"User-Centric Renovation Design Strategies of Traditional Offices for Supporting Hybrid Work: Engaging Employees through Research" investigated renovation strategies of office spaces to post-pandemic, hybrid working environments with an emphasis on user inclusion in the holistic design process – from pre-design inquiry, design synthesis and development, and final design validation. The goal was to determine renovation strategies that would adapt the existing office spaces to the new working modes and space needs with flexibility for future adaptability and growth, where the strategies would be based on the specific culture of the organization.

The study was conducted through a combination of research methods. Qualitative methods included archival research of the latest construction documents, empirical documentation using photographs of the current space conditions, observations of the current use of these office spaces, and thematic analysis of an anonymous general survey and focus group interviews with different teams and hierarchies within the organization. Quantitative methods included quantitative analysis of the survey and focus group interview results, computational modeling of 3D BIM models for the two case study office spaces, reiterative visualization of the proposed design strategies, and review and validation of egress and accessibility compliance. This resulted in several design options for each of the two case studies, with each being presented to the decision-makers of the organization and jointly evaluated against advantages, disadvantages, and budgetary considerations. This revision and validation process led to the development and approval of the final design outcomes.

The results of this study underscore the importance of a user-integrated design process, through which significant improvements can be achieved to provide well-functioning spaces and more comfortable and inclusive work environments. With a previously published study that elaborates on the full spectrum of research methods, this paper highlights the importance of user integration in the holistic design process and elaborates on the different design options that led to the final design.

Citation:

Aksamija, A., and Milosevic, A., (2024). “User-Centric Renovation Design Strategies of Traditional Offices for Supporting Hybrid Work: Engaging Employees Through Research”, Proceedings of the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) 2024 Conference, Portland, OR, June 19-22.