Recent Studies on Spatial, Thermal and Lighting Impact on the Efficiency and Comfort of Users in Indian Workspaces

The present study aims to determine the impact of spatial, thermal and lighting parameters on the
efficiency and comfort of users in Indian workspaces. Comfort and performance standards in the
workspaces have become a primary concern in India recently and hence there is a remarkable
change in designing strategies adopted for the same. Comfort and performance standards in the
workspaces have become a primary concern in India recently and hence there is a remarkable
change in designing strategies adopted for the same. Providing comfortable indoor environment in
workspaces is one of the prime concerns for better results in occupant’s performance. The indoor
environmental factors in workplaces should follow functional as well as behavioural requirements. The
occupant’s needs and opinions are the guiding factors to achieve good workspace designs, where the
physical conditions influence their well-being and indirectly influence the work output of their
employer’s business performance. The paper reports the results from an empirical study of fifteen
randomly selected offices from the city of Nagpur, India having Hot and Dry climatic conditions
covering three seasons (winter, summer, rainy). The paper aims at revealing the association between
five functional parameters as spatial, furniture, thermal, lighting and acoustics and their behavioural
impact on the occupants through a quantitative and qualitative analysis. It also evaluates the user’s
subjective opinions related to parameters leading to efficiency and comfort and suggests preferential
parameters. This shall give an insight to designers while planning workspaces in similar conditions.
From architectural point of view, architects should concentrate more on this parameter from the point
of view of user’s comfort, satisfaction and efficiency.