New study shows employees aren't happier working in green buildings

Think working in an environmentally green building leads to greater satisfaction in the workplace? Think again.

People working in buildings certified under LEED’s green building standard appear no more satisfied with the quality of their indoor workplace environments than those toiling in conventional buildings, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

The work, which counters the findings of several earlier studies examining the same issue, was done by Stefano Schiavon, an assistant professor of architecture in sustainability, energy and environment at UC Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment (CBE) and associate professor Sergio Altomonte with the University of Nottingham’s Environmental Physics and Design Research Group.

The findings were published in the April issue of the journal Building and Environment and expand on Schiavon and Altomonte’s previous work on the topic by determining that most workers do not experience a higher level of workplace satisfaction simply because they work in LEED certified buildings–regardless of the building layout, amount of time in the workplace and many other factors.

Schiavon and Altomonte analyzed the survey responses of 21,477 individuals in 144 mainly large office buildings, most in the United States. Of those buildings, 65 are LEED certified. Previous reports by other researchers who reached different conclusions about worker satisfaction were based on much smaller sample sizes and different statistical tests.

“Does this mean that green certification is outdated, just costly or even useless?” asked Schiavon. “Certainly not, especially given the urgency of the environmental challenge and the fundamental role of buildings on people health and wellbeing, climate change and energy security.”

Schiavon and Altomonte did find that LEED-rated buildings may be more effective in providing higher occupant satisfaction when occupants are in open spaces rather than in enclosed offices, and when the buildings are smaller in size.

Occupant satisfaction with LEED-certified office building environments appears to decline with time, with the greatest level of satisfaction reported during the first year that a worker spends in a green building.

One reason for this decline may be that LEED certification is largely based on predictions, without measuring real building performance post-construction. Schiavon and Altomonte said that workplace satisfaction might improve if more design-related information could be collected by assessing LEED certified buildings based on actual operations and performance.

They said they hope their research leads builders and businesses to pay closer attention to:

Designing strategies and solutions aimed at influencing occupant satisfaction and feelings of health, well-being and job performance as part of the LEED certification process
Occupant feedback
The ongoing development of the LEED program towards continuous assessment of building and people performance

The researchers are now studying the most effective LEED strategies for the improvement of office worker well-being and plan to report their conclusions in 2015.

The new elements of the facility now include: efficient lighting with day-lighting controls and occupancy sensors, a high-efficiency HVAC system used in conjunction with a newly constructed thermal envelope to help reduce energy consumption, and the installation of low-flow fixtures to reduce water consumption.

| Feb 26, 2012

Hollister Construction awarded 42,000-sf office fit-out in Holtsville, N.Y.

Space leased by U.S. General Service Administration.

| Feb 26, 2012

Alvarez-Glasman & Colvin’s Chen LEED certified

Chen works closely with property owners to ensure that their properties meet and exceed all industry standards, and also provide long-term energy savings.

| Feb 24, 2012

ABI remains positive for three straight months

The AIA reported the January ABI score was 50.9, following a mark of 51.0 in December.

| Feb 24, 2012

Larry Lord joins HDR Architecture as south region science and technology director

A founding partner at Lord, Aeck & Sargent, Lord is nationally renowned for his leadership in architecture for complex projects.

| Feb 24, 2012

Pottorff elevated to principal at Ricci Greene Associates

Pottorff is recognized in the justice field as an expert solely dedicated to the design and planning of courts and urban jails in both the U.S. and Canada.

| Feb 24, 2012

Skanska hires Tingle as senior VP and national director for its Sports Center of Excellence

Tingle has worked in the architecture and construction industries for more than 30 years, and for the last 23 years, he has focused primarily on large-scale sports construction projects

Currently Reading

New study shows employees aren't happier working in green buildings

Tags

| Feb 27, 2012

| Feb 26, 2012

| Feb 26, 2012

| Feb 26, 2012

| Feb 26, 2012

| Feb 24, 2012

| Feb 24, 2012

| Feb 24, 2012

| Feb 24, 2012

| Feb 24, 2012

Most Popular Content

Magazine Subscription

Get our Newsletters

Follow BD+C: