Search

Addressing work environment design methods has become increasingly important due to pandemic-induced changes in the ways and locations of work. This research addresses work environment design through a theory-informed workplace design framework to study the co-design process, the impact of spatial atmosphere on workplace experience and satisfaction, and infrequently studied spaces, i.e. meeting rooms and breakout areas. This case study is based on co-design methods, a workplace design intervention study and its evaluation. Comprehensive design is addressed through analytical dimensions of design, i.e. instrumental, symbolic, aesthetic and perceived dimensions of atmosphere and affordances. Furthermore, the spatial experience is explored through need-supply fit theory and workplace satisfaction. The pre-design results showed that employees have distinct design preferences based on perceived and analytical dimensions for technical, hybrid and creative meetings and individual work and recovery events. The workspace interventions were designed using the design information gathered from the co-design process; the changes implemented in intervention spaces increased employee satisfaction towards them. The study's methodology contributes to establishing a theory-informed workplace design framework supporting user-centred workplace design and evaluation and indicates a role for spatial atmosphere in need-supply fit formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reassessment of workplace necessities. It has resulted in the current shift from traditional workplace design to creating work experiences—a new paradigm in workplace management. Hence, while some conventional workplace factors remain important to the experiences of workers and, thus, to their well-being, comfort, and productivity, recent studies suggest other factors, not widely known, as important in creating the appropriate work experience. Our study explores these other factors in the workplace that contribute to or may be very important to, workers' comfort, well-being and productivity. These include working mode; facilities; sustainability practices; and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—cultural connection. A sample of 149 occupants across offices in New Zealand was conveniently collected for the study and analysed using descriptive and content analysis in SPSS v24. The results show that the occupants prefer to have private offices in the workplace and separate meeting rooms for better concentration on work. In terms of working mode, a combined model of remote working and in-office working is preferred. Furthermore, occupants prefer to have access control and fire safety systems essentially in the workplace and for their offices to be cleaned daily. For sustainable measures in the workplace, the respondents choose the following as practical and convenient: turning off computers outside work hours, using more LED light bulbs in the office, opening windows and doors when required, and using a motion sensor lighting system. Interestingly, most of the respondents did not think having a cultural connection in their workplace was important. The study findings represent significant progress in identifying the needs of contemporary office workers. These findings assist facility managers and workplace designers in developing more proactive approaches to anticipated user issues in buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longitudinal data were collected from two smaller organizations implementing activity-based work environments. The sample consisted of a total of 50 employees, with each employee being surveyed four times. The initial survey took place a month before the activity-based work environment was implemented, followed by measures one, six, and 12 months after implementation. At each measurement point, the response rate was 58–76 %, providing a total of 130 observations. All data were collected using an online survey, with participants receiving a link via email followed up with two reminders. Each survey contained the same questions, except for the personality items, which were only included in the first survey. Participation was voluntary, and participants consented to take part. No incentives were provided for participating.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate and explore Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management, office ergonomics, and musculoskeletal symptoms in a group of office workers relocating from cell offices to activity-based flex offices (AFOs). Methods: The analysis was based on qualitative interview data with 77 employees and longitudinal questionnaire data from 152 employees. Results: Results indicate that there was a need to clarify roles and processes related to the management of OHS. Self-rated sit comfort, working posture, and availability of daylight deteriorated and symptoms in neck and shoulders increased after the relocation and seemed to be influenced by many factors, such as difficulties adjusting the workstations, the availability of suitable workplaces, and age, sex, and individual needs. Conclusion.: Research on the long-term effects of physical work environments and management of (OHS) issues after implementing activity-based flex offices is sparse. This study demonstrates the importance of planning and organising OHS issue management when implementing an AFO, and to carefully implement office ergonomics among office workers. Practitioner summary: Knowledge of effects on the physical work environment and management of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issues after implementing activity-based flex offices (AFOs) is sparse. Findings from this mixed methods longitudinal study suggests a possible need to reorganise the management of OHS issues and carefully implement office ergonomics when implementing flexible office types like AFOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and function of high-rise office buildings have evolved over the past century to accommodate changing working lifestyles and trends. Technological advancements and the recent pandemic have further influenced workplace dynamics, leading to challenges such as redundant office spaces. Despite the productivity of remote work, office environments foster human connection and collaboration, which are crucial for innovation. Ensuring sustainability in high-rise offices demands adaptation to evolving work trends through future office designs. This study examines the evolution of high-rise offices in Malaysia, exploring factors influencing workplace trends and identifying emerging design concepts. Using qualitative methods, including literature review and case studies in Kuala Lumpur, the findings underscore a transition towards versatile, user-centric environments in Kuala Lumpur's high-rise buildings, driven by the city's ambition as a global financial hub. Holistic approaches addressing social, physical, and economic factors are essential for navigating challenges and opportunities in this evolving landscape. In addition, integrating advanced technologies and communitycentric environments into office design is crucial for creating future-proof workspaces. Ultimately, the findings could inspire practical and creative designs for promoting productivity and a human-centred workplace within high-rise offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Architectural Sciences & Applications (JASA) is the property of Journal of Architectural Sciences & Applications and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Online Journal of Art & Design is the property of Online Journal of Art & Design and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 caused a transition to work-from-home conditions, closures of recreation facilities and cancelation of social events. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to characterize and quantify the impact COVID-19 related shutdowns had on perceptions of health and wellbeing, musculoskeletal discomfort, and physical characteristics of workstation set-up in full time workers who transitioned to working from home. METHODS: 297 participants from 8 countries completed a retrospective pre/post survey design that assessed outcomes prior to COVID-19 shutdowns and when each participant was experiencing peak pandemic-related restrictions. There were 3 categories including, health and wellbeing, musculoskeletal discomfort, and workplace ergonomics. RESULTS: General discomfort on a scale from 1 to 100 increased from 31.4 pre to 39.9 during COVID-19. Notable areas increasing in severity of discomfort from pre to during included the neck (41.8 to 47.7), upper back (36.3 to 41.3) and right wrist (38.7 to 43.5). The percentage of the population experiencing discomfort increased from pre to during in the low back (41.5% to 55.2%), upper back (28.7% to 40.9%), neck (45.5% to 60.9%) and right wrist (16.1% to 23.7%). CONCLUSION: There were three distinct groups for physical activity one group including, one maintaining and one that decreased, which did not have an impact on perceived general discomfort. There was a significant decrease in usage of a desk and adjustable chair and an increase in laptop use. Working from home in some capacity will likely be a more common occurrence which will require further ergonomic assessments and considerations to keep a healthy workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of Covid-19 worldwide has caused significant changes in all fields. Many businesses had to stop operating with their business-as-usual norms and transferred their employees to an online mode. The design of the workplace had to evolve to accommodate those changes. Many firms and offices have reverted to unusual measures to operate and to also maintain the required safety for their employees. This research investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the office space design, with special focus on the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The research engages stakeholders through surveys & analysis to reflect the different approaches and measures taken by firms and office-owners in order to guarantee a safe return to their employees to the office, and in order to generate the required lessons learned. The paper adopts both a qualitative and quantitative methodology. The quantitative part of the study provides primary data related to the workspace environment, assessing its post status and highlighting the modifications made in order to comply with the new norms and requirements. On the other hand, the quantitative part of the study offers an in-depth study involving tailored interviews with business owners, in order to reflect on different adopted approaches and to create a better understanding of the post COVID emerging requirements. From the data analysis, the paper concludes with lessons learned that would improve the office workspace design, and to provide employees with a better and healthier working environment that can sustain any similar arousing situation and make the office design more efficient in the long run.

Tens of millions of workers in Europe work in office environments. Such a physical environment might seem fairly harmless compared to the exposures of many other work environments. Yet, the office design is associated with important occupational health-related outcomes, as demonstrated by increased sickness absence (1) and the risk of disability retirement (2) in traditional open-plan offices. Unfortunately, modern office designs, such as activity-based offices, have received limited attention in the field of occupational and public health. Even in traditional offices, the mechanisms behind the associations with sickness absence and work ability are poorly understood and research on particular health outcomes, such as mental health and musculoskeletal disorders, is very limited. Research continues to be fixated on the simplistic dichotomy of “open-plan” versus individual cellular offices, while the evolution towards more sophisticated and complex office designs has been under way for several decades. As the development of office design appears to have been be accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic (3), research on the health implications of modern offices is severely lagging behind. Contemporary office design For a few decades, the trend has been towards more space-efficient office designs that are based on desk-sharing instead of assigned rooms and workstations. This development is supported by many forces in society, including digitalization, increasingly flexible work arrangements, an emphasis on collaboration – and collaborative workspaces – as a key productivity factor in knowledge work, and growing attention on the environmental impacts of buildings. An activity-based office design is currently a common solution to address these different trends (4). Thus, workers are expected to switch between workspaces that are designed for different activities (eg, collaborative or concentrative tasks) depending on what they are doing. Before the pandemic, a typical activity-based office had desks for about 70% of employees (5, 6), but much lower targets of desks-to-employees ratios can be expected as a response to increased teleworking. Many organizations are also re-thinking the role of the office as teleworking appears to have permanently increased (3). Thus, it may not be just the amount of space, but also the types of activities that are supposed to take place at the office, that could change in the coming years. Modern office designs are commonly confused with traditional open-plan offices. However, the dimensions of the office design that could be relevant to how workers experience and are affected by the environment are more complex. An activity-based office can be defined by (i) desk sharing (ie, lack of assigned spaces), (ii) the provision and flexible use of task-related workspaces, and (iii) the openness of the main work environment (6) although, in practice, there is plenty of variation in how the concept is applied and described. The location of the office is yet another dimension (7). While working from home has become a major topic of research during the COVID-19 pandemic (8–10), increased teleworking might also lead to new applications of coworking office designs (eg, near residential areas). Such offices often apply the activity-based design but are intended for the shared use of small businesses or individual workers from different organizations. Different combinations of these dimensions can create physically and socially different work conditions in terms of both job demands (eg, distractions) and job resources (eg, social relations). For example, Gerdenitsch et al (11) found that environmental distractions decreased and interaction across teams increased after workers moved from shared office rooms to an activity-based office. The reference office type, however, is important as the risks and benefits of modern office designs appear different depending on which office type they are compared to (6,12). For example, a controlled natural intervention study by Haapakangas et al (13) found increased job demands and decreased social support after a relocation from individual cellular offices to an activity-based office, while no effect was found for those who moved from an open-plan office to an activity-based office. The desk-sharing feature appears to be important for more positive perceptions of the office environment in shared workspaces (14), possibly due to facilitating an active choice of suitable workspace. Such behaviour could potentially contribute to a higher fit between the person and the environment (11,15) and higher perceived autonomy (16) as well as more physical activity in sedentary jobs (17–19). On the other hand, qualitative observations suggest that constantly switching workspace – with all related activities from planning the workday to setting up and clearing workstations – is an additional job demand (14, 20). Gaps in existing research It is striking how little is known about the health implications of modern office designs. The research field is developing and particularly the number of high-quality studies is still small. For example, a systematic review on health, work performance and perceived work environment in activity-based offices that was published in 2019 (12) identified only 17 studies, many of which reported only descriptive information, were congress papers, or investigated only activity-based offices without any reference condition. Few of the included studies actually addressed health, indicating that perceived satisfaction with different aspects of the work environment and self-rated productivity have been the dominating outcomes of interest so far. While research on office design has increased in recent years, studies on outcomes such as musculoskeletal disorders, sedentary behavior, mental health, and sickness absence are still rare and the evidence is equivocal. Studies often lack in the definition and description of the investigated office and pay insufficient attention to confounding factors. The use of registry data and other objective measures has been rare. Longitudinal studies on the effects of office redesign tend to lack control groups and rarely exceed one-year follow-ups. The individual-level variation in the perceptions and effects of modern offices has become a topic of research in recent years (11, 15, 21), but there is still little, if any, knowledge on vulnerable groups or individual risk factors for adverse effects on health. Even though several systematic reviews have addressed the effects of office design (1, 12, 17, 22, 23), they have not critically evaluated the methodological deficiencies of the field and their implications on the interpretation of the existing evidence. The evidence pointing towards impaired well-being and health in traditional open-plan offices cannot be directly generalized to modern office designs, such as activity-based offices. Given the limited and partly inconsistent research, the relations between modern office designs and health are still largely unknown. Suggestions for future research The limitations of the existing knowledge are partly related to the interdisciplinary nature of this research topic. Producing information that is both relevant and reliable requires combining building sciences (eg, facility management, architecture) with expertise from behavioral, occupational and health sciences. Thus, more research with a strong occupational health perspective is crucial to raise the quality of scientific knowledge in this area of research. Questions on the physical work environment should be included in large epidemiological studies of occupational health and well-being. Research is needed on specific health outcomes (eg, mental and musculoskeletal health), as well as antecedents (eg, health behaviors) and consequences of poor health (eg, sickness absence, productivity loss). Studies should also pay attention to the explaining mechanisms and the determinants of person-environment fit in different worker groups and jobs, including the identification of potentially vulnerable groups. In particular, the physical office environment needs to be included in research on hybrid work as it is a part of the same phenomena. Secondly, strong interdisciplinary collaboration is necessary. A careful definition of the investigated workspaces, including on-site observations and specific parameters of office design and use when possible (eg, space-efficiency ratios, data from occupancy sensors), is important to accurately measure the physical environment. In our view, generic terms, such as “open-space office” or “open-plan design” should be avoided because they blur differences between traditional and modern office concepts and mask other potentially important features. Studies that define offices in terms of several features will also more likely be relevant to evaluating future office types (which are not yet known). Survey- and registry-based studies need to be complemented with objective measurements of office design parameters and physical indoor environment. For example, perceived office noise is associated with sickness absence (24), but noise disturbance depends considerably on the quality of the room acoustic design, not only the office type (25). Finally, the gaps in knowledge suggest that work environmental regulation and occupational safety and health policies may not be up to date in terms of relevant risk factors in modern office work. Public authorities, such as the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) are drawing attention to the rapid changes in the working life, such as the impact of digitalization on work and workplaces and the associated occupational safety and health challenges and opportunities. If teleworking is becoming the “new normal” and offices are re-designed in response, there is an urgent need for evidence-based guidelines and tools on how to meet employers’ responsibilities to prevent work-related disorders and promote good health and well-being at work. Interestingly, health-promoting workspaces are already becoming a selling point for consultants and workplace designers in the post-pandemic working life. But if research is (still) left behind, organizations could be basing very expensive decisions on assumptions rather than evidence. References 1. Mauss, D, Jarczok MN, Genser B, Herr R. Association of open-plan offices and sick leave - a systematic review and meta-analysis. Industrial Health. 2022, https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.2022-0053 2. Nielsen MB, Emberland JS, Knardahl S. Office design as a risk factor for disability retirement: A prospective registry study of Norwegian employees. Scand J Work Environ Health.2021;47(1):22-32. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3907 3. CBRE Research. EMEA Office Occupier Sentiment Survey. Charting the Future of the Workplace. Report of CBRE Research, May 2022. Available at https://www.cbre.com/insights/reports/emea-office-occupier-sentiment-survey-2022 4. Candido C, Thomas L, Haddad S, Zhang F, Mackey M, Ye W. Designing activity-based workspaces: satisfaction, productivity and physical activity, Build Res Inf. 2018;47(3):275-289. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2018.1476372 5. Bergsten EL, Wijk K, Hallman DM. Relocation to Activity-Based Workplaces (ABW)-Importance of the Implementation Process. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18(21):11456. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111456 6. Wohlers C, Hertel G. Choosing where to work at work-towards a theoretical model of benefits and risks of activity-based flexible offices. Ergonomics. 2017; 60(4):467-486. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2016.1188220 7. De Croon E, Sluiter J, Kuijer PP, Frings-Dresen M. The effect of office concepts on worker health and performance: a systematic review of the literature. Ergonomics. 2005;48(2):119-134. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130512331319409 8. Peters SE, Dennerlein JT, Wagner GR, Sorensen G. Work and worker health in the post-pandemic world: a public health perspective. The Lancet Public Health. 2022;7(2):e188-e194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00259-0 9. Oakman J, Kinsman N, Stuckey R, Graham M, Weale V. A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health?. BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09875-z 10. Beckel JL, Fisher GG. Telework and worker health and well-being: A review and recommendations for research and practice. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2022;19(7):3879. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073879 11. Gerdenitsch C, Korunka C, Hertel G. Need-supply fit in an activity-based flexible office: a longitudinal study during relocation. Environ Behav. 2018;50(3):273-297. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916517697766 12. Engelen L, Chau J, Young S, Mackey M, Jeyapalan D, Bauman A. Is activity-based working impacting health, work performance and perceptions? A systematic review. Build Res Inf. 2019;47(4):468-479. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2018.1440958 13. Haapakangas A, Hallman DM, Mathiassen SE, Jahncke H. The effects of moving into an activity-based office on communication, social relations and work demands-a controlled intervention with repeated follow-up. J Environ Psychol. 2019;66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101341 14. Kim J, Candido C, Thomas L, de Dear R. Desk ownership in the workplace: The effect of non-territorial working on employee workplace satisfaction, perceived productivity and health. Build Environ. 2016;103:203-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.04.015 15. Hoendervanger JG, Van Yperen NW, Mobach MP, Albers CJ. Perceived fit in activity-based work environments and its impact on satisfaction and performance. J Environ Psychol. 2019;65: 101339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101339 16. Becker C, Soucek R, Göritz AS. Activity-based working: How the use of available workplace options increases perceived autonomy in the workplace. Work, 2022;1-12. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-210767 17. Marzban S, Candido C, Mackey M, Engelen L, Zhang F, Tjondronegoro D. A review of research in activity-based working over the last ten years: lessons for the post-COVID workplace. J Facil Manag. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-08-2021-0081 18. Hallman DM, Mathiassen SE, Jahncke H. Sitting patterns after relocation to activity-based offices: A controlled study of a natural intervention. Prev. Med. 2018;111:384-390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.11.031 19. Wahlström V, Bergman F, Öhberg F, Eskilsson T, Olsson T, Järvholm LS. Effects of a multicomponent physical activity promoting program on sedentary behavior, physical activity and body measures. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2019;45(5), 493-504. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3808 20. Van Der Voordt TJ. Productivity and employee satisfaction in flexible workplaces. J Corp Real Estate. 2004;6(2):133-148. https://doi.org/10.1108/14630010410812306 21. Haapakangas A, Sirola P, Ruohomäki V. Understanding user behaviour in activity-based offices. Ergonomics. 2022;1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2022.2092654 22. Richardson A, Potter J, Paterson M, Harding T, Tyler-Merrick G, Kirk R et al. Office design and health: a systematic review. New Zealand Med J. 2017;130(1467):39. 23. James O, Delfabbro P, King DL. A comparison of psychological and work outcomes in open-plan and cellular office designs: A systematic review. SAGE Open. 2021;11(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020988869 24. Clausen T, Kristiansen J, Hansen JV, Pejtersen JH, Burr H. Exposure to disturbing noise and risk of long-term sickness absence among office workers: A prospective analysis of register-based outcomes. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2013;86(7):729-734. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0810-4 25. Haapakangas A, Hongisto V, Eerola M, Kuusisto T. Distraction distance and perceived disturbance by noise-An analysis of 21 open-plan offices. J Acoust Soc Am. 2017;141(1):127-136. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4973690

Organizational research has long emphasized the importance of physical space in structuring opportunities for social interaction among workers. Using 14 months of field research during an office redesign at a large team-based sales company, I find that the adoption of non-territorial space—a change from assigned cubicles to an unassigned mix of spaces—substantially increased worker control over social interaction. Whereas the old territorial space rendered workers constantly accessible to others, the new non-territorial space altered information about workers' location and availability preferences, enabling new strategies for hiding in the space and signaling availability to others through workspace selection. This led to greater reliance on virtual or asynchronous communication technologies, and less unwanted interruption in the new non-territorial space. The findings identify how the non-territorial dimension of office space affects worker control over social interaction. They also reveal the social practices through which individuals actively use material and symbolic resources in the physical environment to avoid cognitive and temporal costs of unwanted interruption. The study complements dominant structural accounts with a richer theorization of individual agency—while physical spaces certainly structure opportunities for social interaction, they also structure the strategies that individuals can use to actively manage social interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To perform the tasks undertaken by the employees in the business life as desired; motivation, work in a comfortable environment and work efficiency. The physical order of working environments; It is essential because of its effect on employee health, psychology and work efficiency. However, the office tools and office design used also significantly impact employee performance and productivity. As a result of the Industrial Revolution and the advancement of technology, the developments achieved have ceased to be a mere housing element. They have been used as office spaces with the expansion of the business areas. This expansion led to an increase in the need for space in time and the increase in the number of employees, which caused the problem of not using the space efficiently. This problem brought about a decrease in work efficiency and led people to seek solutions. As a result, many office types have emerged. Selecting office types effectively for work efficiency and employee health is crucial in today's world. Weighting office plan types and prioritizing the alternative offices using the weights of office plan types were chosen for this study and a 2-Stage fuzzy ANP methodology was used. The results were compared by using fuzzy AHP. 22 sector experts (namely architect, interior architect, and civil engineer) were asked with the same important value about determining the best office plan type and alternative. This is the first study in the literature to apply the 2-Stage Fuzzy ANP methodology, and also the MCDM methods for office plan types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activity-based flexible offices (AFOs) provide a variety of workspaces to meet the need for social interactions and privacy at work. This study investigates the relationship between the design characteristics of AFOs and users' perceptions of visual and acoustic privacy and social interactions. This case study is based on post-occupancy evaluations in three AFO layouts at a public service organization in Sweden. A mixed-method approach is adopted that combines questionnaires and layout analysis. In general, the results showed that while aesthetics received the highest satisfaction scores, office functionality, task support, storage and visual and acoustic privacy received the lowest ratings. Key design characteristics for AFOs were operationalized, observed and exemplified: zone diversity, proportion, readability, spatial enclosure, sharing ratios and functionality of furniture and tools. These insights may contribute to better-informed decisions about the design characteristics that influence privacy and social interactions in AFOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase productivity and consider people’s health and safety in the workplace, the science of ergonomics attempts to design the environment based on human physical-mental abilities, limitations, and interests. The purpose of this study is to determine the significant environmental factors and design-based environment features in increasing the level of pleasantness. In this cross-sectional research, ergonomic and hedonomic factors which are related to design and aesthetics were assessed among office employees. 248 participants responded to the questionnaires. The findings showed the items related to the workplace had a positive and significant relationship with job satisfaction. The results depicted that several factors, such as environmental ergonomic factors (including light, sound, temperature, optimal and customizable size of office furniture and equipment for each individual), were effective in creating an optimal environment for positive and constructive interaction. The mentioned outcome might be used in the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During national lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, previously office-based workers who transitioned to home-based teleworking faced additional demands (e.g., childcare, inadequate homeworking spaces) likely resulting in poor work privacy fit. Previous office research suggests poor work privacy fit is associated with lower wellbeing and higher work fatigue. Emerging evidence suggests a relationship between childcare duties during pandemic teleworking and work fatigue. In addition to psychosocial working conditions (job demand, job control, and job change management), which are acknowledged predictors of work fatigue, this poses a significant threat to occupational health during pandemic teleworking. However, the relative effects of aspects of the psychosocial environment (job demands and resources), the home office environment (including privacy fit), and the social environment (childcare) on work fatigue as well as their interactions are under-explored. Objective: This study examined the relationships between the psychosocial, environmental, and social working conditions of teleworking during the first COVID-19 lockdown and work fatigue. Specifically, the study examined teleworkers’ physical work environment (e.g., if and how home office space is shared, crowding, and noise perceptions) as predictors of privacy fit and the relationship between privacy fit, childcare, psychosocial working conditions (job demand, job control, and job change management), and work fatigue. Work privacy fit was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between childcare and work fatigue. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with teleworkers (n = 300) during the first COVID-19 lockdown in April and May 2020; most participants were in Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Results: Path analysis was used to examine the hypothesized relationships. Privacy fit was lower for those reporting greater levels of noise in home-working spaces and those feeling crowded at home. Work fatigue was lower amongst those with greater privacy fit and higher amongst those with high levels of job demand. An indirect relationship was observed between childcare and work fatigue with privacy fit mediating this relationship. Conclusion: The influence of privacy fit has so far been largely neglected in research on teleworking, especially during the pandemic. However, its contribution to workers’ wellbeing should be acknowledged in occupational health strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexwork, that is, the combination of shared offices and telework, is one of the major changes affecting the workplace these days. But how do employees react to these transformations of their work environment? In this article, we investigate employees' resistance to the introduction of flexwork in a large Belgian organization. We show employees resisting this workspace transformation through the use of personal objects as means to physically reconnect to the place, using objects to convey their claims and objectively occupy places. Though space has become a key analytic concept in the study of organizations, research still largely neglects the concrete role played by personal objects in the capacity of workers to resist change in the occupation of workspaces. We highlight the mutual constitution of objects and space in practices of resistance to workspace change. We show specifically how the politicality of these materials – referred to here as objectal resistance – comes from the meaning that people assign to objects when they place them in order to re-establish workers' bodily presence at work – that is, from acts of objects embodiment and emplacement. We contribute to studies of resistance in the workplace by showing that objectal resistance is a complex combination of overt and covert activities, which leads to seeing the classic opposition between recognition and post-recognition politics in a new light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundDuring national lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, previously office-based workers who transitioned to home-based teleworking faced additional demands (e.g., childcare, inadequate homeworking spaces) likely resulting in poor work privacy fit. Previous office research suggests poor work privacy fit is associated with lower wellbeing and higher work fatigue. Emerging evidence suggests a relationship between childcare duties during pandemic teleworking and work fatigue. In addition to psychosocial working conditions (job demand, job control, and job change management), which are acknowledged predictors of work fatigue, this poses a significant threat to occupational health during pandemic teleworking. However, the relative effects of aspects of the psychosocial environment (job demands and resources), the home office environment (including privacy fit), and the social environment (childcare) on work fatigue as well as their interactions are under-explored.ObjectiveThis study examined the relationships between the psychosocial, environmental, and social working conditions of teleworking during the first COVID-19 lockdown and work fatigue. Specifically, the study examined teleworkers’ physical work environment (e.g., if and how home office space is shared, crowding, and noise perceptions) as predictors of privacy fit and the relationship between privacy fit, childcare, psychosocial working conditions (job demand, job control, and job change management), and work fatigue. Work privacy fit was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between childcare and work fatigue.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey was conducted with teleworkers (n = 300) during the first COVID-19 lockdown in April and May 2020; most participants were in Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.ResultsPath analysis was used to examine the hypothesized relationships. Privacy fit was lower for those reporting greater levels of noise in home-working spaces and those feeling crowded at home. Work fatigue was lower amongst those with greater privacy fit and higher amongst those with high levels of job demand. An indirect relationship was observed between childcare and work fatigue with privacy fit mediating this relationship.ConclusionThe influence of privacy fit has so far been largely neglected in research on teleworking, especially during the pandemic. However, its contribution to workers’ wellbeing should be acknowledged in occupational health strategies.

Though the average employee spends a third of their day inside an office, designing a productive workspace can be challenging for designers. However, lighting design is a critical factor for the wellbeing of the employee. With the increasing number of local and international companies opening in Saudi Arabia, it is important to study the effect of natural and artificial lighting on the productivity of employees in the office environment. It is essential to consider that employee productivity leads to economic productivity. A questionnaire was shared with the employees of the head office of Ensan Charity for Orphans Care to collect data on the preferences of staff on the current lighting design in their offices. Office design is one of the most important aspects in need of special attention, since employees spend more than eight hours daily at their offices. Lighting design is one of the key aspects of office design that has a direct impact on employees' satisfaction and productivity. The aim of this study was to discover employees' preferences for office design in Saudi Arabia. The collected data are analyzed to uncover employee preferences as well as to predict two key design aspects using machine-learning techniques. The two design aspects of concern are direct sunlight in the office environment and manual control of light intensity. This research aimed to help improve the design of the office environment according to employees' preferences and international standards through investigating sustainable lighting design elements. A further challenge to be overcome was the need for further data collection as it relates to the two design aspects mentioned above. This paper demonstrates relatively high prediction accuracies of the mentioned design considerations using a variety of machine-learning algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digitisation processes, improved remote communication systems and revolutionised office work systems. It is highly probable that all of these changes will convert office areas and office management in the near future. Remote work has brought employers attention to their employees’ health and wellbeing, as they have been proven to be the main driving force in their companies. Additionally, there is a growing interest in certifying buildings according to the principles of the WELL Building Standard, a system that focuses on evaluating those design and organisational aspects that have a direct impact on the wellbeing of building users. This publication is intended as a review, and the aim of this article is to analyse if following WELL certification rules can help to design a modern office that suits a post-pandemic society.

BACKGROUND: If companies are building offices, nowadays, they mostly realize activity-based concepts as a response to growing flexibility requirements of a digitalized society. Activity-based concepts provide multiple workplace options to employees. After moving to new workspaces, employees need to get used to the facilities and learn how to use the available workplace options. OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of activity-based working relies on the workplace options and on employees' autonomy to use them according to their current work tasks. The present study examined the change in the use of workplace options, task-environment fit, and autonomy in the workplace after the implementation of an activity-based working concept. METHODS: The study was longitudinal with two time points (Time 1 and Time 2) that were one year apart. Data were obtained prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 153 employees working in activity-based office environments in two organizations in Germany. The average age was 45 years (SD = 11); 44% were men; and 23% had leadership responsibilities. RESULTS: The increased use of available workplace options offered in activity-based working concepts was associated with better task-environment fit, which in turn led to an increase in perceived autonomy in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the core idea of activity-based working and revealed how this office concept unfolds its effectiveness: Having different workplace options available and using them led to a higher perceived task-environment fit, which in turn, contributed to a higher perceived autonomy in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation: Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO) is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of three different office designs (cellular office, shared office, and open-plan workspace) on the risk of medically certified sickness absence and the number of days, respectively, of medically certified sickness absence over a 12-month follow-up period. METHODS: The study relied on a combination of self-report survey questionnaire data on office design supplemented with official registry data number of days with sickness absence from the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration. The sample comprised 6328 Norwegian office workers (57% women, age range: 19–70 years, mean age: 44 years). RESULTS: Adjusting for survey year, employees working in a shared office [risk ratios (RR) 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–1.27] and an open-plan workspace (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.22) had significantly higher risk of having had medically instances of certified sickness absence when compared to employees working in a cellular-office. Office design was not related to the number of days with absence. The associations were consistent across organizational affiliation, age, gender, whether the respondent had leadership responsibility, and educational level. CONCLUSION: The use of shared offices and open-plan workspaces is a risk factor for medically certified sickness absence. Providing employees with the opportunity to work in cellular offices may reduce absence rates.

'Better buildings' are intended to improve employee well-being and other important organizational productivity metrics, but such effects have been notoriously difficult to quantify convincingly. This paper uses new, multi-metric approaches to develop a framework for valuing these effects. The organizational productivity metrics considered are: absenteeism, employee turnover intent, self-assessed performance, job satisfaction, health and well-being, and complaints to the facilities manager. The effects of several ways of improving building design and operation (improved ventilation, enhanced lighting conditions, green building certification measures) are compared to the effects of other corporate strategies also employed with the intent of influencing employees to improve organizational productivity: office type (private vs open-plan), workplace health programs, bonuses, and flexible work options. Results were derived from a broad search and synthesis of published information from several disciplines: business, medicine, psychology, engineering, and facilities management. The scope was limited to studies conducted in real organizations in large office buildings, with a geographic focus on studies from North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand. In summary, better buildings strategies provided benefits on multiple organizational productivity metrics at levels similar to other corporate strategies. This supports greater consideration being given to better buildings strategies to improve organizational productivity beyond energy savings. In this paper, and for want of more primary research, the 'better buildings' category blends the effects of different improvements; this synthesis is proposed as a starting point to encourage more buildings research in this context, allowing future differentiation of the effects of specific interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical work environment has a far-reaching effect on employee creativity. However, the research conceptualizing office design typically focuses on specific rather than broad dimensions. In this study, the effectiveness of design for autonomy and interactive office design is investigated, based on Duffy's office design model. We take an interactive perspective and propose that office environment (design for autonomy and interactive office design) interacts with individual factors (intrinsic motivation and diversity ideology) to influence employees' level of creativity. We first developed and validated items of office design and diversity ideology, and then tested our hypotheses in the main study. It was found that employees with strong intrinsic motivation and diversity ideology made the optimal use of office design for promoting the level of creativity. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of activity‐based offices (ABOs) on individual and group creativity. Adopting an interactionist perspective, we extended the theoretical framework of creative knowledge environments to find the link between ABOs and the concept of creative spaces. We employed the critical incident technique and collected data through interviews and participant observation methods for the case studies of three ABOs. The results show that privacy, noise level, and a distraction‐free environment were the main factors supporting employees' individual creativity, as were open spaces with zones for different levels of noise and private enclosed spaces. For group creativity, the significance of providing suitable equipment and furniture in ABOs was observed—collaborative and disengaged spaces were found to be the recurring spaces for group creativity. Additionally, employee preferences were noted as an important component to consider when looking at environmental features, types of spaces and types of creative activities in creativity‐enhancing ABOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to assess the indoor environmental quality of one of London's most modern workplaces; it is one which uses the Biophilia design approach, bringing nature inside office buildings. To evaluate the occupants' well-being, the research uses the Flourish wheel, which is based on both the built environment and the social environment. The built environment part of the study analyses the buildings' main features and the social environment part uses the qualitative method of interviewing the employees of the 'Second Home' company which designed the building. The occupants' responses provided evidence that Biophilic design is a promising approach to improved health, wellbeing and productivity in the workplace. However, the results show two points related to the company's use of this design. First, the use of Biophilia as an aesthetic value is not enough to reach the best environmental quality nor the occupants' expectations in the office environment. The second is that Biophilia needs to go hand in hand with other technological features, all equally well designed for controlling the quality of the indoor environment, such as thermal comfort, air quality, lighting, acoustic comfort, and suitable spatial layout in offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Near Architecture is the property of Journal of Near East Architecture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Italy the history of modern equipment design has shifted between ‘mass production and one-off’, as architects Gio Ponti and Antonio Fornaroli wrote in an article in the magazine Domus (1948). Starting from this important reflection by the two Italian architects, the article takes into consideration the case study of office furniture. The aim of the article is to identify the cultural landscape of Italian design during the twentieth century, taking into consideration the example of the office desk as fil rouge of the history of design in Italy. The methodology adopted is deductive: starting from the selection of some case studies (desks designed for some elitist furnishings or, vice versa, for serial reproduction) and in relation to the architectural and cultural context in which they were created, some key concepts are deduced in order to understand the progressive adherence of Italian architects to the idea of modernity, and then to the massification of industrial design. New materials and ancient ‘know-how’ have merged into projects that have distinguished the history of design in Italy as original. The conclusion highlights how in the history of Italian office furniture as a multi-faceted history, where elite furniture can become a democratic product, until it becomes part of the contemporary office.

Today, the concept of open plan is more and more widely accepted that many companies have switched to open-plan offices. Their design is an issue in the scope of space layout planning. Although there are many professional architectural layout design software in the market, in the real life, office designers seldom use these tools because their license fees are usually expensive and using them to solve an open-plan office design is like using an overly powerful and expensive tool to fix a minor problem. Therefore, manual drafting through a trial and error process is most often used. This article attempts to propose a lightweight tool to automate open-plan office layout generation using a nested genetic algorithm optimization with two layers, where the inner layer algorithm is embedded in the outer one. The result is enhanced by a local search. The main objective is to maximize space utilization by maximizing the size of the open workspace. This approach is different from its precedents, in that the location search is conducted on a grid map rather than several pre-selected candidate locations. Consequently, the generated layout design presents a less rigid workstation arrangement, inviting a casual and unrestrictive work environment. The real potential of the approach is reflected in the productivity of test fits. Automating and simplifying the generation of layouts for test fits can tremendously decrease the amount of time and resources required to generate them. The experimental case study shows that the developed approach is powerful and effective, making it a totally automated process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how neoliberal governmentality is conveyed and promoted through office design technologies within professional service firms (PSFs). Our data, constituted through interviews with firm representatives and site visits, points to the pursuit by PSF management of a core principle of marketization, which is promoted through a range of spatial technologies inscribed in the office space to sustain the development of subjectivities reflective of Homo economicus. Specifically, we found that fluid open-plan layouts and adaptable workplaces constitute technologies of government with great ambitions, aiming to cultivate a paradoxical climate of cooperative competitiveness within the firm, a constant endeavor toward efficiency, and a transformation of firm members into neoliberal self-entrepreneurs. One of the chief ideas that motivates office designers is to provide PSF members with the freedom to work how, where, and when they want in order to meet their firm's imperatives of effectiveness and client satisfaction. Ultimately, our study shows that office design initiatives within PSFs constitute tools of neoliberal governmentality that aim to govern subtly the emancipation of firm members as accomplished self-entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of the twentieth century the Belgian wood firm De Coene, established in the late-nineteenth century, underwent a thorough modernisation. The company started off as a family business that specialised in art deco interiors and the importation of wood from the Belgian colony of the Congo, but quickly developed into an industrialised producer of cutting-edge modern furniture and building materials. This article explores the context for the Flemish company's various innovations and products in the decades after the Second World War, in particular De Coene's new headquarters, built on the factory grounds in Kortrijk in 1964. It approaches the building and its furnishings as valuable objects of study to increase our understanding of the changing perceptions of wood in the context of the post-war industrialisation in Belgium, the gradually liberalising European market, and the country's changing relationship to the Congo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research suggests that buildings with operable windows in general, and mixed-mode (MM) buildings in particular can provide improved thermal comfort and control opportunities for users. Yet, there have been concerns about outdoor noise sources like traffic or construction noise when windows are opened. Concerns like these may hinder the installation of operable windows in buildings. This paper examines 23,000 office building occupants' perspectives on noise from both sealed and naturally ventilated/MM buildings. Results suggest thatoccupants near operable windows are more satisfied than those near sealed windows or those far from either window type. Among occupants dissatisfied with noise, complaints about indoor noise sources --like people talking-- are about 10 times more prevalent than outdoor noise complaints.