How do occupants perceive thermal comfort in a hybrid office space? A case study of a co-working space in London

Abstract

The work pattern has been reshaped towards a hybrid style since the lockdown in the pandemic, while the office design needs to be evolved with the change in working mode. It is important to understand how to design the workspace to meet the new demand. This study investigates the environmental performance of a flexible co-working space in London by a longitudinal field study, with a specific focus on thermal comfort and lighting sensations and preferences. The field study is composed of a questionnaire survey about occupants’ thermal comfort sensations and environmental preferences and a concurrent measurement of indoor environmental data (temperature, relative humidity, air velocity and illumination level). This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the data collected in spring 2022. A total of 79 responses are recorded over three months. The findings in this study are expected to provide new insight into environmental design solutions for the hybrid and flexible work setting.