The relationship between interior office space and employee health and well-being

The relationship between interior office space and employee health and well-being: a literature review

Colenberg, S.E. (TU Delft Design Conceptualization and Communication; Center for People and Buildings)
Jylhä, T.E. (TU Delft Real Estate Management)
Arkesteijn, M.H. (TU Delft Real Estate Management)

2020

Health is a trending topic in the office market, yet scientific research on healthy offices is scattered. This study undertakes a systematic literature review on the relationship between the interior space of offices and physical, psychological and social well-being. The review identifies the characteristics of interior office space that have been studied in relation to employee health, and outlines the empirical evidence. Of 2816 papers in the database, 50 addressed the relationship between interior office space and health and did so based on six features: layout, furniture, light, greenery, controls and noise. Evidence on the relationship between interior space and health has accumulated only within a few topics. On the one hand, open-plan offices, shared rooms and higher background noise are negatively related to health. On the other hand, positive relationships are found between physical well-being and aspects that encourage physical activity; between physical/psychological well-being and (day)light, individual control and real/artificial greenery; and between social well-being and small shared rooms. In measuring health, physical well-being is predominant. Similarly, studies have predominantly aimed to prevent health problems rather than enhance health. Overall, the related research is in a nascent stage. Further research is required to verify claims about healthy offices.

Health
interior design
interior space
office
well-being
workplace design

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:30005729-b6dd-4d75-8d0b-860684ccfe5a

https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2019.1710098

0961-3218

Building Research and Information: the international journal of research, development and demonstration, 49 (2021) (3), 352-366

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2020 S.E. Colenberg, T.E. Jylhä, M.H. Arkesteijn