Conference Paper

Investigating the link between indoor environment and workplace productivity in an office environment

Abstract

Most studies on indoor environment and productivity have been conducted in controlled, static conditions. This paper uses a real world case study to empirically explore the relationship between indoor environment and workplace productivity in a naturally-ventilated office environment. Environmental parameters (relative humidity (RH), CO2 concentration and air temperature) are continuously monitored during February 2017.Occupant perceptions of their working environment in winter (and summer) are recorded using the Building Use Studies (BUS) questionnaire. Analysis of the monitoring data shows that indoor RH is very low (< 30 %), while CO2 concentrations are high (>2500 ppm). Air temperature is both high (>27 °C) and variable (up to 8 K change) indicating lack of window opening. Occupant feedback aligns with the measurements indicating low satisfaction with the indoor environment. Perceived productivity is found to strongly correlate with the perceived health and overall comfort. Insights from the study can be used to optimize indoor office environments to improve workplace productivity.

Attached files

Authors

Gupta, Rajat
Howard, Alastair

Oxford Brookes departments

Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment\School of Architecture

Dates

Year of publication: 2018
Date of RADAR deposit: 2018-06-08

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