The Adaptive Workplace: Orchestrating Architectural Services for Individual Wellbeing

Core Concepts

Architectural services should adapt to individual occupants' needs for improved wellbeing.

Abstract

Authors propose the "Adaptive Workplace" concept to enhance individual wellbeing in shared offices.
Issues in open-plan offices affect health, productivity, and social relations.
Adaptive architectural technologies aim to address negative factors but face challenges in meeting individual preferences.
The solution involves multi-layered, situational-aware, orchestrated, and equitable adaptations.
Future research focuses on measuring impact, designing novel technologies, controlling services, and orchestrating impacts effectively.
The grand vision of the "adaptive workplace" aims to prioritize individual needs over workplace adjustments.

Stats

Figure 1: Our vision of the "Adaptive Workplace" proposes that: 1) potential or actual issues that might negatively affect the wellbeing of occupants are identified in a contextual way. These issues are then: 2) addressed by multiple architectural services on different building layers; that 3) are jointly orchestrated as one holistic action; which 4) is equitably distributed over the individual occupants according to their personal preferences.
arXiv:2403.16595v1 [cs.HC] 25 Mar 2024
Workshop on Workplace Wellbeing, CHI’24, May 11, 2024, Honolulu, HI, USA Vande Moere et al.
KEYWORDS human-building interaction (HBI), smart office, adaptive architecture, robotic furniture, human-robot interaction (HRI)

Quotes

"As the academic consortium members of the EU Horizon RIA project SONATA... proposing the grand vision of the 'Adaptive Workplace'."
"We answer the workshop’s call to 'formulate a research agenda to target the grand challenges in workplace wellbeing..."
"Our general premise is that adaptive architectural services have now become sufficiently mature to holistically and constantly adapt a workplace..."

Key Insights Distilled From

The Adaptive Workplace

by Andr... at arxiv.org 03-26-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2403.16595.pdf

Deeper Inquiries

How can adaptive architectural services effectively address individual preferences in shared workplaces?

Adaptive architectural services can effectively address individual preferences in shared workplaces by implementing a multi-layered approach that takes into account the diverse needs of occupants. By deploying architectural adaptations on multiple building layers simultaneously, it becomes possible to cater to various preferences and requirements. Additionally, being situational-aware is crucial as it allows for dynamic responses to environmental conditions, work activities, and social preferences. This ensures that adaptations are not based on averaged comfort requirements but rather on specific situations that individuals may encounter.
Furthermore, orchestrating these adaptive services in a holistic manner can enhance their effectiveness. Each layer should complement the others spatially and temporally to create a more beneficial impact on health and wellbeing than if they were operating independently. Equitability is also essential in addressing individual preferences; each adaptation should negotiate its estimated impact among different situations present in the shared workplace, prioritizing those with the highest need.

What potential challenges may arise when implementing the "Adaptive Workplace" concept?

Several challenges may arise when implementing the "Adaptive Workplace" concept. One significant challenge is measuring the impact of adaptive technologies accurately. It can be complex to objectively benchmark how these technologies affect occupants' perceptions and feelings within a shared workspace setting where individual preferences vary.
Designing novel adaptive technologies poses another challenge as there is still much unexplored territory in this area. Creating flexible and modular solutions that target individual occupants while empowering them to take control over these technologies requires innovative thinking and testing.
Controlling adaptive architectural services presents its own set of challenges, especially concerning user interfaces that allow for seamless interaction without disrupting natural workflows. Developing human-in-the-loop interfaces that transparently inform occupants about system decisions will be crucial for gaining trust and acceptance from users.
Orchestrating the impact of adaptive architectural services also poses challenges related to predicting outcomes accurately due to nonlinear relations between spatial configurations and social outcomes within shared workspaces. Simulation frameworks integrating artificial intelligence algorithms must be developed to optimize strategies considering multiple occupant scenarios effectively.

How can advancements in human-computer interaction influence future developments in adaptive architecture?

Advancements in human-computer interaction (HCI) play a vital role in shaping future developments in adaptive architecture by enhancing user experience, control, and overall effectiveness of these systems.
Measuring Impact: HCI techniques such as user-centered design principles can help create benchmarks for evaluating how occupants interact with adaptive technologies within shared workspaces.
Designing Novel Adaptive Technologies: HCI methodologies like prototyping tools enable designers to conceptualize new physical embodiments efficiently while focusing on improving user empowerment over these systems.
Controlling Adaptive Architectural Services: HCI expertise aids developers in creating intuitive interfaces that facilitate seamless interactions between users and technology without disrupting workflow or causing confusion.
Orchestrating Services: HCI-driven simulation frameworks combined with AI algorithms provide insights into optimizing orchestration strategies based on real-time data feedback from users interacting with various adaptative architectural elements concurrently.