Pride and productivity – introducing and testing the Healing Offices® design concept

The purpose of this study is to learn to what extent the physical workspace can contribute to employee health and happiness. In this context, it introduces an evidence-based design concept and evaluation method for workplaces to transform the traditional subjective design process into a more objective, systematic approach. Identifying issues regarding physical design and work culture is assumed to lead to a better person-environment fit.

The study describes a comparison between a pre-measurement at an IT company’s old workplace and a post-measurement in the new location with a new office design. The independent variable is the objective quality of the physical work environment, which was determined by an interior quality index. The dependent variables were the perceived health, engagement, comfort and productivity, assessed by an online questionnaire and interviews.

The objective quality of the work environment improved remarkably, especially regarding sustainability, diversity, nature and the possibilities to move and relax. The subjective experience of employees also improved, specifically regarding feelings of comfort and energy, possibly because of a more inspirational and diverse environment, which also better captured the company identity. A more connected workspace moreover seemed to relate to more physical activity and personal contact, as well as to teamwork and productivity.

The study promotes an evidence-based design approach for design and real-state, encouraging all stakeholders to design responsibly: to work more closely together, take well-informed design decisions and evaluate and learn from what was “left behind.” It also stresses the power of tailor-made designs, as any design eventually is shaped by its broader cultural context.