Use Of Office Space Research Articles

COVID-19 outcomes: exploring the footprints of the pandemic on the office sector in Johannesburg, South Africa

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on office space in Johannesburg. This study further explores the role of changing work practices in the office sector in South Africa because of the pandemic and its impact on future office space use planning and management.Design/methodology/approachTo understand the footprints that the COVID-19 pandemic has left on the office space market in Johannesburg, this study uses semi-structured interviews, which were administered to corporate office users, and a thematic analysis was adopted to understand the views, perspectives and expectations of office users.FindingsThe study showed that space users perceive COVID-19-induced remote working as having benefits, opportunities and challenges. A notable shift in office space utilization has emerged, with employees increasingly opting for roles that permit remote work. This newfound flexibility, accommodating both on-site and remote work, often makes working from home more appealing than traditional office environments that may no longer align with users’ preferences for office spaces.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to Johannesburg, South Africa, and may not apply to other African markets. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted, and analysis and results were deduced; this may be considered a limitation of this study.Practical implicationsThe pandemic’s impact has brought about irreversible changes, compelling policymakers and business leaders to strategize and prepare. This proactive stance aims to prevent avoidable challenges for employees and companies during future pandemics. A thoughtful approach to the post-pandemic world can usher positive changes in the office and property sector. This includes the coexistence of both remote work and on-site working models.Originality/valueThis paper provides valuable insight into some of the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa that are essential for future office space use planning and management. The insights from this study extend the literature and provide novel knowledge based on an office sector in the “global south.”

A Method and Metrics to Assess the Energy Efficiency of Smart Working

The paper discusses the energy efficiency of smart working (SW) as a solution to traditional work-approach issues, with a focus on evaluating benefits for both employers and employees. Remote working, while offering environmental advantages such as reduced commuting and office space use, poses challenges in assessing its true impact. The study presents results from a dynamic analysis on a real residential building, typical of an architectural style diffused in northern Italy, revealing a 15% average increase in energy consumption when all work tasks are performed from home. To address concerns about the environmental impact of SW, the research proposes a method and metrics for evaluation. Four novel indices (SWEET, SEE, SSEE, and 4E) are introduced, providing a structured approach to assess the energy efficiency of SW initiatives. The paper outlines a methodology for data gathering and metric application, aiming to acquire quantitative insights and mitigate disparities arising from a transfer of burdens to employees. This contribution not only signifies a ground-breaking methodology but also addresses an unresolved research question concerning the evaluation of the actual energy efficiency of smart working implementations for both employers and employees. The results underscore the importance of understanding the nuances of SW’s impact on household energy usage and its broader implications for sustainability goals.

Measuring Space Efficiency and Estimating the Potential for Reduced Operational and Embodied Energy Use for Office Spaces

This paper explores how opportunities for reducing the total use of office space can be identified, investigates how the benefits in terms of energy savings from space efficiency measures could be calculated, and gives a first estimate of such values. A simple method to measure office space use is presented and tested at two university departments, and very low space efficiency is found. A variety of reasons for the low space efficiency are identified via interviews with property managers and heads of the concerned departments. These include the fact that the incentives for using space efficiently are small for the decision-makers, and the costs in terms of time and trouble are perceived as high. This suggests that interesting results can be achieved without large efforts. Moreover, we present a proof of concept of how to estimate the amount of energy that can be saved by reducing space use. We find a rough estimate of the potential energy savings of 2 MWh/m2 in embodied primary energy intensity (assuming that more efficient use of space leads to a decrease in new construction) and 200 kWh/m2/year in final energy intensity. Those numbers should be useful as rough estimates when looking at opportunities for saving energy by using space more efficiently.

Factor Analysis of Flexible Office Space Use and Intention to Use

Factor Analysis of Flexible Office Space Use and Intention to Use

Challenges of Private Practice: Working With Health Care Colleagues

Challenges of Private Practice: Working With Health Care Colleagues

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND OFFICE SPACE DEMAND DYNAMICS

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the mass adoption of remote working and other office market dynamics. As firms continue to adapt to the changes caused by the pandemic through various work patterns, the potential implications for the office market are unclear. Using data from Knight Frank’s (Y)OUR SPACE (2021) survey, this paper employs probit and multinomial models to examine the relationship between COVID-19 related remote working and changes to firms’ office space strategies. The study confirms that the pandemic has significantly influenced firms’ medium-term office space use strategies, and the results show that firms’ perception of their employees’ work-from-home experience has influenced their strategy review. The results specifically show that a positive WFH experience increases the likelihood that firms will reduce their total space quantity, reduce their density of occupation, and negotiate shorter leases in the medium term. We further observe that the pandemic is likely to have weaker effects on space quality than on space quantity, implying that economic factors remain core priorities in future office space use strategies, while social and environmental factors may remain secondary. These insights extend the literature beyond the economic determinants of office space demand to other social factors.

The smart analysis for workforce and organization management in corporate environment

The overall objective of all management practices is to get work done efficiently, at the lowest cost, in the best manner possible, using selected and trained personnel and machinery. Absolute best results cannot be achieved without the full effort of skilled employees with the best office equipment and a good harmonious office environment. Effectiveness in the successful execution of office tasks lies in the selection and use of office space. The facilities provided to do the work help to do the work in the best way. Office space is a prime factor for successful business execution. It is also clear that it does not come easily. When deciding on the suitability of a building, the manager should prepare a thorough checklist of requirements. Naturally, each business organization, department, and office has its own unique needs. Priority levels are assigned once the checklist is prepared. Discussing what is important, wanted, and useful with subordinates helps everyone get a sense of ownership while also demonstrating and confirming priority levels

Real Estate Insights Offices – reports of my death are greatly exaggerated

PurposeThe aim of this Real Estate Insight is to comment upon the role that offices will play in the post-COVID 19 work environment. The impact of lockdowns, worldwide, was to accelerate the changes in office use that were already beginning in the late 2010s as changes in work culture and practice and supporting technology were slowly transforming the way in which people worked.Design/methodology/approachThis Real Estate Insight will comment upon changes in the UK market as a bellwether for global working practices. The nature of the “Insights” briefings means that this is a personal view of the author.FindingsThis paper looks at office usage in a transitional, post-COVID 19, marketplace. The findings are a reasoned conjecture that traditional office use still has a place for the workforce of the 2020s and beyond, although office use will be less intense as workers adopt a range of other working practices, including coworking and working at home, outside the four walls of the physical office building.Practical implicationsAs with all property investment, the value and performance of the property assets is interlinked with the use and demand of the space in question. There will be a rebasing of rents as the use of office space becomes less intense and the lowering of unit costs will allow companies to restructure the internal space to accommodate a more flexible working environment.Originality/valueThis is a review of the UK office market in relation to a seismic change in how workers choose to work post COVID-19.

The perspective of coworking offices in the context of the small business development

Basing on the experience of countries where coworking is developing dynamically, the study assesses the development prospects of coworking in Poland. It identified the opportunities and threats as well as strengths and weaknesses of this form of approaching office space in the conditions of the Polish real estate market. SWOT analysis is used as a methodology to capture the advantages of new concept of business office. To this end, statistical and econometric tools were used. The study revealed strong entrepreneurs' attachment to the ownership of office buildings used for their own purposes and the correlation between the number of coworking facilities and the number of small companies, especially in the service sector. The advantages and disadvantages of coworking offices were also pointed out, in the context of the expectations of modern lessees. The opinions of women and men about the features typical of coworking offices vary considerably, which also may be a subject for further research. The existing surveys from the local market were also referred to, which may serve as a premise for further studies. This requires a global research to capture the change and its implication on real estate market in Poland and its impact on office market. The study recommendation is to celebrate and entrepreneurial activity and introduce entrepreneurial studies at schools to influence a positive change. Research indicates that the working culture is changing, which are reflected in the use of office space, and that after a period of social distancing the approach to shaping social relationships within office work will change as well. The research might therefore assist in revealing further “understanding” forms of interactions and mechanisms of decisions about best form of office space. The study findings fill the research gap in the field of office space sharing. They are also an important indication for potential investors who are looking for new investment areas in the times of pandemic. Moreover, the analyses results will allow lessees of traditional office space to consider alternative solutions for the future while seeking to improve their business situation after restrictions imposed in 2020. In this study, has enabled new insights into the coworking office and social role this form of work, which capture the behavioral and cultural factors.

EVALUATION OF PV POWERED SWITCHABLE GLAZING TECHNOLOGIES IN TERMS OF THEIR SUITABILITY FOR OFFICE WINDOWS IN MODERATE CLIMATES

ABSTRACT In the search for façade solutions that meet requirements for energy efficiency and office space use comfort, it seems promising to apply a combination of photovoltaic (PV) technology with switchable glazing. It is believed that the merging of these two technologies might benefit the cooperation between regulated solar protection and energy efficiency. This article provides a design outlook on the use of PV-EC, PV-SPD, and PV-LCD technologies in terms of their utility for office buildings in moderate climates. This study concerns thermal, optical-visual, energetic, and technical issues, and a comparative method was applied. Based on current scientific research, the results of the analysis were juxtaposed with the requirements of the office working environment: natural lighting, thermal protection, glare protection, privacy control, energy efficiency, and technical reliability. The juxtaposition of these aspects revealed the advantages and disadvantages of a given solution from an architectural point of view. PV-EC technology in a side-by-side system was found to be the most appropriate solution and the results may be applied to make preliminary design decisions.

Leasing out unused meeting room capacity to reduce future office space needs: A case study of The Hague, Netherlands

Meeting rooms are reserved 30% of working hours but only used for 20% of that time. By implementing a strategy where the available capacity is leased to the wider market rather than just the building users, there is a positive impact on the economic, environmental, and social factors of the building and its surroundings. This study uses the building ‘The Globe’ in The Hague as a case study, and then projects the results to the entire city. In case of The Globe, implementing a lease out strategy achieves a reduction of 36% of the annual rent of the meeting rooms to the building's tenant. The owner benefits from a revenue increase of 12.5%, with the same operational expenses (except the reservation system), leading to a proportional higher valuation of the building. Annual energy consumption may be lowered by 6.2%. This study contributes to the literature by considering the total benefits that could be obtained by more efficient use of office space that is currently underused. The application of technology generates added value for economic, environmental, and social factors. These factors are important in real estate as they (among others) have a direct link to the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) analysis that investors make before proceeding with an investment.

“Isn't it funny the children that are further away we don't think about as much?”: Using GPS to explore the mobilities and geographies of social work and child protection practice

Social work is an inherently mobile and spatial profession; child protection social workers travel to meet families in diverse contexts, such as families' homes, schools, court and many more. However, rising bureaucracy, managerialism and workloads are all combining to push social workers to complete increasing volumes of work outside their working hours. Such concerns lead to the perception that social workers are increasingly immobilised, finding themselves desk-bound and required to spend much of their working day navigating time-consuming computer systems. This immobilisation of social workers has considerable implications, restricting professionals' abilities to undertake the face-to-face work required to build relationships with families. However, until now, the actual movements of social workers, and how (lack of) movement affects ability to practice, remain unknown. In this paper we report on innovative research methods using GPS [Global Positioning System] devices that can trace social workers' mobilities and explore the use of office space, home working and visits to families in two English social work departments. This article presents unique findings that reveal how mobile working is shaping social care practitioner wellbeing and practice.

Working from the Other Office: Trialling Co‐Working Spaces for Public Servants

AbstractThe proliferation of digital connectivity and mobility is having a profound impact on nomadic and collaborative work practices in our cities. In the past few years, we have witnessed a shift in the way that organisational entities in both the private and public sector put emphasis on the allocation and use of office space. In this paper, we report on our evaluation of a trial of co‐working spaces also referred to as Flexible Work Centres (FWC) led by the Queensland State Government. The trial provides insights into such changes towards new work practices.The trial tested how FWCs can be used by Queensland Government employees, and its impact on productivity, staff retention and work–life balance of employees. The 47 trial participants from 10 different government departments completed a series of four surveys and were invited to keep diaries of their impressions and experiences. Supervisors were involved in a series of focus groups to reflect on the trial at the end of the 12‐month period.The benefits of the flexible work arrangement and specifically the provision of an alternative work venue was highly praised and appreciated by participants and supervisors. There were noted key qualities of staff and work types that this arrangement works best for, and trust in employees was paramount. The positive results of the trial saw a continuation of the provision of the flexible workspace arrangement and investigations into further extensions of the program.

A Phenomenological Study of the Office Environments of Clinical Social Workers.

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning and uses of the office space among licensed clinical social workers in private practice. Previous research suggests the importance of the office space in clinical practice in regard to therapeutic alliance, client behavior, and the well-being of the therapist. However, therapist offices contain much variation in design. This study looked further into specifically how the therapy room is important through the perspective of the licensed clinical social workers in order to identify common themes. Seven licensed clinical social workers in private psychotherapy practice were interviewed in their offices. Phenomenological research methods were used to explore and analyze their experiences. While the offices contained many physical differences, the intentions behind the designs were similar. Three themes emerged regarding how participants used and designed their spaces. First, participants used their offices to provide care for clients and themselves. Second, participants used their spaces to communicate therapeutic messages and to reveal and/or conceal aspects of themselves. Third, participants also used their space in direct practice. This phenomenological study provided insight into the importance and use of the psychotherapy office space. These findings may be helpful for therapists designing or redesigning their own practice spaces.

The rising energy efficiency of office buildings in Hong Kong

Though area in office buildings has expanded significantly in Hong Kong in the decade to 2013, increase in cooling energy use has been rather moderate. The factors and policy instruments that contributed to the impressive enhancement in energy usage efficiency are not available in published literature. Data of sixty-six office developments were examined to evaluate the role of policy instruments in bringing about the visible improvement. Numerical analyses reveal that use of chiller units with higher efficiency and fresh water cooling tower (FWCT) systems have contributed significantly to reduce cooling energy use of office space in Hong Kong. It is important to note that policies promulgated have played a key role in encouraging designers of office space to opt for energy efficient systems. The BEAM Plus certification for all public buildings has contributed the most (efficacy = 0.09) to the success in moderation of electricity consumption for cooling of office space. The FWCT scheme and the Building Energy Codes have had efficacies amounting to 0.076 and 0.026, respectively. Interestingly, the new OTTV requirement, used for regulation and monitoring of thermal performance of building envelopes, has had a negative rate of efficacy (0.018), implying that the government needs to review its appropriateness.

Ceiling personalized ventilation combined with desk fans for reduced direct and indirect cross-contamination and efficient use of office space

Crowded offices with short distances separating workers’ stations increase the probability of respiratory cross-infection via two different paths. One path is the contaminant transmission through air by direct inhalation and the other is through the body contact of contaminated surfaces and walls. Mixed ventilation principles used today reduces the probability of cross contamination by increasing the distance between the stations challenging the efficient use of the space or by supplying more fresh air in the space which is energy inefficient.In this work, new cooling and ventilation configuration is studied by modeling using computational fluid dynamics with consideration of space occupancy density while providing good indoor air quality. The configuration considers a ceiling personalized ventilation system equipped with desk fans. The ability of the computational fluid dynamics model in computing the thermal, velocity and concentration fields was validated by experiments and published data. The main objective of the performed experiments was to ensure that the developed computational fluid dynamics model can capture the effect of the desk fan flow rate on particle behavior.The studied system is found to provide acceptable indoor air quality at shorter distance between the occupants compared to the mixing system at considerable energy savings. By optimizing the design of the proposed personalized ventilation system, the occupancy density in an office is enhanced to 8m2 per occupant compared to 12m2 per occupant for conventional mixing system while maintaining better indoor air quality at significant decrease in the energy consumption.

Rethinking density in contemporary workplace environments

Mobile technologies, eroded hierarchical structures and a persistent pursuit of space efficiency are changing the patterns of office-space use, which in turn is challenging traditional ways of calculating and nominating the number of people occupying an office building. Getting the building population right is important for the comfort, safety and cost (construction and operational) of an office building and affects a variety of stakeholders. Studies indicate that new working practices have the tendency to increase the number of people per square metre in a building; however, current frameworks governing workplace design are falling behind in recognising this change and limiting the potential of contemporary work environments. A process was developed to identify codes related to building population in workplace-related frameworks. In total, seven areas were identified, which, if innovated, could create an equal number of new-value opportunities in workplace design. A particularly relevant finding was that the statutory code establishing the maximum density per square metre has not changed in 25 years. Opportunities to update this code to contemporary ways of working are discussed in this paper. A prototype capable of modelling different population scenarios and testing them against selected codes was developed and is discussed. The results suggest that perhaps the focus should not be on finding a higher density, but on a better way of calculating and nominating the capacity of a building.

A relocation model of European manufacturing firms: cases from Italy and Sweden

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to deal with two major issues: what alternatives does a manufacturing company have when current office space use is not sufficient, or it exceeds its needs, following changes and business transformation; and second, what principal factors (in particular Facilities and Corporate Real Estate Management factors) must be taken into account in the decision‐making process about possible relocation? The corporate real estate of manufacturing firms in the Western countries is very much similar to that of the service sector. When compared to property devoted to service activities only, the inertia of manufacturing companies is apparent only, because a large part of the premises are in fact offices that, to various extent, are connected to warehouses, laboratories, factories and manufacturing units that cannot be relocated. For this reason it is necessary to devise intermediate alternatives between staying on the current location or total relocation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on literature studies of company locations in a European and global context, with two independent surveys from two different geographical areas: northern Italy and Sweden. Despite the different aspects considered in the surveys, common conclusions can be made for a general understanding of how facilities management factors influence location.FindingsThe model described in this paper organizes location alternatives when space changes are required, especially by European manufacturing companies.Practical implicationsThe model is a tool for decision makers when analysing and structuring their location needs.Originality/valueThe paper is a pioneering work of classification of intermediate alternatives of partial relocation.

Office sustainability: occupier perceptions and implementation of policy

PurposeThe purpose of this research was twofold. First, to investigate the views of occupiers in a typical UK city on the importance of various sustainability issues, their perceived impact of different sustainability drivers and willingness to pay. Second, the environmental and social performance of existing buildings in that city was examined.Design/methodology/approachThe research focuses on buildings of 10,000 feet2 or more that have been constructed in the Bristol city‐region in the UK over the past 50 years. The buildings in the sample are located in the city centre and in out‐of‐town business parks. A questionnaire survey investigated the views of occupiers and follow‐up interviews looked more closely at the sustainability performance of the existing stock.FindingsThe findings indicate that, as far as occupiers are concerned, the strongest drivers are consumer demand and staff demand. Green features of a building appear to rank low in the overall building selection preference structure and a willingness to pay a premium for green features was indicated. The interviews uncovered barriers to progress as well as initiatives to reduce both energy consumption and the environmental impact of office space.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies progress and issues which could form obstacles to improving the environmental performance of office buildings. It is argued that there is a need to focus on energy efficiency.Originality/valueThis paper explores the linkage between the perception and use of office space by occupants and how this affects the environmental performance of this space.

Office space change in six Swedish growth firms

Facility resources of growth firms have seldom been studied. The purpose here is to analyse how firms that increased their number of employees changed their office space use between 1995 and 2000 in the Gothenburg region. Six firms have been selected among those who had 1‐25 employees in 1995 and 50‐500 employees in 2000. Site visits with retrospective interviews have been used. Results indicate that growth firms tend to relocate when passing from an entrepreneurial to a managerial phase. Once having relocated within the region, these firms tend to plan for multisite operations with new small offices. Spatial expansion seems to be triggered when no more than 20sq.m are left per full‐time employee. When density rises, these firms avoid raising the proportion of remote work. This may reflect that security is a crucial issue, and a concern with protection would also explain an emphasis on creating office boundaries for visitors.