Poor office layouts 'affect productivity'

16-10-2007

A study intended to discover the effects of inferior office layout design has discovered that cramped conditions and antiquated equipment are detrimental to staff and their productivity, it has been reported.

Research carried out by Hewlett-Packard and the Mind Lab studied one group of staff in facility with a 'battery' office design with slow computers and cubicles and another in a 'free range' office with open spaces, laptops and mobile communication devices.

Staff in the 'free range' office saw their stress levels decrease by some 50 per cent and IQ scores rise by 28 per cent along with a reduction in blood pressure levels.

Dr David Lewis, a researcher at the Mind Lab, commented: "The study clearly shows that restrictive working conditions are not just bad for employees, they are bad for business."

Earlier this month, it was announced that the office design of the headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage - Great Glen House - may have contributed to it being awarded the title of Best Corporate Workplace in the UK by the British Council for Offices.

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