WELL Ahead of The Curve
June 2, 2016 | By Jessica Bates
"I’m the canary in the coal mine,” says Barbara Ciesla, senior vice president at JLL in Toronto. For years, Ciesla has worked to promote sustainability in commercial real estate, but whenever she participated in discussions on energy management or green building materials, she always felt something was overlooked: the impact on the building’s occupants. “I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis since I was two years old, and it’s made me acutely aware of how my environment affects my well-being,” she explains. Everything from what she eats to changes in barometric pressure can trigger inflammation and pain for Ciesla, which has helped her immediately understand the benefits of the newest big trend in commercial real estate: occupant wellness.
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