The psychology behind office design(2)

To better understand the success factors of the office environment and which specific spatial attributes may influence how people respond to the physical space they inhabit. UK researchers brought together a group of psychologists, sociologists and designers to conduct an interdisciplinary study and examine people's psychological responses to workplace design. The aim was to understand how methods and techniques exploring cognitive and psychological responses can be used to optimise the spatial and social characteristics of the work environment, in order to provide new insights into the complex relationships between different spatial attributes of the workplace.

The entire research series covers spatial and social relationships, specific attributes of social and spatial density, different visual contexts and acoustic issues.

Core findings of the research project

Stimuli & distractions in the workplace

The presence of open plan office environments remains a controversial subject, presenting both positive and negative aspects. They are often described as chaotic and unproductive, but also conducive to collaboration and, in some cases, increased productivity.

As expected, the study found that noise levels had a negative impact on the perceived quality of work and increased feelings of distraction. The study also found that 'field of view' or 'different visual environment' can influence our experience in the workplace. Previous research has shown that being close to nature and enjoying natural scenery has a positive impact on health and well-being, for example by reducing stress levels. Providing a view of an external green area, such as a green roof, for as little as 40 seconds can improve concentration levels. This is supported by the results of the new study, where being able to see the outdoor environment of the office had a positive impact on participants, resulting in improved quality of work and reduced perceived distractions.

While different types of visual field can alter people's perception of the workspace, these different visual environments have a much smaller impact on work quality or distraction than sound levels. By understanding the hierarchy of different types of auditory and visual stimuli, designers can prioritise inputs and consider mitigating measures in their designs, depending on the constraints of the project. Future research will consider more variations in the types of distraction in the workplace.

Spatial & social densities

The amount of space provided to each person in the workplace is called spatial density, and the corresponding number of people in the office is called social density. The amount of space or spatial density in an office can have a significant impact on our well-being. Too little space can make us feel cramped, tense or uncomfortable; too much space between colleagues can also make us feel less connected to others.

Incremental spatial density

Spatial density has been found in research to have a more important effect on our personal perception of space and our cognitive abilities in the workplace than social density. As hypothesised, increasing the amount of space improves both of these outcomes. However the study also found that increasing spatial density eventually smoothed out the perceptual impact. Providing a threshold of workplace density of approximately 8 square metres per person above this threshold, additional space has little positive impact.