Evaluation of the Workplace Environment in the UK, and the Impact on Users’ Levels of Stimulation

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a number of recently completed workplaces in the UK. The first aim is to assess the impact of various aspects of the workplace environment on users’ levels of stimulation. The body of previous research undertaken into the workplace environment, identified the aspects to be investigated. Samples of employees from the sixteen businesses were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the workplaces. The results were entered into a regression analysis, and the most significant predictors of perceived stimulation identified. The data also revealed a dramatic reduction in staff arousal levels from mornings to afternoons. Thus, there is a second aim to determine whether changes to significant aspects of the workplace environment during the day can counteract the reduction in users’ stimulation. Two further workplaces were studied to enable changes to be made over a 12-week period. A sample of employees completed questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews revealed the reasons behind the results. It was found that provision of artwork, personal control of temperature and ventilation and regular breaks were the most significant contributions to increasing stimulation after lunch; while user choice of layout, and design and décor of workspaces and break areas, were the most significant aspects at design stage

Post-occupancy Evaluation of BuDding Facilities in a University Community Using an Electronic Platform

The study examined the prospects of carrying out a post-occupancy evaluation of building facilities in a University Community using an electronic platform. The SRS showed the user classes and characteristics, software architecture, functionality, the coding language used and external interfaces. The Web pages were designed using HTML, while the database management system was developed using MySQL. CSharp programming language was used to control the post-occupancy system. The three main users identified in this study; the building user, the maintenance manager/facility manager and the management team can access the system to evaluate the building facilities. In conclusion. the study developed a post-occupancy evaluation system for a UDi.ve.rsity community to effectively manage the state of its building facilities. By using the proposed system, the study aims to increase the speed of maintenance works, improve the state of building facilities in schools of higher learning and ensure accountability in the building maintenance process

Evaluation of innovative workplace design in the Netherlands

Over the last decade many businesses are engaged in making organizational changes; adopting new management styles and ways of working. Concurrently, there has been a rise in the number of non-territorial “flexible” office designs based on job functions and work processes rather than individually assignedworkstations. Office buildings are becoming more ‘intelligent’ through the use of advanced building management systems, automatic indoor climate controls,innovative (day)lighting systems and so on. Such innovations in workplace design are intended to facilitate organizational change, improve user satisfaction, increase efficiency, and lower costs. To cope with the rapid innovation and changing nature of work environments, building environment-behaviour researchers in the Netherlands are developing ways to measure workplace performance

Universal Design-Based Framework to Assess Usability and Inclusion of Buildings

Universal Design (UD) offers different sets of principles that can be used as reference in design practice to meet the needs of the vast majority of a population. However, there is a lack of an accountable approach to measure and analyze the built environment through UD performance. This study aims to develop an evaluation framework to assess UD in public buildings to determine, in addition to accessibility requirements, the usability and inclusion of projects for different users. Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was adopted as research methodology to systematically and scientifically develop the framework, which was structured based on knowledge derived from: an in-depth literature review on UD evaluation and workshops with stakeholders and experts. The selection and comparison of a pool of criteria is described including the cognitive mapping technique for translating information gathered by workshops. A hierarchical framework was created, consisting of three main categories of UD (i.e. physical-spatial quality, sensorial-cognitive quality, and social quality), eight criteria (i.e. usability, functionality, safety/security, wayfinding, understanding, environmental factors, well-being, and social inclusion), and 21 indicators. The proposed framework can be considered as an innovative approach in the field of accessible design evaluation since it explores the relation among a multiplicity of aspects, including human performance and social factors, to evaluate the quality of UD buildings