A holistic evaluation of the workplace

Research into the impact of the workplace environment upon occupants has largely been focusedupon the indoor climate ie illuminance, sound, air temperature, relative humidity and air movement.This has led to the development of design guidance that outline the conditions necessary for acomfortable environment. Through analysis of 20 workplaces the impact of a whole range of factorscomprising the workplace environment were evaluated. The findings demonstrate that the majority ofpeople 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 layoutand the interior design of the workspace. Most significantly the majority of occupants were dissatisfiedwith the colour scheme, provision of plants, choice, personal control and break areas. It appears thatthe level of dissatisfaction is directly related to the level of research conducted in to a specific factor.The results of this first phase of research have informed a pioneering study of stimulation in theworkplace. Experiments within a workplace were conducted to determine whether occupants’ levels ofstimulation in the afternoon, when attention levels typically fall, could be maintained at an optimallevel through manipulation of the environment. The implications of these findings upon workplacedesign and future research are discussed.