Thomas, J; Giddings, B and Little, L (2006) An holistic evaluation of the workplace environment. In: Boyd, D (ed.) Proceedings of 22nd Annual ARCOM Conference, 4-6 September 2006, Birmingham, UK.
Abstract
Research into the impact of the workplace environment has largely been focused upon the indoor climate i.e. illuminance, sounds, air movement, air temperature and relative humidity. This has led to the development of design guidance that outline the conditions necessary for a comfortable environment. Through analysis of 20 workplaces the impact of a whole range of factors comprising the workplace environment were evaluated. The findings demonstrate that the majority of people are satisfied with the indoor climate if all aspects fall within the recommended comfort ranges. On the other hand, people were less satisfied with aspects of the workplace related to spatial layout and the interior design of the workspace. Most significantly the majority of occupants were dissatisfied with the colour scheme, provision of plants, choice, personal control and break areas. It appears that the level of dissatisfaction is directly related to the level of research conducted into a specific factor. The results of this first phase of research have informed a pioneering study of stimulation in the workplace. Experiments within a workplace are being conducted to determine whether occupants' levels of stimulation in the afternoon, when attention levels typically fall, can be maintained at an optimal level through the manipulation of the environment. The implications of these studies upon workplace design and future research are discussed.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | environment; productivity; satisfaction; stimulation; workplace |
| Index terms: | experiment, personal control, workspace, productivity, satisfaction, illuminance, interior design, relative humidity, air movement, comfort, workplace design, indoor climate, workplace environment, air temperature |
| Subjects: | design practice, management, building performance, sociology, specialized design, occupational health and safety management, behavioral psychology, environmental engineering, air quality, data collection methods, project delivery, environmental science |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Design Practice, Sustainability, Stakeholder Management, Project Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Health and Safety |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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