Still Resisting a Return to the Office? What If It Smelled Great?
For the millions of workers who find going into the office stinks, some real-estate executives say they have a remedy: Make the office smell better. Hines, a commercial landlord with skyscrapers worldwide, has developed a special scent it began quietly pumping into the heating, air conditioning and ventilation system in its Texas Tower headquarters in Houston late last year. It’s rolling out the fragrance in more than 20 other office buildings and apartment complexes this year, from Chicago and New York to London and Delhi, India.
Taking cues from luxury resorts such as St. Regis hotels, coupled with research that shows pleasant smells can boost moods, Hines is part of a growing biophilic trend that aims to make workplaces feel, look and, yes, smell, more like a day at the spa. Companies already were populating offices with sensory-stimulating design such as greenery, ample natural light and soothing white noise.
Now, the office is getting a nose job. “The amount of clients that are now asking ‘How is this weaved throughout the space?—that conversation has definitely increased," Natalie Engels, a design director at architecture firm Gensler, says of wellness aspects, including office scents. Hines is aiming for aromatherapy that can enhance worker well-being, explains co-CEO Laura Hines-Pierce.
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