CASE STUDY 3 IMPROVING WELLBEING THROUGH
SPACE AND PLACE CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
Wellbeing has been cited as the ‘grand challenge’ of our generation for contemporary organisations. This includes universities which of course have to act in support of both student and staff wellbeing. The relationship between space (especially outdoors) and wellbeing is well-evidenced. This prompted colleagues at Cardiff Business School to consider how two of their key spaces could be transformed in order to enhance wellbeing within the department. First, a Green Team of professional services and academic staff was formed who came together in their spare time to clear an area at the rear of one of Cardiff’s buildings to create a ‘Wellbeing garden’. The garden contains a wide variety of plants and flowers, along with a hoverfly lagoon, hedgehog and bug houses and a herb garden where colleagues and students can help themselves. It also includes a range of comfortable seating options, including a Happy to Chat bench for those that would like to some company. The Garden is well used by students, especially at revision time, and staff from across the University come to sit in it at lunchtime. Second, the team turned its attention to a vacant catering space in another of the Business School buildings. This has now been transformed into ‘the Lounge’, a well-used and relaxing chill out space for students which has quiet spaces, booths, vending facilities, and an outdoor area with glass pods and recycled garden furniture.
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The journey of Welsh Business Schools
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