42% of workers said that natural light in their office space is the most important thing. This finding comes from a survey carried out by Giant Leap, the office architects who consult across South Africa and Africa.
This isn’t really surprising as natural light not only offers a more pleasant environment, but actually has health benefits. Research done by Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois revealed that workers who had more exposure to natural light slept better for longer, did more physical activity and had overall better quality of life.
Don’t know about you, but I’d hate to work in an office that didn’t have huge windows with lots of light.
Second on the list of needs in an office space, with 22% of the vote, was “quiet working spaces”, while “a view of the sea” came in third at 20%. Sorry for those who live far from the coast!
Linda Trim, Director at Giant Leap, said in a press release that while views of the sea were a nice to have, they were not practical for inland cities. Er, yes.
“We have found however that placing large pictures of peaceful natural places like forests, mountains or the sea does create a calming atmosphere in the office,” says Trim.
So what else does it take to make a nice working environment? Coming in at number four was “live indoor plants” and “bright colours rounded out the list of the top 5.
According to Trim, live plants shows employees that the company they work for cares about them and their well-being while the right use of colour can also increase out and spark creativity.
Well, Trim has a point – this University of Texas study found that colours can have a major effect on our moods, especially if you’re a woman.
I find this especially true. I respond better when I’m surrounded by lots of colour – so that’s my new excuse for having a messy desk filled with colourful odds and ends.
What environmental factors are most important to you at work?