WASHINGTON D.C.–– As a part of a Wellness Showcase at the Booz Allen Hamilton Innovation Center, Daltile’s Mari Anne Randall, LEED AP, director of market innovation for the commercial sector, participated in an expert panel discussing wellness and health in workplace designs. The event, inspired by the 2017 Daltile Interior Design Scholarship, Presented by the ASID Foundation, which challenged students to reimagine the Innovation Center, welcomed the D.C.-area architectural and design community to celebrate wellness and evolution of office design.

In addition to Randall, the panel at the Wellness Design Showcase consisted of an impressive lineup of experts, including Susan Chung, Ph.D., senior associate, research, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Brinda Sen Gupta, deputy director of the Booz Allen Innovation Center and Andy Yeh, LEED AP, principal, FOX Architects. Moderated by Susan Wiggins, CAE, Hon. IDC, senior strategic advisor, ASID. The experts took the stage to discuss their take on the industry’s growing interest and request to integrate healthy living and wellness concepts into the workplace.

“At Daltile, we are committed to supplying our customers with the products they need to meet the increasingly important building certifications, such as LEED, Fitwel and WELL,” said Randall. “Understanding that the inherent benefits of tile align with wellness design, such as tile being free of harmful pollutants, we feel that it is important for us to have a voice in the conversation and further promote why tile should be considered for these designs.”

“As a manufacturer, we are striving to create products that meet the needs of office occupants, without sacrificing style and beauty, which also positively impacts employees and performance. For example, our Stepwise™ technology increases slip-resistance of tile, allowing for the same tile be used in interior and exterior applications, creating continuous, flowing design between two spaces,” noted Randall. “Through the Wellness Showcase and our participation on the panel, we were able to provide our perspective while hearing from others in the industry. It was exciting to celebrate the future of workplace design and participate in an open discussion with like-minded professionals.”