Examination of Sound Environment Design Method for the Behavior of Office Workers

Abstract

In recent years, offices have changed due to work style reforms and the impact of the corona crisis. In contrast to the conventional belief that a quiet office is desirable, studies are underway to create an office environment in which office workers can perform comfortably and efficiently by adding pleasant sounds. We have implemented a nature sound environment control system that provides relaxation and concentration through embracing biophilic design, high-quality sound reproduction and direction control to realize a comfortable space that suits people. While introducing this system in multiple office spaces and proceeding with demonstration experiments, it has become clear that the type of sound source and listening level that make people feel comfortable differ depending on the office work situation. Therefore, in order to quantify the effects on humans such as relaxation and concentration, we used psychological methods (adjustment method and rating scale method) to verify the type of sound and listening level suitable for the office situations, such as working or taking a break. In our paper, we examined the effect of the sound environment on workers' psychological impressions in paperwork and breaks, which are the main worker actions in the office.