Enhancement of work place comfort through the use of soft landscape

Abstract

The work environment has been shown to have a great influence on employees’ physical and mental state, as such employers try as much as possible to provide a comfortable working environment. However, recent studies have shown that the work environment is no longer as comfortable as it used to be due to heat gain from the increasing use of hard landscape features and neglect of soft landscape features in the work environment. This has resulted in stress causing both mild and severe health conditions for employees. Thus, this study aims to analyze the use of soft landscape in enhancing users' comfort with the view of reducing stress and health-related issues in the work environment. The paper adopted a mixed method using observation checklists, structured interviews, questionnaires, and case studies. A total of eighteen office complexes were selected to describe the existing situation as related to most office complexes and to also gain insight into the subject matter as already applied to life situations. Structured interviews and questionnaires were also conducted with occupants of the buildings and professionals to hear their perceptions and expectations of their work environment. Results showed that 20 percent of the offices give proper consideration to the use of soft landscapes in the work environment, and 40 percent give inconsiderable attention to soft landscapes while making use of them in small quantities solely for improving the aesthetical value of the building. In comparison, the remaining 40 percent do not consider landscape use as a means of improving comfort in the work environment. Findings also revealed that 80 percent of office buildings give major consideration to parking space using hard landscapes without a proper blend of soft landscapes after building design which hurts occupant comfort. The research concluded that the incorporation of soft landscape elements both within the building using recesses and protrusions and on the building walls through the use of exoskeleton and climbers while incorporating trees, shrubs, flowers, hedges and water around the building can have these required effects on employee’s comfort.