Scenario of Achieving Both Office Productivity and Economic Efficiency, and Energy Conservation

2012-1001-04
researcher's name
affiliation
research field
Architectural environment/Equipment
keyword

background

Energy conservation is an urgent and critical global issue, and achieving both energy conservation and economic efficiency is vital. In recent years, an increasing number of buildings are designed to offer a higher comfort level and intellectual productivity, in addition to being more energy efficient. However, a correlation has not yet been found between intellectual productivity and environmental factors or employee behavior. It is therefore difficult to evaluate the productivity of offices.

summary

This study conducted an indoor environment study, employee behavior study, and questionnaire survey. Their objective was to observe the mutual relationship between intellectual activities and environmental factors that are demanded in workplaces of actual offices, and to gauge the effects of workplace environments of actual offices on employees. Furthermore, the study analyzed the mutual relationship between intellectual activities, employee behaviors, and workplace environments, and examined the environmental factors demanded of workspaces from the perspectives of intellectual productivity and energy conservation.

[Research Outcomes]
(1) Important employee behaviors were different for each intellectual activity. Respondents declared that knowledge creation requires diverse employee actions, such as divergent thinking, informal communication, and relaxing. 
(2) At the buildings which were studied, employees carried out active communication not only at meeting spaces, but also in the vicinity of their desks. 
(3) Results hinted the possibility that employees’ level of satisfaction with the environment was affected by the physical environment as well as employees’ expectations of the environment based on how long they will stay there and what they are doing. 
(4) The results found that the following environmental factors affected employees’ level of satisfaction with the environment at the buildings examined in this study. Thermal environment: “warm/cold sensation”; “hotness of the building upon arriving at the office”; and “shutdown of air conditioning during overtime hours”. Lighting environment: “natural daylight”; “brightness of task lighting”; and “brightness from window”. Air quality environment: “poor air circulation”; and “dustiness”. Sound environment: “noise”; and “quietness”. Air environment: “diversity of space”; “accessibility”; and “size of space”.

application/development

We will carry out further analyses, also of the buildings we have taken measurements of to date, and uncover “factors that impact intellectual productivity.”

predominance

The questionnaire survey conducted at actual offices shed light on the correlation between intellectual productivity and environmental factors and employee behavior that were previously unknown.

purpose of providing seeds

Sponsord research, Collaboration research, Technical consultation

material

  • Study of indoor environment: A building at which heat, air quality, light, and sound environment were measured. Measurements were taken at six buildings.
  • Behavioral study: Places of communication and amount of communication were studied by visual observation.
posted: 2014/05/21