LOHAS = Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability.  Hmm.  Is that really a thing?

Well, yes.  And a significant thing, at that.  What the New York Times called “The biggest market you never heard of.”

WHAT IS LOHAS?

If you truly haven’t ever seen or heard of LOHAS, let’s get a quick overview from Wikipedia: 

• Based on mid-1990’s work of US sociologist Paul H. Ray. The term was coined in 1999 by Conscious Media.
• Values + Worldview = Lifestyle
• Based less on demographics and more on values of healthy living and sustainability.
• LOHAS consumers tend to be more wealthy and better educated than average.
• More than 30% of US consumer market, and growing.  

So you may think of granola, yoga and anti-consumerism; but don’t.  Think instead, as a buyer, “how can I make my consumer choices align with what I believe, and support the changes I want to see in this world?”

OK.  That’s a little clearer.  Pretty easy to understand in the retail space.

• CVS stopped selling cigarettes in 2014, even though that was a huge profit center.
• Chipotle eliminated GMO’s from all ingredients in 2015, even though it costs more and is much more difficult. 
• MegaFood became the first supplement brand to have its entire line of products certified Glyphosate Residue Free.

Note that these examples were huge efforts with real results.  They were not marketing ploys.  They were authentic moves that positioned these companies as truly caring about their consumer’s health.

WHAT DOES LOHAS MEAN FOR DEVELOPERS/MANAGERS?

But what if I’m in the development/built environment/housing space?  Do I still care about LOHAS?  

Yes, as a developer or facility manager, you need to care.  The need to become health promoting and sustainable is not just a corporate social responsibility.  It is also core to your business objectives.  The impact data of health and sustainability measures have earned them the right to be valued for their own sake.  AND as a competitive advantage. 

In short, LOHAS is good for your bottom line:

• Consumers will pay a premium for healthy and sustainable products and living and working environments.  Perhaps a premium of 20% or more.
• Offices and residential space that authentically deliver on LOHAS values will be in higher demand than those that do not.

WHERE DO DEVELOPERS/MANAGERS START?

So how do you authentically deliver on LOHAS values in the office and residential space? 

The low-lying fruit includes materials and energy sources.  Think about your materials used in building and maintenance.  Are they sustainably and fairly sourced products?  Are they free of negative health impacts?  Do clean and renewable energy sources power the building?

Beyond materials and energy, how else can a developer or facility manager embrace LOHAS values?  Here are a few ideas to consider, whether you’re building new or dealing with an existing office or residential space:

• Provide clear and instant feedback on resource use by office and residential tenants.
• Add rain barrels and explore opportunities to reuse grey water.
• Provide battery storage for solar operations.
• Accommodate charging stations for electric vehicles.
• Offer secure and weather proof areas for bicycles, and areas for repair.
• Design convenient pull in capacity for car share/ride share/autonomous vehicle pick up.
• Convert underutilized parking space.  Work with the building tenants to convert it into a natural asset for building users.
• Provide access to natural light, natural views, plants, nature.
• Explore FITWEL as a set of strategies and practices.

The opportunities to up your game are as unique as your office/residential space.  Just remember, you won’t be able to fake this or offer some weak gesture in the right direction.  To actually appeal to the LOHAS crowd, you can’t just market to them, you have to become one of them.

What’s your first step to becoming legit LOHAS?