherent to the organization’s mission, stok decided to undergo the rigorous certification process to become a B Corp. While most companies have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits, B Corp certification allows stok to use business to maximize positive impact on social and environmental challenges. stok attributes part of its immense impact on social progress to its B Corp certification and encourages partners to join by pursuing the label as well.

stok also works to give back to its local community. As a company, it offers employees four days of paid time off for volunteering each year, and participates in group events centered on the restoration of its community and local ecosystems several times a year. stok also encourages all of these strategies during the work culture consulting offered to its clients.

stok continues to pursue an environmentally restorative and socially equitable world through its work and team members that are passionate about driving positive impact.

In the final part of our 4-part blog series, we will tell you about the people behind the organization. They have managed to achieve environmental and social impact through their work on new and existing buildings, but next, hear how they have created a unique and engaging working environment within their own building via an infectious work culture.

Don't miss part 4 of our blog series to learn about stok’s unique work culture