In her PhD study, architect Piia Markkanen developed and tested a participatory design process in collaboration with two case study companies in Oulu, Finland. Her study demonstrates that employees require more diverse and atmospherically varied work environments that support concentration, collaboration, and recovery throughout the workday. The study aimed to develop co-design research methods to produce design data for workplace design and research, to connect theoretical understanding of work environments to workplace design processes, and to consider how procedural understanding of workplace design can contribute to work environment research.
Employees were actively involved in the development of their workspaces, and their experiences and needs were considered throughout the design process. The co-design data generated in collaboration with study participants was integrated into the design processes, which were documented through design aims, affordance- or atmosphere-based approaches, and site-specific design plans. The implemented workplace interventions were evaluated based on realized affordances or through reflection on the design process. The results indicate that participatory design enhances employee satisfaction and improves the functionality of workspaces.
The study introduces a new theory-based framework that broadens the perspective on workspace need-supply fit. In addition to privacy, the model highlights the importance of spatial atmosphere and interpersonal interaction in fit formation. A dynamic experience sampling study was conducted to assess how important privacy, interaction and spatial atmosphere were during different situations and how the studied spaces supported employees in those contexts. Empirical findings show that remote meetings increase the need for privacy more than other tasks at assigned workstations. Furthermore, collaborative and recovery-oriented situations show a high need for both spatial atmosphere and privacy.
The proposed theory-informed workplace design framework considers employees’ perceived environments through spatial atmosphere and affordances. It also connects comprehensive physical design to perceived dimensions through analytical categories, which examine spatial design through its instrumental, aesthetic, and symbolic aspects.
The framework helps designers generate structured data to support the design process. In addition, it offers researchers tools to explore previously overlooked perceived aspects of space, such as perceived atmosphere, aesthetics, and symbolic dimensions, in relation to users’ needs and designers’ goals.
Markkanen’s research connects workplace studies and design practice, offering practical methods for user-centered workplace design. Participatory design enables organizations to respond to changes in post-pandemic work life by developing workplaces that support collaboration and enhance employee workplace satisfaction with the work environment.
The thesis can be accessed here: https://oulurepo.oulu.fi/handle/10024/56121
Links to published papers:
Markkanen, P., Juuti, E., & Herneoja, A. (2022). Exploring ways to study the workplace design in a small knowledge work company. Journal of Corporate Real Estate, 24(3), 208–223. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRE-01-2021-0006
Markkanen, P., & Herneoja, A. (2024). Constructing a theory-informed workplace design framework: Co-design case study for knowledge work environment satisfaction improvement. Building Research & Information, 52(8), 870–886. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2024.2372024
Markkanen, P., Berkel, N. V., Visuri, A., LeSaint, A., Ferreira, D., & Herneoja, A. (2019). Exploring work environment usage behaviour through context-aware mobile methods. Blucher Design Proceedings, 837–846. https://doi.org/10.5151/proceedings-ecaadesigradi2019_330
Markkanen, P., Paananen, V., Hosio, S., & Herneoja, A. (2022). Dynamic experience sampling method for evaluating workplace experiences. Proceedings of the 3rd Transdisciplinary Workplace Research Conference 2022 in Milan, Italy, 599–609. https://www.twrnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TWR-III-Proceedings.pdf
