In this and the following two entries in this three-post series, I’ll look at the interplay between modern office design and the needs of office occupants. Specifically, I’ll address modern office design within the context of basic human needs and demographic variations. This first article will focus on defining basic human needs and the second on designing solutions to meet these needs. In the third article, I’ll address the issue of demographic variations in modern office design.
Let’s begin with the premise that basic human needs are fundamental, so much so that they go back to the dawn of Homo Sapiens. As Ron Freidman, Ph.D., points out in his book The Best Place to Work, most evolutionary psychologists believe that “many of our current design preferences can be traced back to our shared history on the savanna … as hunter-gatherers.” He further points out that these preferences are largely unconscious. Without really being able to identify why, we prefer safe and pleasurable environments, where we function better, over those that seem dangerous and inhibit our ability to function normally.
One example might be our preference for sitting in a sheltered location overlooking an expansive area like our ancestors did when searching for food or danger across the savanna. This behavioral practice has unconsciously morphed into the preference for living in a sunlit penthouse facing Central Park. Similarly, our past twin needs for the shelter and security of a cave and the campfire's comradery have transformed into the more contemporary need for a private residence and a neighborhood bar or other community-gathering place.
Modern Office Design Guidelines
So, if we accept this premise, what lessons can we take away from our caveman origins that can be applied to planning modern office design? Research in this field indicates that several guidelines should be considered. They fall into two categories:
Office Space Design Guidelines:
1. We feel less mentally constrained and think more broadly in taller spaces.
2. We are uncomfortable sitting in locations with our backs unprotected and exposed.
3. We have a greater sense of well-being in an environment near the outdoors and sunlight.
4. We have a greater sense of well-being in an environment containing plants.
Guidelines for Individual vs. Collaborative Work:
5. We pay more attention when performing a task focused on detail in a predominantly red-toned environment and conversely less when performing a task focused on free association and big-picture issues.
6. We focus better on a task that requires precision in a completely still environment, though silence can be detrimental to successfully performing a task that requires creative thinking.
7. As with a rectangular conference table, We are more comfortable participating in a group discussion when arranged in a circular configuration instead of an angular arrangement.
8. We require our own space at times, although at other times, we equally require the company of others.
9. We are more inclined toward compromise when seated on soft furniture and react more rigidly when seated on hard furniture.
When we consider the dichotomies inherent in several of these guidelines, it becomes evident that there may be no single, perfect office environment. The dichotomies suggest that multi-faceted office environments, specifically tuned to the functional needs of individual organizations, may offer the best solutions.
I’ll follow this thought in my next post when I address modern office design solutions within the context of basic human needs.
