For many of us, a large portion of our day is spent at work; in fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime, so it’s no surprise our work environment can have a huge impact on our quality of life.
The architecture team at national property consultancy Sanderson Weatherall have put together their thoughts on how your office and its design features might be helping or harming your health.
Temperature
Studies suggest that high temperatures in the office are less tolerated than low temperatures, with a 6% reduction in productivity in warmer temperatures and a 4% with cooler. The optimum temperature is thought to be between 21° and 23° with thermal comfort being a key factor influencing an employee’s workplace satisfaction.
Air Quality and Ventilation
The quality of air within an office can have a significant impact on your health, and in turn productivity. Research carried out by the World Green Building Council in 2003 recorded a 11% increase in productivity as a result of increased fresh air to the workstation and a reduction in pollutants
Daylighting & Lighting
Lighting in the workplace must satisfy a variety of different needs, not only does lighting ensure we can carry out the task in front of us, it can also effect an employee’s mood, communication, and health. Poor lighting and lack of control of the visual environment can influence employee productivity, whilst visual discomfort such as poor visibility, glare and flicker can lead to headaches and eyestrain. Studies show that employees with access to a window, slept on average 46 minutes more per night, had a reduction in sick leave and had overall improved workplace satisfaction.
Noise & Acoustics
Noise levels within the office can vary substantially from office to office depending on the industry. Both external and internal noise is one of the lead causes of dissatisfaction within the workplace, and is particularly problematic within open plan offices. Noise distractions can not only impact productivity but can have a detrimental impact on your health and stress levels.
A design solution that allows employees to find the balance between background noise and distractions is providing a range of different work spaces, each with different acoustic conditions, allowing staff to be flexible and decide what setting they work depending on their preferences.