How Does Office Design Support Employees’ Health? A Case Study on the Relationships among Employees’ Perceptions of the Office Environment, Their Sense of Coherence and Office Design
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2021

This study investigated the current design circumstances of an office as well as employees’ perceptions of the office environment in relation to their perceived health, drawing on sense of coherence theory (comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness). Previous studies have related the physical office environment to employee health. However, most studies have focused on alleviating negative effects, while health-promoting potential, including employee sense of coherence, has been overlooked. This study adopted a mixed method case study approach, combining semi-structured interviews with employees, structured observations, and analysis of architectural drawings. The results indicated that employees’ perceptions did not always align with the ideas behind the architectural design and that employees understood the environment differently. The study also highlighted the interrelations (and contradictions) among the different components of sense of coherence. The findings imply that organizations may need to prioritize which components of coherence should be supported most by the office environment. It also suggests that case-specific design aspects should play a more central role in studying and conceptualizing healthy office design and that design solutions should be continuously modified during the use phase, while ensuring employees’ participation. The study concluded that an ‘ideal’ office environment should not be the goal. Instead, office design should provide an environment in which employees are able to cope with challenges in comprehensible, manageable and meaningful ways.

sense of coherence

salutogenic

workplace design

well-being

health

flexible office

case study

office design

Författare

Melina Forooraghi

Chalmers, Arkitektur och samhällsbyggnadsteknik, Byggnadsteknologi

Elke Miedema

Chalmers, Arkitektur och samhällsbyggnadsteknik, Arkitekturens teori och metod

Nina Ryd

Chalmers, Arkitektur och samhällsbyggnadsteknik, Byggnadsdesign

Holger Wallbaum

Chalmers, Arkitektur och samhällsbyggnadsteknik, Byggnadsteknologi

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

1661-7827 (ISSN) 1660-4601 (eISSN)

Vol. 23 18 12779

Ämneskategorier

Miljömedicin och yrkesmedicin

DOI

10.3390/ijerph182312779

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2022-04-05