The Importance Of Work Environment Construction Essay

The Importance Of Work Environment Construction see3.1 IntroductionThis chapter reveals the vastness of motion surround and gives an all all over view on different types of mooring fancys and its applications. Unit as well provides an insight in to the ontogeny of the sore-made points. sk etc. and Its ImportanceA employment is the corporeal bleed surroundings and it is very all-important(a) to a person. The physical arrive at purlieu is ranked bingle of the top three factors employees take into account when decision making to accept, decline or leave a theorise fit in to interrogation carried out by the Ameri foot Society of Interiors (ASID, 1999). Employee comfort, flexibility, access to equipments and privacy either depends on the physical buy the f offset environs. gum olibanum an unsatisfactory physical environment tramp guide to resident dis triumph.The prime factors the employees value in a realise environment (ASID, 2001) cherish of the work en vironment, which acknowledges the climate, ergonomics, luminance, go, privacy, cleanliness and the boilers suit atmosphere.Communication, which is the effective authority of communicating internally and externally with co- histrions and customers.Easy access to nation, equipments and things urgencyed in a oeuvre.Functionally Efficient making the employees act their task in an easy and in force(p) manner and with the effective utilization of bottom of the inning.Workplace productiveness match to Clements-C mannere (2000) workplace productivity depends on the fol upseting variablesPersonal characteristics- the contrast enterprise itselfCharacteristics of interior(a) climate- sacking, acoustic, temperature, stemma pure tone and workplace layoutSocial factors- coworkers and the relationships with themOrganizational characteristics- grammatical construction of the plaque and the management king productivity is a composite of the physical environment and the behavio ural environment (Barry P. Haynes, 2007). Physical environment of productivity fall into two main categories federal agency layout and seat comfort. The components distraction, fundamental fundamental interaction and informal interaction points relate to a greater extent(prenominal) to the behavioural environment of productivity. material body 3.3 Validated theoretical Framework of Office productiveness (Barry P. Haynes, 2007)FactorNameAttri unlesses1 relieveVentilation, heating, natural lighting, artificial lighting, dcor, cleanliness, overall comfort, physical security.2Office layoutInformal clash beas, formal accommodateing beas, muffled aras, quiet areas, privacy, someoneized transshipment center, general storage, work area-desk and circulation topographic point.3InteractionSocial interaction, work interaction, productive physical environment, overall atmosphere, position relative to colleagues,position relative to equipment, overall share layout and refreshme nts.4DistractionInterruptions, crowding, resoundTable 3.3 Components of Office Productivity (Barry P.Haynes, 2007)The primary goal in create innovation is practiceing seats that are conducive to the tasks being performed in these spaces and to operate building systems in an efficient manner. The indoor air flavour (IAQ) deteriorates and energy is wasted when the building systems that puzzle and catch indoor environmental conditions do not function properly. date in functioning requirements between several attri notwithstandinges, such(prenominal) as ventilation, lighting, or temperature sack dissolver from poor building performance. The cumulative effect of slight than satisfactory performance culminates in environmental stresses perceived by the residents. expression integrity depends on satisfaction of various factors (Preiser, 1989)Functional/ spacial smell caloric referenceAir forestAcoustic Quality ocular QualityThe researchers fork out, for the most part, ignored the make of building indoor environment on productivity and job satisfaction considering the great importance of the workplace, and the stresses cerebrate to it. The field studies were normally carried out by industrial organizations to determine the effects of extreme temperature and humid(prenominal)ity conditions on workers. Most of the occupants in recent chemise studies have been highly dis satisfy with an environmental attribute even though some of the technical measurements indicate that current standards are being met. This shows the involve to reassess the measurements and standards as they apply to to a greater extent specific and newly emerge functional requirements.3.4 Evolution of Modern OfficeOffice is where people herald to engage in activities for enterprise persevere and prosper. Office buildings in mid 1800s where rooms rented to a single company or to several firms for clerical and executive business. With a single purpose affair building the workpl ace evolved with advances in construction technology, improvements in authority equipment, and developments in organization theory. As the workforce grew, they were accommodated in larger general-purpose smudge spaces. Bullpens were the placement of envelop chest of drawerss on the perimeter created sizable interior spaces where hundreds of clerical workstations were placed in these expansive interior spaces. figure 3.4 overt bullpen business space in 1926 (Adopted from Denice Jaunzens, 1997, RICS browsed on 09-07-09)It consisted of a rigid ar passment of desks in rows. With no visual or acoustic privacy, noisy, severely lit environment they provided individual workers uncomfortable places to work. Ergonomics was not considered. A new office human body called the Burolandschaft was developed in the late 1950s in Germany, which provide plastic office. Spacious layouts and high- part furnishings were employ. Space was divided into individual work areas tailoring to the occupa nts needs. Robert Propst, in 1960, developed an unconventional approach to furnishing offices by replacing traditional office piece of furniture as desks and crelairzas with furniture components and panels that could be assembled into a wide range of work settings. Storage units, work get ups and other elements were hung on freestanding panels, which could be arranged as ask to form a complete office work setting. This was the beginning of systems furniture (GSA).Changes occurring in the organization, communication proficiencys as substantially as functional c one timeptions of office space are presented in table. customaryContemporaryPattern of WorkRoutineIndividual tasksIsolated9-5 originalGroup, project workInteractiveExtendedOccupancyOwn desk/officeLow utilizationLow densityShared as needed higher(prenominal) utilizationHigh densitySettingsStatus base case-by-case settingTask basedMultiple/varied SettingsTable 3.4 Changes in functional concepts of office space (Adopted from Denice Jaunzens, 1997, RICS)3.5 Types of Office Layouts in Modern Buildings3.5.1 close Plan/ carrellular OfficeIn unkindly political program, full raising walls or partitions divide the space into offices and agree space by floor-to-ceiling partitions (walls) with doors. It usually has a desk and chair. The people (one or two) work in a cellular telephoneular office use the same office everyday and leave their works material there. Private offices are situated along the window wall. administrative support is ho employ in workstations along corridors or in shared rooms.3.5.2 devote Plan Office (More Working in Less Space)Open blueprint office has a large open space and minimizes the use of small, enclose rooms such as private offices. An open plan office saves spaces as compared to cellular offices. Cost, efficiency and communication are the study favor of open plan.Fig 3.5.2 An open plan office in Abu Dhabi, UAEOpen plan provides greater opportunity to maximize the util ization of space than disagreeable plan and minimizes the circulation space required because workstations can be modified passably to fit available space. The use of systems furniture in open plan can also improve space utilization because a job function can normally be accommodated in less space in a systems furniture workstation than in a closed-plan office.Most of the new-fangled buildings in UAE are implementing open plan offices. This design saves money, promotes teamwork and improves flexibility for prox renovations. exclusively many employees view this design as a serial of compromises in terms of space, prestige and privacy. As employees consider changing from closed plan to open plan cubicles, they often have concerns about their abilities to work productively in what they anticipate to be noisier, more distracting workplace. The most overtake complaint about open plan office design is the overleap of acoustic privacy.New Environments for WorkingThe behavioural com ponent of productivity, interaction signifies the importance of work interaction with the functional spaces such as hive, den, club and cell and link analysis which relates to the position relative to the equipment.3.6.1 Francis Duffy TheoryFrancis Duffy, chairman of worldwide architectural practice DEGW and one of the expireing thinkers and practitioners in the field of office design theorized that office design is closely related to increasing productivity at work through work-based layouts. Francis Duffy bases his theory on two organisational needs privacy and teamwork. This explains the dynamics of change in office design and throws light on the ways in which office layouts are probable to differ and to change. Privacy and teamwork are interrelated with many aspects of office design because they make workers expectations about the layout and work settings. Duffy identified organizational types as hive, cell, den and club in a way to capture the distinct work patterns and di stinctive design features of each.The implications of modern working practices for the specification and performance of building form and environment systems were studied in 1997 by DEGW in quislingism with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) (Laing et al, 1998). This led to the development of a poseur for design logic in new office comprising of four alternate(a) office layout topologies according to the activities they support. These were designated asHiveHive office is characterized by individual routine process work with outset levels of interaction and let out autonomy. The user sits at the workstations for continuous periods of clock. Examples are call centre, customer support offices, BPOs etceteraDenDen office is associated with classify work, interactive but not highly self-directed. This office is for group working in a simple setting, typically arranged in the open-plan or group room example, workstations in Advertising agency, Sales offices etcCellCell off ices are for individual concentrated work with little interaction. Individuals occupy the whole office in an intermittent irregular pattern with extended working days, working elsewhere some of the time. This space is highly autonomous for example, CEOs cabins, lawyers Office etc.ClubClub offices are for knowledge workers and are highly autonomous and interactive. Occupancy is intermittent and over an extended working day. For example, conference rooms, meeting area, break-out areas and cafeteria where there are one off meetings, not ongoing interaction between the same people.Fig.3.6.1aArrangement space based on functionality (Adopted from Denice Jaunzens, 1997, RICS)Cell HiveDen ClubFig3.6.1b Typical arrangement in modern offices according to functionality(Source http//ergo.in/paw_funatwork.html browsed on 08-08-2009 original source unknown)3.6.2 Spaces for PerformanceFor the performance of workers three types of spaces are identified (BCO, 2008)Spaces to concentrateThis is to pro vide space for workers for playing tasks, which require high levels of privacy and attention. These can be separate rooms, designated areas or rooms separated from noise and distraction of the office. These spaces are equipped with furniture and adjustable settings.Spaces to collaborateA collaborate space is a apply area for the teams to work and communicate freely. It should be well equipped with clean-living boards, pen, paper, AV equipment etc. Movable furniture and flexible work settings should be there for personalized use. To suit the task and time of day, the lighting should be adjustable.Spaces to contemplateContemplate space provide a space for the people to recover from stress and noise of the office environment. It should provide calm and noise free environment. Plants and adjustable lighting can make the contemplate space more relaxing.3.6.3 Integrated WorkspaceThe consequence of a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to developing and providing workspace, mann er of speaking together the organizations strategic real property plan with strategic business goals is Integrated Workplace. It provides the people in a workplace the physical space and tools needed for their success. Integrated workplace provides a flexible, efficient and cost-effective office environment that enhances productivity and retains quality work force.3.7 Functional arrangement of office space3.7.1 Link AnalysisLink analysis is a proficiency used to represent relationships between elements in a design. It assesses the links or connections between areas, such as the frequency of peoples movements between two spaces. Applying this technique to the existing office environment go forth contribute to a last of who needs who for the new office floor layouts. Avoiding any unnecessary movement around the office shall free up any possible glimmer of congestion. This technique will indicate where links are and most useful, but will not give the frequency. Therefore, an observ ational study of the current office structure will be concluded to see the frequency of events inwardly the linking system. (Brooks, 1998)Link Analysis before reorganisationLink Analysis aft(prenominal) reorganisationlayoutFig 3.7.1 Link Analysis (Adopted from Brooks, 1998)Avoiding unnecessary journeys around a workplace can ease areas of congestion and reduce annoyance levels for workers put near walkways.3.8 ConclusionThe weft of the work place is truly based on the work culture, work style and nature of the job. Workplace selection should be primarily based on the job demands. Each employment has its own requirements and if the facilitator is not able to meet the job demands that will lead to a decline in the productivity of the office workers.Chapter-4 Factors Affecting Workplace Satisfaction and Productivity4.1 IntroductionBefore analysing the satisfaction level of the occupants we need to understand the factors related to workplace. This chapter provides and insight to the factors bear on the workplace, sick building syndromes (SBS) and indoor environment quality (IEQ) parameters.4.2 Common Complaints in a Workplace constitute aspects affecting workplace satisfaction and productivity (Hilary Davies, 2005, RICS )Workplace layout Most of the modern offices are open-plan to increase flexibility and allow changes in organization size and structure. Open-plan was intended to allow more communication among the co-workers. But according to study conducted by Pekala (2001) the work-success ratio for those who worked in open-plan was 74% less than those in enclosed offices. Thus the occupants were not satisfied with their work environment affecting their productivity.Distractions In most of the modern offices, noise is more because of workstation density and use of more office equipments. Workplace grids create more distraction. Workers in open plan are 65% more distrait than in private offices (Olson 2000). Increased errors and stress is generated as a res ult of working in a noisy environment. Thus noise impacts productivity (Leaman and Bordass 1999) and 70% of the occupants agreed that productivity can be change magnitude by decreasing the office noise (Carsia 2002) .Comfort, Health and Well-being Air quality and ergonomics are the major areas which affect the occupants wellness and work environment. insistent strain injuries affect the health of the occupants leading to back pain and rehabilitation. Studies conducted by Kruk (1989) showed that an ergonomically designed chair can increase the occupant satisfaction in an office by 15%. indoor(prenominal) air pollution also affects the occupant productivity which inturn can cause sick building syndrome (SBS).indoor(a) Environment Indoor environmental factors such as insufficient day-light, lighting, nauseating air, acoustics causes occupant dissatisfaction and discomfort. Occupant satisfaction and productivity is inter-related. 79% of the employees surveyed in a Steelcase survey ( 2003) believed that the physical environment had an impact on occupant satisfaction. ofttimes reported unfavorable conditions in UK offices were high/low temperatures, stale air, noise problems, low quality lighting and insufficient day-light (Clements-Croome and Kaluarachchi , 2000).Personal Control This is one of the major problems affecting occupant satisfaction. Most of the occupants can be satisfied with individual control over their environment and when they are allowed to participate in the design decisions. Efficiency and deterrent examplee increases when occupants are allowed to reconfigure their workplaces (Stern, 1991). The difference between a tolerable and intolerable workspace is the ability to fine-tune locally. The ability to control climate, reducing glare by able to move the desk, able to open the window, quiet space, storage space all boost employee satisfaction and productivity according to the survey by Knoll.Employee Stress Stress affecting the occupants can be various. This can be work-related stress repayable to increased workload or inadequate resources or less time, stress from home and life aspirations. High stress office environment can result from unsupportive, monitoring supervisors and low levels of job control (Kaplan and Arnoff, 1996). An open plan office with less privacy, increased noise and disturbances can also lead to low levels of psychological privacy. Thus dissatisfaction with the physical environment lead to decreased job performance.4.3 Spatial Comfort ProductivityAs the offices shrink in size, dimensions of the office furniture begin more important to the worker. Occupant in a building evaluates spacial comfort in terms of the amount of space they have, storage and ergonomic comfort of furniture. Key aspects of office furniture, such as work surface dimension, file storage partition efflorescence and choice of accessories also affect spatial comfort. Smaller offices and workstations at higher densities cause u sers to be more aware of the amount of work surface they have. All these have a direct impact on the functional comfort and performance of work in an office.Although modern office furniture is physically comfort, corporate angle of inclination to standardize office and workstation layouts (one size fits all) and to density layouts at the cost of spaces to meet and work together makes a certain percentage of users functionally uncomfortable. Factors such as proximity to co-workers, varying partition height to enable butt on with some colleagues and protect from contact with circulation areas and other workgroups, proximity to spaces to meet and work together and convenient access to shared storage and equipment all have a direct effect on how well people work.Spatial comfort affects productivity of the occupants in a building as workspace size, configuration, storage and shared work areas directly affect the performance of individual and team tasks.Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe a situation where the occupants in a building go acute health or comfort problems during the time spent time in a particular(a) building. The complaints can be widespread in a building or confined to a particular room or zone. The condition is temporary and most of the occupants find relief once they are out of the building. But some buildings can have semipermanent problems. According to the World Health Organization (1984 Committee Report) 30% of the new and re-modeled buildings whitethorn be the subject of excessive complaints related to indoor air quality (IAQ).Frequently reported symptoms or complaints of SBS are (Thad Godish, 1995)Sensory temper in eyes, nose and throatNeurotoxic or general health problems such as headache, sluggishness, mental fatigue, dizziness, reduced memorySkin Irritationsnonspecific hypersensitivity reactions as running nose, asthma-like symptomsOdor and taste sensations4.4.1 Causes of Sick Building S yndromeAccording to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigation, the primary endorser to SBS is inadequate ventilation. Air contamination from sources within the building such as copying machines was reported to be major cause of contamination. Other indoor sources like adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products, pesticides, and cleaning agents whitethorn emit quicksilver(a) organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde, which can affect the health of the occupants, and at high concentrations be carcinogens. Chemical contaminants from outdoor sources which can enter the building through poorly located air intake vents, windows, and other openings and biological contaminants like bacteria, molds, pollen, and viruses can also cause sick building symptoms.4.5 Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ)The IEQ in a building can affect the health, comfort and upbeat of the occupant and intern the productivity of work. Indoor Environment Qual ity is used to describe air quality and the attributes of enclosed spaces. The key components of IEQ areIndoor air qualityThermal comfortAcoustic environment qualityLuminous and visual environment quality4.5.1 Indoor Air QualityIndoor air quality is a major concern as it can have a major impact on occupant health, .90% of the people spent their time indoor and most of their in an office environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies show that there can be more indoor pollutant levels than found outside which can increase the try of illness. Indoor air pollution is ranked the most important environmental health problem. An improved indoor air quality can result in higher productivity.The factors that affect indoor air quality arepollutants or odorsbuilding ventilation systemsmoisture and humidityoccupant perceptions and susceptibilitiesFig 4.5.1 Under floor air distribution system(Sourcehttp//www.cbe.berkeley.edu/underfloorair/typicaloffice.htm browsed on 10-07-09)4.5 .2 Thermal ComfortThermal comfort is defined as the subjective satisfaction with the thermic environment (Bligh and Johnson, 1975). Thermal comfort is the psychological state of head and affects the overall morale of a person. Productivity decreases in a workplace as employee complaints may increase and in some cases people may refuse to work in a particular environment. Air temperature, effulgent heat, humidity and air movement are factors of thermal environment which may also contribute to the symptoms of sick building syndrome.(HSE Guidance)4.5.3 Acoustic environment qualityAn important attribute of commercial office building design is acoustics. one and only(a) of the most prevalent annoyance sources in offices is noise which can lead to stress for occupants to maintain a high level satisfaction and moral health among occupants a good acoustic environment is very essential. The major sources of dissatisfaction includeSpeech interruptions, such as people talking over the phone , in adjacent areas and corridorsEquipment noiseExcessive background noise from HVAC and lighting systemsLack of conversational privacyLack of personal control over noise levelsSpace being acoustically too lively or too deadFig 4.5.3 An open plan office with no acoustic privacy(Sourcehttp//www.rockwool.com/acoustics/acoustical+comfort/acoustic+in+ particular(a)+buildings/offices browsed 10-07-09)The levels of background noise and speech privacy and separation between particular types of spaces have important implication for the work environment and productivity of building occupants. Distractions due to the sound of speech have been found to be significantly problematic especially in open plan offices. This is because speech is more distracting than unintelligible speech or sounds with no information content. Conversely, office spaces with low background noise can have poor levels of speech privacy, which can also hinder communication. (Peter Newton, Keith Hampson, 2009)4.5.4 Lumin ous and visual environment qualityThe bright and visual environment quality is the totality of the characteristics of a building, which affects the occupants visual perceptions.The occupants abilities to perform tasks will be affected by the luminous and visual environment if they are visually intensive. Occupant perceptions can be affected by the following (Peter Newton, Keith Hampson, 2009)Luminance levels (ambient and task) for different task and their uniformityGlare levels and reflections in computer screensLevels of personal control through task lighting, shading or dimmersAccess to daylight and viewsLighting characteristics, such as color temperature and steady flickerVisual appeal and color scheme of interior designFig 4.5.4 An Office with abundant daylight for the entire office to conglomerate (Source http//images.businessweek.com/ss/06/12/1201_idea_factory/source/8.htm 12-07-09)Dissatisfaction with the visual environment can be due to limited access to daylight, inappro priate light levels, glare levels and lack of control over the environment. Appropriate task lighting and integration of day lighting and electric lighting systems for ambient lighting wherever feasible can be introduced for improving the luminous and visual environment and maximizing occupant comfort,.4.6 Office ErgonomicsErgonomics incorporates the scientific and engineering disciplines that are concerned with the humans at work. An ergonomically designed workspace enhances peoples well-being, make work easy to do and allow people to perform efficiently (Kroemer, 2001).The elements of ergonomic assessment include general physical activity, lifting and handling, work postures and movements, accident risk, job content, job restrictiveness, worker communication and personal contacts, decision making, repetitiveness of the work, the need for attentiveness, lighting and vision, thermal environment and noise. Ergonomic parameters which are required in the design of a workstation are (C raig A. Langston, 2003)seat height with feet flat on the floorheight to top of thigh when seated (for desk height)eye height above seat level (for use of computer)height from seat to underside of elbow (for arm rest height)near reach when seated and far reach when seated, affecting spread of equipment and functions on a desk and adjacent surfacesRepetitive Strain imperfection (RSI) is the common type of injury due to poorly designed workstation. The RSI develops late and affects many parts of the body. An ergonomically designed workstation can reduce the possibility of RSI.Fig 3.8 An Ergonomically designed Workstation (Adopted from David A. Madsen, 1990)4.7 ConclusionEvery workstation has pros and cones while comparing openness, flexibility, privacy etc. While analysing the workplace satisfaction level the selection of type of workstation is an important factor. Furniture, accessories, flooring, ceiling, HVAC System, lighting, sound insulation, color schemes, interior design theme s and corporate identity are the other factors affecting the satisfaction level of the occupants. Low Quality building design or interior design and poor maintenance will lead to sick building syndromes (SBS). Next chapter elaborates the method of research conducted to expose the facts.