Facility Design: workplace productivity through the provision of comfortable environments

Physical comfort is critical to work effectiveness, satisfaction, and physical and mental well-being. We have singled out key objectives in ensuring comfortable office environments:

1. Provide a superior acoustic environment
2. Maintain optimal thermal comfort
3. Create a high quality visual environment
4. Provide furniture and equipment that will enhance worker comfort and performance

Spaces that are; too hot, too cold, too noisy, too dark, too light, have too much glare, restrict the ability of workers to function to full capacity and can lead to lowered job satisfaction and increases in illness symptoms. DB TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYERS & LANDLORDS.

DELIVER ON A SUPERIOR ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENT

• Reduce sound reverberation time inside the workplace by specifying sound absorbing materials and by configuring spaces to dampen rather than magnify sound reverberation.
• Provide sound masking if necessary.
• Limit transmission of noise from outside the workplace by implementing sound proof partitioning between work areas and high noise areas inside and outside the building.
• Provide opportunities for privacy and concentration when needed in open plan offices.
• Enclose or separate group activity spaces from work areas where concentration is important.

PROVIDE QUALITY TEMPERATURE, THERMAL & VENTILATION COMFORT

• Analyze room configurations and HVAC distribution layouts to ensure all parts of a room are receiving adequate ventilation – especially spaces where teams or groups meet, where individual environment controls should be considered. providing individual environmental controls in these rooms.
• Analyze location, structure, and type of windows and skylights and provide controllable shading and avoid “hot spots” caused by direct sunlight.
• Consider providing a temperature controls at work stations and humidity monitoring system to ensure optimal thermal comfort

CREATE A VISUALLY ATTRACTIVE &  INTERESTING ENVIRONMENT

• Offer as much natural daylight as possible for occupants
• Provide views and access to the outdoor environment for all occupants
• Provide connections to indoor and outdoor nature where possible.
• Integrate natural and electric lighting strategies, and provide controls that optimize day lighting/electric lighting interaction. Light vertical surfaces/walls to increase the perceived brightness of the space.
• Consider individually controlled task lighting for each workstation that properly illuminates the task.
• Control or eliminate glare from ceiling lighting and windows
• Use appropriate and well-balanced scale, colors, textures, patterns, artwork, and plants
• Avoid standardization in the office space as well as visual anarchy

INCORPORATE OFFICE FURNITURE  EQUIPMENT THAT WILL BOOST WORKER COMFORT & PERFORMANCE

• Adapt furnishings to the tasks that need to be achieved, not the other way around.
• Specify furnishings that support good posture, body mechanics, and work techniques f for example ergonomically designed chairs and keyboards).
• Provide workstations that allow users to adjust seating, computer equipment placement, light levels, work surface heights etc .
• Install glass panels in workstation walls to provide access to daylight and views.
• Design furniture formations that allow workers variable views and visual relief.