Evaluating Office Environments: A Case Study

Abstract : The relationships between the characteristics of the office environment and the behavior and perceptions of individuals working in a particular interior office setting are of interest to the U.S. Army because it is responsible for millions of square feet of office environments. Also, the U. S. Army is interested in maximizing the effective utilization of office spaces and enhancing employee satisfaction and productivity. To investigate what attributes of the facility impact the user's perception of satisfaction and productivity, the responses of employees to their office environment were compared before and after a renovation of their office. Design changes were made to the work space, lighting, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning based on users' needs and requirements. Conversations, site visits, a survey, and a refined questionnaire were used to obtain specific design information from employees prior to remodeling. The employees completed the questionnaire again after renovation. More than 22 characteristics of the environment were related to employee's satisfaction with their workstation and can be inferred to relate to productivity. Employees perceived many aspects of their work environment differently after the renovation, and this report discusses specific findings and their implications for the design and management of other office environments.