Green Office Environments Linked with Higher Cognitive Function Scores

Working in a green building makes you smarter. Well, it may not teach you Latin or the basics of trigonometry, but working in a green building will increase cognitive functioning, according to a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study looked at how different types of functions were affected by their environment. While some areas only showed marginal improvements, performance in functions like crisis response, information usage, and strategy planning nearly doubled.

How did green buildings achieve such results? Conditions simulated a green building with a high outdoor air ventilation rate (labeled Green+) and artificially elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels independent of ventilation. Increasing the supply of outdoor air lowers exposure to not only CO2 and other indoor contaminants. In this case, a breath of fresh air is more than a cliché. A well-ventilated, green building environment was critical to the improvement in functioning.

We all wish we could be a little smarter. By committing to green building improvements, we can be. The added benefit to the workforce is the cherry on top to green building technology, which is already being implemented at a rapid pace for cost saving and environmental compliance. It’s time to get smart and go green.

Read the full study: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1510037