The influence of personality on user satisfaction: multi-tenant offices

Many different multi-tenant offices have arisen over the last decades, as building owners address the changing nature of the workplace – a need for users to share facilities. However, the existing literature on multi-tenant buildings from the point of view of user satisfaction is scarce, limiting input for user-centred design. This study analyses the influence of personality on user satisfaction with multi-tenant office characteristics. Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed among users of 17 different multi-tenant offices (business centres, incubators serviced offices and co-working places), which yielded 190 respondents. To determine the effects of personal characteristics, a multiple regression model was performed per office variable category. Results showed that users who are more extraverted, open to new experiences and more agreeable were overall more satisfied with the multi-tenant office characteristics. However, the effects of demographics and work-related characteristics were much larger. Men, older users and users working in an open and flexible work environment were overall more satisfied with the office characteristics. Owners, developers and managers can use these results for developing user-centred designs, optimizing the level of satisfaction in their offices.     

健康视角下联合办公楼通话空间设计策略初探

分析联合办公楼在发展过程中呈现的办公模式、空间特征和声音干扰问题,为建设良好声环境提供借鉴。通过案例调研与文献综述,归纳分析联合办公使用者对声环境的需求以及声音干扰的影响,探索声音干扰问题产生的源头与使用者交流需求之间的密切相关性。基于此,提出在联合办公楼中设置通话空间,通过这种私密交流空间来缓解使用者被动接受声音干扰的问题;进而,研究基于联合办公楼的健康声环境分析通话空间的营造策略,具体从设计思路、空间布局、建造方式、外部尺寸与隔音设置这5个方面展开设计策略内容。     

Co-working Spaces in Milan: Location Patterns and Urban Effects

ABSTRACT

The present paper investigates the location patterns and the effects co-working spaces generate on the urban context, issues that have been neglected by the existing literature. The focus is on Milan, the core of the Italian knowledge-based, creative, digital, and sharing economy, and the city hosting the largest number of co-working spaces in Italy. The paper addresses three main questions: (1) Where are the main locations of co-working spaces in Milan? (2) Are there any transformative effects of co-working spaces, respectively at the urban scale and at the very local scale? (3) What are their impacts in terms of spatial transformation and in terms of innovation in practices (for instance, work, leisure, or culture)? Desk research showed that location patterns of co-working spaces resemble those of service industries in urban areas, with a propinquity to the so-called “creative clusters.” Field research shed light on urban effects, such as the participation of workers in co-working spaces in local community initiatives, their contribution to urban revitalization trends, and micro-scale physical transformations. The paper, therefore, helps to fill the gap in the literature about the location patterns of these new working spaces and their urban effects at different scales, both in terms of urban spaces and practices.     

Emerging Workplaces in Post-Functionalist Cities

ABSTRACT

This paper explores new types of workplaces that are emerging due to the growing flexibility in work arrangements and the use of information and communication technologies. In addition to home and office, third places, such as libraries and coffee shops, are increasingly used as temporary workplaces. Moreover, there is a proliferation of co-working spaces that are designed as temporary working locations. Thus, the boundaries between traditional urban functions have become blurred; different functions co-exist in the same spaces, and new functionalities emerge as people take spaces into new uses. We may call our cities “post-functionalist,” ones that are no longer based only on predetermined and designed functions. However, there has been little research on the spatial characteristics of these new workplaces as well as on the social features within these places. These phenomena have been empirically studied through observational studies, interviews, and spatial analyses of three such sites: Café Köket, Meetingpoint, and Helsinki Think Company in the city center of Helsinki. The results reveal new forms of appropriation of public and semi-public spaces for working purposes that have not yet been analyzed in the context of existing urban policies and practices. The findings provide input for future visions and the planning of new workplaces.     

How do open space characteristics influence open space use? A study of Melbourne’s Southbank Promenade

ABSTRACT

With the importance of open spaces to urban quality of life being increasingly recognized, knowledge about which spatial characteristics influence open space use, how, and why is of growing interest to open space researchers, designers and managers. Through an observational survey of Southbank Promenade in Melbourne, Australia, the research examines how various specific design characteristics of open spaces correspond to their actual uses. The findings show that different levels and kinds of uses are associated with the different space features of three distinct sections of Southbank Promenade, under varying time and weather conditions.     

大跨转换梁同上部结构共同工作的性能分析

采用有限元分析软件SAP2000,对转换梁同上部剪力墙结构及转换梁同上部框架结构的共同工作性能进行了分析研究,结合相关算例,探讨了转换梁同上部结构共同工作的特性,给出了大跨转换梁考虑同上部结构共同工作性能的设计建议,将有利于推广该结构形式在实际工程中的运用。     

Thermal comfort in transitional spaces—basic concepts: literature review and trial measurement

Current thermal comfort research extensively documents various aspects of the human thermal response to stable environmental conditions. Reviews of recent research on outdoor comfort, however, reveals a lack of information on response to conditions in transitional spaces—those areas that are influenced by outdoor climate, yet are architecturally bounded by a building. In this work, we focused on transitional space as a space in between outdoor and indoor. Transitional spaces were organized into three categories depending on their proximity to interior spaces. Pilot measurements of physical variables were taken in six places. Transitional spaces’ physical environments varied by the space type and architectural characteristics. The typical behaviors observed were walking, standing, and sitting —different and varied compared to the sedentary behavior in offices or homes. The most efficient architectural shape of transitional spaces is related to the corresponding regional climatic condition. It was verified that PMV cannot be used for transitional space thermal comfort predictions because of its unstable and dynamic physical and MET value.     

建筑现象的类型化——解读梅里达罗马艺术博物馆

通过对梅里达罗马艺术博物馆空间、类型、流线等方面的解读,该文分析并总结了建筑师莫尼欧在方案构思阶段如何将现象特征转化为类型空间的一系列尝试,在从表象特征进入内在特征的逻辑推理方式上做出了更深层次的理解.     

Spatial adaptability and flexibility as parameters of user satisfaction for quality housing

Residential satisfaction on dwelling space is the function of three groups of variables. These are user characteristics, physical attributes of a space, and beliefs and perception of the user about the experienced space. This article intends to focus on the evaluation of the ‘dwelling space’ in terms of residential satisfaction of the occupants. Level of residential satisfaction gradually decreases by the time with the changing spatial needs of occupants. Users achieve satisfaction by changing the physical characteristics of their environments to create more adaptable and flexible spaces. Adaptability and flexibility are quality characteristics of a space. In this study, they are studied in terms of size, space organization, and changes and alterations on physical attributes. This study presents the results of a comparative analysis of four 2-bedroom type apartment units, having different plan organizations and physical attributes. Factors of spatial satisfaction due to size and physical characteristics of dwelling spaces after alterations were investigated. Comparisons were made to find out the potential plan types for future alterations for residential satisfaction. This study is based on the data of a comprehensive post-occupancy evaluation of 16–20 year old housing settlement in Istanbul, Ataköy.     

游人对乌兰察布城市公园植物景观 空间的偏好研究

以内蒙古乌兰察布市中心城区8个城市公园中的植 物景观空间为研究对象,使用行为观察法和行为地图法记录游 人的景观偏好与行为偏好,用相关性分析、方差分析研究植物 景观空间特征指标与游人偏好的关系,为提升游人在植物景观 空间的游憩体验、构建人性化城市公园提供参考。研究表明： 游人偏好水体与植物组合景观空间,且游人偏好与植物观赏特 性、季相变化、色彩构成呈显著正相关,与亲水性呈显著负相 关;游人喜欢在城市公园植物景观空间中欣赏美景和社交;游 人倾向于在野生植物种类少、可达性好的植物景观空间内进行 休闲娱乐活动,在气味芳香、硬质广场面积较大的植物景观空 间内进行体育健身活动,在郁闭度高、较封闭、离水边较远、 离出入口较近的植物景观空间内进行安静休憩活动。     

A comprehensive approach in green space site planning: an application of a three-stage multi-criteria decision support system

ABSTRACT

To green space site planning, this paper deals with ‘Regional Park site planning’, and presents a concept of ‘criteria screening and selection’. Through a three-stage decision support system, this paper, firstly, identifies general criteria for green space site planning and then comes up with specific criteria for Regional Park site planning within Shiraz metropolitan area. The paper contributes to the literature by improving the existing approaches of criteria selection, and points out that the list of selection criteria aggregated from literature should be adapted to case specific characteristics before being used to select a new location for public green spaces.     

Combating overheating: mixed-mode conditioning for workplace comfort

ABSTRACT

Using post-occupancy evaluations of seven mixed-mode buildings – three in Australia and four in India – this paper demonstrates that effective mixed-mode conditioning (instead of year-round air-conditioning) can deliver comfortable workspaces. Occupant feedback reinforces strong associations between overheating, thermal comfort, overall comfort and perceived productivity. However, differing levels of thermal acceptability within and between the Australian and Indian contexts are evident. Occupants in the Indian buildings were found to tolerate a wider range of temperatures when compared with Western contexts where lower temperature limits entrench an energy demand through a greater reliance on air-conditioning. The outcomes from the study suggest that the perception of overheating and consequent risk to building performance can be intensified when occupants perceive limited adaptive opportunity or problems are not rectified quickly, whereas perceived control is less important where building systems are user responsive. Occupants in three of the study buildings also perceived higher-than-anticipated comfort which could be attributable to well-liked attributes, such as break-out spaces, daylight and fresh air included in these buildings. The findings challenge designers and clients to develop user-responsive climate interactive workplaces that capitalize on spatial and mixed-mode environmental control to tackle the question of overheating.     

Hubs of Internet Entrepreneurs: The Emergence of Co-working Offices in Shanghai,China

ABSTRACT

Recently, the Chinese government has announced the “Internet plus” national strategy to encourage the development of Internet industries, particularly “innovations at the grassroots level.” Supportive government policies at the national and local level, and strong market demand have led to the rise of “Internet plus” entrepreneurs. Many of them are not setting up their own offices but are using shared or co-working offices. This study examines the geographical factors, reasons, and processes behind the emergence of co-working offices for these Internet start-up firms through on-site observations and in-depth interviews with the management and users at major co-working offices in Shanghai, China.     

室内公共空间声环境改造设计

随着人们交往空间的扩大,室内公共空间在社会生活中发挥的作用越来越大,其功能和空间形式也趋于多样化。从声学角度出发,分析目前各类室内公共空间声环境状况,提出相应的音质设计目标和声学措施,并结合具体工程实例进一步阐释和说明。     

Production of Edibles and Use of Garden Waste in Domestic Gardens of a Middle-Class Suburb in Cape Town,South Africa

ABSTRACT

An under-investigated impact of urbanisation is the decrease in green spaces like domestic gardens, which does not bode well for urban sustainability. To this end, research was conducted in a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa to ascertain the degree to which residents use their garden spaces for the cultivation of edibles and to establish their management practices regarding garden waste. A mixed-methods approach determined that potential gardening space occupied, on average, about two-thirds of the area of residential plots. However, the 129 selected respondents were cultivating lawns, not food. Where the cultivation of edibles did occur, it was predominantly fruit with minimal vegetable production. The residents of the middle-class suburb had a penchant for using private gardening services who disposed of the garden waste elsewhere. Some home-composting activities were recorded. A municipal-driven composting programme will provide the impetus for increasing the rate of home composting. The study established that food production in the middle-class suburb has the potential to contribute to sustainable urban green spaces through increased home-garden cultivation. However, on-site techniques of disposing with garden waste must be promoted.     

对中国传统建筑模糊空间的文化初探

当今世界,建筑室内空间设计的发展迅速,人们对空间环境塑造的要求越来越高。在这样的时代背景下,认真研究室内空间就显得尤为重要。中国传统建筑空间具有高度的文化精神,蕴涵强烈的审美意境,表现出模糊空间特征和传统文化及美学精神。我们只有探寻其内在的空间规律、特征及精神内涵,才能使这一传统艺术形式在当代社会得到真正的继承与发展。     

Optimal utilization of interior building spaces for material procurement and storage in congested construction sites

Congested construction sites, such as urban building projects, often have insufficient exterior space to accommodate all needed temporary facilities and material storage areas. Accordingly, interior building spaces need to be used for material storage while exterior space is left for temporary site facilities. Existing models of site layout and material logistics, however, do not support the utilization of interior spaces due to the complexity of interior space modeling. This paper presents the development of a new congested construction logistics planning (C2LP) model that is capable of modeling and utilizing interior spaces of buildings under construction to generate optimal logistics plans. The proposed C2LP model includes novel computational algorithms to model interior space allocation, complex space constraints, and impact of interior space utilization on activity scheduling. C2LP considers four types of decision variables, material procurement, material storage, facility layout, and scheduling of noncritical activities. The model is implemented by using multi-objective genetic algorithms to generate optimal logistics plans that provide optimal tradeoffs between minimizing total logistics costs and minimizing schedule criticality. The model is evaluated by using an application example to illustrate its capabilities in utilizing interior building space in the logistics plan of congested construction projects.     

略论室内设计中肌理元素的功能运用

摘要：肌理，是指通过触摸或触摸的幻觉可能经验到的一种材料的表面特性。肌理是自然力的产物，或者是艺术家对艺术元素进行处理的产物。肌理是室内空间设计的一项重要内容。因为，肌理依附于材料，是材料的表面特征。而室内空间是利用物理材料围合而成的，空间中充满了大量的材料，势必会在空间中形成复杂的肌理效果。所以，肌理艺术的研究，对于室内空间艺术效果和精神世界的营造，具有重要的指导意义。     

粤中侨乡民居设计手法分析

试图用粤中建筑文化与西方建筑文化相对比的方法 ,分析粤中侨乡民居内部空间构成和外部风格特征的建筑处理手法 ,这些手法是形成富有特色的侨乡风貌的关键 ,为今天侨乡建筑风格的持续发展提出具体可鉴的方法。     

An evaluation of Akabe mass housing settlement in Sanliurfa, Turkey

Traditional living spaces contain climatic and cultural elements that may be used in the design of future living spaces. The sustainable characteristics that have been developed by trial and error for hundreds of years can be reinterpreted in contemporary architecture according to modern conditions. In this study, user satisfaction levels have been examined in the new living spaces in Sanliurfa, a city located in southeastern Turkey. The design of the mass housing settlement examined within the scope of this study was inspired by traditional living spaces. It has been shown that, contrary to expectations, the similarities between the modern and traditional living spaces are not always accepted by today’s users. In this study, users reflected that they would be more satisfied if there were some changes in the design of their houses terms of spatial organization. They also raised some concerns about the setting and characteristics of the settlement.