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- All Subjects: Work environment
- Creators: Bender, Diane
- Creators: Shraiky, James
Description
Interior design continues to re-define itself as a discipline that presents designers with new problems that require innovative solutions. This is particularly true in the case in office design. The transformation of the office environment from the standard bullpen configuration to today's dynamic, flexible, and open floor plans has required new design methodologies that incorporate tools and technologies that are readily available to interior designers. Today, increased use of teams in the workplace challenges interior designers to create environments that accommodate both group and individual tasks (Brill, Weidermann & BOSTI associates, 2001). Collaboration has received considerable attention as organizations focus on productivity and reducing costs to compete in a global economy (Hassanain, 2006). Designers and architects should learn to create environments that respond to dynamic, moveable, and flexible work methods. This web-based research study explores the use of pattern language as a new tool for designing collaborative work environments. In 1977, Christopher Alexander and his associates developed `Pattern language' (Alexander, Ishikawa & Silverstein, 1977) as a design formulation methodology. It consists of a series of interrelated physical elements combined to create a framework for design solutions. This pattern language tool for collaborative work environments was created based on research by Lori Anthony (2001). This study further builds upon current trends and research in collaborative work environments. The researcher conducted a pilot test by sending the web-based tool and an online questionnaire to all graduate students and faculty members in the fields of interior design and healthcare and healing environment (HHE). After testing its validity in The Design School at Arizona State University, the same tool and questionnaire was sent to the employees of one of the leading architecture and interior design firms in Phoenix, AZ. The results showed that among those design professionals surveyed, the majority believe pattern language could be a valuable design tool. The insights obtained from this study will provide designers, architects, and facility managers with a new design tool to aid in creating effective collaborative spaces in a work environment.
ContributorsSangoi, Deepika (Author) / Bender, Diane (Thesis advisor) / Brandt, Beverly (Committee member) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
ABSTRACT In an attempt to advocate body-conscious design and healing work environments, this research study of holistic health in the workplace explores cognitive, social and physical well-being in four small US offices that are between 1000 and 4000 square feet and employ three to twelve employees. Holistic health, as pursued in this research, includes social health, emotional health and physical health. These three factors of holistic health have been identified and investigated in this study: biophilia: peoples' love and affiliation with other species and the natural environment; ergonomics: the relationship between the human body, movement, the immediate environment and productivity; and exercise: exertion of the body to obtain physical fitness. This research study proposes that employees and employers of these four participating workplaces desire mobility and resources in the workplace that support holistic health practices involving biophilia, ergonomics, and exercise. Literature review of holistic health and the holistic health factors of this research topic support the idea that interaction with other species can be healing, ergonomic body-conscious furniture and equipment increase productivity, limit body aches, pains and health costs; and exercise stimulates the mind and body, increasing productivity. This study has been conducted primarily with qualitative and flexible research approaches using observation, survey, interview and pedometer readings as methods for data collection. Two small corporate franchise financial institutions and two small private healthcare providers from both Arizona and Georgia participated in this study. Each office volunteered one employer and two employee participants. Of the holistic health factors considered in these four case studies, this study found that a majority of participants equally valued emotional health, social health and physical health. A majority of participants declared a preference for workplace environments with serene natural environments with outdoor spaces and interaction with other species, work environments with body-conscious furniture, equipment and workstations, as well as exercise space and equipment. As these particular workplace environments affirmed value for elements of the factors biophilia, ergonomics and exercise, all three factors are considered valueable within the workplaces of these case studies. Furthermore, factors that were said to contribute to personal productivity in participating workplaces were found as well as sacrifices that participants stated they would be willing to make in order to implement their preferred work environment(s). In addition, this study recorded and calculated average miles walked by participants in each workplace as well as existing incentives and descriptions of ideal work environments. Implications of this research study involve interior design, industrial design and fashion design that can accommodate the desires of the four participating workplaces. Major design implications involve accommodating these particular workplaces to provide personnel with opportunities for holistic health in working environments. More specific implications of office related design involve providing access to natural environments, body-conscious equipment and spaces, as well as opportunities for exercise and social interaction. These elements of the factors biophilia, ergonomics and exercise were found to be said to contribute to cognitive, social and physical health.
ContributorsMcEwan, April (Author) / White, Philip (Thesis advisor) / Shraiky, James (Committee member) / Barry, Rebecca (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011