JLG is Re-Designing the Way We Work

By Tracy Nicholson
Photo provided by JLG Architects

Over the course of a pandemic and amid an overconsumption of online everything, our society collectively realized the impact of mental health issues on our personal and professional lives. Sure, we spoke softly of mental health concerns with close friends and family, but in the office, this discussion was intentionally muted. Historically, mental health was considered too personal, even for the water cooler. Today, our professional lives have a more personalized perspective, and businesses are recognizing health and happiness as major factors in productivity. Deep down, we’re all complex humans, so why shouldn’t our environments support both our mental and physical health?

It’s Complicated

In the past, we avoided carrying mental health concerns to work due to the stigma that typically tagged along. Today, we look around and see what has been hiding in plain view: a neurodiverse office, including clinical and seasonal depression, anxiety, autism, trauma, PTSD, addiction, chronic disease, and even learning disabilities like dyslexia, ADHD, and dysgraphia—all forcing employees to quietly adapt to an environment that may not be set up for them to thrive.

To entice employees to come back to an office setting, business leaders have had to get real, facing the fact that a workplace filled with offices, one-size-fits-all cubicles, and an on-site gym may not be meeting the diversity of employee needs.

Within two of JLG Architects’ design studios, Workplace and Healthcare, their once distinct worlds have collided. Often, the teams are working together to solve complex human problems, including how to accommodate a full spectrum of evolving needs with limited space. JLG’s Workplace team has been prompted to take cues from the design of mental and behavioral healthcare systems, adapting lessons learned to improve workplace environments.

The new modern office requires flexibility to be at the very core of the design, creating workplaces that allow people to work in a variety of settings. Ideally, these settings provide a range of acoustical environments, as some people thrive in a quiet, calm setting while others perform their best in an active and energetic environment. Modern offices invite the users to adjust their settings to best suit their physical comfort level—bright light versus dim light, a warmer area versus a cooler location—and include amenities that are meaningful to the employees.

As hospitals and clinics are creating quiet spaces for employee respite, today’s offices are giving employees quiet spaces to destress, unwind, or address personal challenges that have the potential to derail the day. When all of these elements are thoughtfully integrated into the office environment, employees feel cared for, valued, and seen. Ultimately, creating an office where hypo-sensitive, hyper-sensitive, and neuro-typical individuals can all thrive in a harmonious environment.

JLG’s Tracy Jordre, the principal architect and workplace expert, is a professional and personal advocate for mental health, determined to make an impact with workplace environments that help employees thrive, collaborate, grow, learn, and prosper together.

“Post COVID-19, our focus was solely on the technical and health design protocols that we learned in real-time,” Jordre said. “However, my awareness shifted when my own family was navigating a mental health crisis. More recently, I started to experience symptoms that I presumed to be ADHD, a very prominent workplace neurodiversity. These symptoms became a catalyst to my research journey into understanding neurodiversity in the workplace, quickly recognizing that I was not alone.”

“Approximately 20% of the American workforce identifies as neurodiverse, ranging from dyslexia, ADHD, and depression to many other diagnoses not as commonly and openly discussed (Doyle, Nancy, 2020). Today, we have to be more focused on neurodiverse-friendly workplaces, creating intentional, thoughtful spaces with human-centric design,” Jordre said. “We’re now designing for a symphony of quiet zones, flexible workstations, sensory rooms, collaboration hubs, training arenas, outdoor retreats, social hubs, personal nooks, and wellness sanctuaries.”

Jordre’s commercial work demonstrates creative design solutions that weave together workplace efficiencies, biophilic elements, sustainable design, storytelling, and the unexpected comforts of home. She leans into uniquely designed workplaces that evolve and respond to employees’ changing needs over time—helping businesses maximize their ability to recruit and retain top talent year after year. Jordre understands that business is no longer strictly business—happier, healthier people are the foundation for a better bottom line.

JLG’s Healthcare Studio Leader Todd Medd is also a professional and personal advocate for mental health awareness, working closely with health professionals to explore how he can drive solutions for a more accessible built, and virtual mental health environment.

Fargo's 4-6-3 Foundation Posing for a picture — Fargo’s 4-6-3 Foundation

Driven by the loss of his son to a mental health crisis in 2021, Medd and his family founded Fargo’s 4-6-3 Foundation, aimed at keeping the conversation going, reducing the stigma, building hope, and ending suicide—starting within our community of schools, workplaces, and healthcare systems.

“As a society, we have been trained to ignore or minimize the effects of mental health disorders, and it’s devastating,” Medd said. “We all have the ability to speak up and acknowledge the signs, solutions, and importance of mental health management at home, within our schools, and in the workplace. We are working to break the silence and continually find ways to show our support for those around us because sometimes the warning signs are difficult to see.”

“We encourage businesses to go beyond traditional norms and set the stage for the workplace of the future—one that thrives on the brilliance of neurodiverse minds.” Tracy Jordre
| Principal Architect & Workplace Expert at JLG Architects

First Western Bank in Bismarck — First Western Bank, Bismarck, ND

JLG’s CEO Michelle Mongeon Allen, a North Dakota native, pushes the firm’s widespread commitment, leading the team in stronger support of mental health initiatives across all nine Midwest offices. Yes, their firm offers plenty of amenities, but instead of an on-site gym, employee-owners are encouraged to go for a walk, get together with colleagues, volunteer for causes important to them, connect with the community, and support each other’s efforts to heal mental and physical challenges.

Employee-owners at JLG have access to paid time off for volunteerism, 12 free counseling sessions per year, and a workplace culture without stigma. Their offices also support a variety of privacy preferences and collaborative environments, recognizing that one size does not fit all. Here, agile scheduling accommodates personal obligations, and vacation time is mandatory— considered part of reducing stress levels and reconnecting with human needs and personal priorities.

“As architects, we have the ability to create environments that empower a positive impact on mental health. It’s not just about providing employees with top-tier amenities. We have to build our emotional culture and tactile environment around enduring acceptance; inclusive and supportive of mental and physical health,” Mongeon Allen said. “Work-life balance does not equate to an even parsing out of minutes, but rather to the satisfaction found in enjoying an abundant life, one that feels supportive at home and at work. Our employee-owners also have a desire to support their community, so it just makes sense to encourage meaningful connection in the ways they choose, including volunteerism, mentorship, networking, and thought leadership.”

Community Matters Podcast

Last year, JLG committed even further, creating a safe space for difficult conversations within their Community Matters podcast on Spotify. Hosted by the firm’s Community studio leaders, the podcast serves as an inclusive platform that invites locals to speak up for systematic exploration of incarceration, recidivism, rehabilitation, addiction and recovery, behavioral and mental health, and public service.

In 2023, the five-part podcast met with the Restoring Promise Initiative, Recovery Reinvented, the Abused Adult Resource Center, a Warden at Dakota Women’s Correctional Rehab Center, and a Minnesota man who served a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

Discussions based on insider perspectives have opened the door to new ideas that both parties can take home, empowering the subject’s role in society and JLG’s role as architects who impact our community’s built environments. From the design of mental health facilities to the design of workplaces that work harder for happiness, the bottom line relies on everyday environments that can adapt to the human nature of our needs.