The average person spends about 90% of their time indoors

With so much of our time spent inside working, it’s essential to understand the various indoor environmental factors that can be optimised to boost cognitive function and performance at work.

Clean air, clean mind

Ventilation in office buildings brings in fresh air from outside to dilute the CO2 generated from workers and any organic chemicals that might be in the air. If a building doesn’t have proper ventilation then air quality can feel stuffy and cause symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, coughs, and dizziness. The World Health Organization coined the term ‘sick building syndrome’ for the negative health effects associated with time spent in a building.

Poor ventilation and air quality has also been found to result in workers taking more sick leave, higher operational costs, and of course decreased productivity. One study showed a 101% improvement in cognitive function test scores when workers were in a highly ventilated office with low CO2, compared with when they were in a standard office environment.

Suggestions:

• Check that your ventilation systems are maintained and monitored in real time so that issues can be resolved immediately.
• Use workplace sensors to measure air quality and CO2 concentration.
• Limit the volatile organic compounds in the air by choosing office supplies and materials that have low chemical emissions. As an example, common indoor pollutants can come from printers, paint, and cleaning products.

Thermal comfort

Office temperature is a highly contentious topic with 52% of UK employees stating that it even causes regular arguments between staff. Temperature not only impacts our comfort and productivity, but also our health, so it’s no surprise that people have a strong opinions.

Researchers at Cornell University found that when temperatures were low (20°C / 68°F) workers committed 44% more errors and were half as productive as when temperatures were warm (25°C / 77°F). Other research suggests that 22°C (71°F) is the optimum temperature for productive working.

Suggestions:

• Set your office temperature to 22°C (71°F) and monitor how people react.
• Survey staff to find out which areas in your office have less consistent temperature.
• Consider IoT technology such as sensors that measure thermal conditions and can be linked to building management systems that automatically adjust temperature.
• If you determine areas that perform badly, then change seating plans to avoid disputes before they happen.

What’s that noise?

We’ve all experienced moments where background noise was so bad that our work was disrupted and we had to raise our voices to talk with colleagues. A study of 1,000 UK office workers found that:

52% of workers are interrupted by noise distractions more than five times in a working day.

With open plan offices becoming increasingly popular, more workers are being exposed to environmental noise which distracts and stresses employees, leading to impaired performance. 

Suggestions:

• Block out as much outdoor noise as possible (traffic, aircraft).
• Control indoor sources of noise such as office equipment.
• Provide dedicated quiet spaces for those who need to focus.
• Explore sound absorbing materials and panels that you could install throughout your workplace.

Light up your life 

Light has a considerable impact on our cognitive function and sleep. Our eyes detect light so that we can see, but they also use light to tell the brain what time of day it is. We need to be exposed to a 24 hour light-dark cycle, with bright light in the day and darkness at night in order to synchronize our circadian rhythms. Sticking to the circadian sleep-wake cycle is vital for maintaining cognitive processes like attention, memory, and learning. Light can also be used to proactively boost our alertness. For example a study of university students found they experienced much higher levels of alertness and performed better at tests when under artificial daylight (colour temperature of 6500K) compared to when they were under cool (4000K) or warm (3000k) white light.

Workers exposed to daylight instead of purely electrical light, have it better off. Exposure to daylight and access to windows has been found to improve mood, reduce sleepiness, and lower blood pressure. Views of nature or landscapes are known to have restorative effects as well. One study of students in classrooms with visual access to plants and nature through their window showed they were less stressed and tired compared with students who had no outdoor view.

Suggestions:

• During the day take regular breaks to step outside for daylight exposure.
• To boost your cognitive function expose yourself to high intensity lighting. 
•  Before bed reduce your exposure to intense light to help your circadian rhythms.
• Make sure your desk has direct access to a window and/or nature.
• Incorporate some nature in your office design. It’s called biophilic design.

Design for performance

A high-performing worker is a happy and healthy worker, and workplace design plays a surprisingly crucial role in this. I mentioned the importance of daylight and window views, but there are several other design elements which influence employee satisfaction – take a look at some of these in the image below which comes from a survey by Capital One of 3,500 working professionals.

The survey also found that 83% of professionals have their best ideas when working in flexible spaces, and 80% said they are more productive when they move to a different room or environment while working.

Other similar studies reinforce the need for artwork and interesting colour schemes at work. Quantitative data shows that people are happier in beautiful spaces. It’s not just nature that should be considered when designing office spaces.

Suggestions:

• Provide different spaces for different types of work. People need space to brainstorm and collaborate, but also to rest and relax.
• Introduce plants, artwork, and colour.
• Provide ergonomic fittings to ensure comfort.

Work – love it, or hate it, we all must do it. Making it as smooth, productive, and satisfying as possible should be everyone’s goal. Try some of the suggestions mentioned above and find out what works for you and your organisation. If you want to know more about improving the performance of your people and spaces check out our TEOS workplace technology solutions, or send us a message.