I’ve worked in both a cramped cubicle and a spacious corner office with a view. There’s no doubt that my view of the treetops (3rd floor) and blue skies while sunshine poured in made me happier and my work easier. Whoever dreamed that workers would choose to return to the office to go back into cubicles was delusional. Windows make a big difference, and WFH holdouts are reluctant to trade their cozy, well-lit home office for a corporate cave.
An article featured on theconversation.com cited a survey of 1,614 North American office workers. Over half said views of the outdoors were the number one perk they wanted. And 78% said it improved their happiness and wellbeing. “The survey participants valued office views more than other perks such as fitness facilities and cafeterias, or benefits such as onsite childcare.” Now that surprised me.
The survey creators actually went deeper into what makes a view pleasurable for workers. The assumption was that views of nature would be more important to a sense of wellbeing than urban views. But the results of the study were more complex.
No matter whether a worker had a view of nature or of the city, the features that improved workers’ moods fell into two categories: “Mystery” and “Coherence.” The researchers said, “Mysterious views (think of a mountain range or a city in the distance) hide information and make people curious to explore more. Coherent views (think of a savanna or skyscrapers) look symmetrical and organized which helps people to make sense of the environment.”
They went on to identify the two worst features for workers’ moods. “The two worst features for wellbeing are “refuge” and “complexity”. Refuge views (think of dense shrubs or narrow dark alleys) are excellent hiding places for predators, which people prefer to avoid. Complex views (think of a tangled forest or crowded urban areas) offer many shapes and textures, which can be overwhelming.”
Since the pandemic lockdowns, millions of square feet of office space have gone vacant – about 19% of total available space, according to commercial real estate organizations. Return to office policies in many companies have been flexible and subject to constant change based on worker resistance. One opportunity all this vacant space represents is the chance to rearrange the layout to make workers happier.
Traditionally, it was common for workers to toil away in cubicles centered in a room lit by obnoxious overhead LED lighting. Office lighting is almost universally bad – and bad for you, triggering migraines for photo-sensitive workers and eye strain for everyone else. Rachel Handler, a writer for New York Magazinedescribed it as “uncanny, freakishly bright and yet also not bright enough. Every office I’ve ever worked in has had lighting that’s made me feel varying degrees of insane and depressed.” This explains why so many workers in large offices bring in their own desk lamps, which provide warmer task lighting and create an oasis of personal style in a vast greige desert.
Meanwhile, large conference rooms line the perimeter of the office, sitting empty these days for at least 80% of the day. These huge and stylish spaces, designed to impress clients and inspire innovation, usually have vast windows with great views of the city or curated urban parks.
Companies are taking notice in other countries, building rooftop gardens and “green spines” between office buildings on campuses to give more workers views of nature. Retailer L.L. Bean cut out the middle of one of their warehouses and turned the space into a courtyard, so that everyone at their new home office (click the link to see the beautiful design) would have views of nature while working.
Employers should make the effort to flip the traditional office design to give workers access to natural light and calming views. Locating conference rooms in interior spaces won’t make a big difference; they are used only for meetings, which may become significantly shorter when there’s no view benefit.
Workers might be anxious to return to their workspace where they can soak up the sunshine or admire the gentle play of rain on fall foliage.
“I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
Your Work, Your Way 