Research Project

CONNECT: Collaborative Office Network for Navigating Empowerment, Creativity, and Transformation

Research Team

Lead Researchers:

Nasrin Golshany, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
Hessam Ghamari, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Collaborators:

Tom De Smet (Project Management and Utility Construction)
Maria Sison-Roces (Sustainability and Energy Efficiency)
LADWP

Student Team:

Yash Kishorbhai Pansheriya, MS, Computer Science
Poojitha Gidugu, MPH, Applied Epidemiology

Alumni Team:

Bingbing Li (Sustainability, Digital Twin and Multimodal Data Fusion for Autonomous System)
Shawn Sun (Sustainable Construction and Structural Health Monitoring)
Thang Le (Earthquake Engineering and Building Materials)
Nhut Ho (Systems Engineering and Autonomy)
Marc LeBlanc

Funding

Funding Organization:
Funding Program:

SYNOPSIS

CONNECT is a multi-phase research initiative that evaluates and advances hybrid workplace design using the LADWP WorkHub as a real-world case study.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 have been completed, generating empirical evidence on how indoor environmental quality (IEQ), spatial configuration, and technology integration influence employee experience and workplace performance. Phase 1 established the conceptual and theoretical foundation through literature synthesis and participatory inquiry. Phase 2 provided quantitative and behavioral validation through survey-based assessment and structured observational analysis.

Findings demonstrate that integrated, human-centered workplace environments are associated with significantly higher levels of satisfaction, collaboration, and productivity. At the same time, results identify persistent performance gaps related to acoustics, thermal comfort, privacy, and uneven space utilization.

Phase 3 is currently in development and focuses on translating these findings into a scalable and adaptive WorkHub model that integrates environmental, spatial, and behavioral parameters to support high-performance hybrid workplaces across public-sector contexts.

Abstract

This research investigates how integrated indoor environmental quality (IEQ), spatial design, and workplace technologies influence employee experience, performance, and space utilization in hybrid public-sector workplaces. Using the LADWP WorkHub as a case study, the project applies a multi-phase mixed-methods approach.

Phase 1 employed a comprehensive literature review and participatory Think Tank to identify key environmental and experiential drivers of workplace performance. Phase 2 combined self-reported survey data (n = 93) with structured behavioral observations (272 intervals) to evaluate satisfaction, employee outcomes, and real-world space utilization patterns.

Results indicate that WorkHub users report significantly higher satisfaction across most environmental dimensions and improved outcomes in collaboration, productivity, and job satisfaction. However, persistent challenges were identified in acoustics, thermal comfort, and privacy. Behavioral mapping revealed highly centralized space utilization, with strong demand for reservable, technology-enabled spaces and underutilization of open seating areas.

Phase 3 is currently advancing the development of a scalable, data-driven WorkHub model that integrates IEQ optimization, spatial reconfiguration, and technology-enabled solutions. The project contributes an evidence-based framework for designing adaptive, high-performance hybrid workplaces in public-sector contexts.

Motivation/Research Problem

The transition to hybrid work has introduced a structural mismatch between traditional office design and emerging work patterns. Organizations face declining space efficiency, uneven utilization, reduced collaboration quality, and growing dissatisfaction with environmental conditions.

Findings from this study confirm that while flexible WorkHub environments improve satisfaction and productivity, they also expose critical design failures; particularly in acoustics, thermal comfort, and privacy; and reveal that flexibility alone does not guarantee effective space use. Open and non-reservable areas remain significantly underutilized, while demand concentrates in enclosed, technology-supported zones.

Existing workplace research often treats environmental, spatial, and behavioral factors separately. This fragmentation limits the ability to design truly effective hybrid environments. The core problem, therefore, is not just improving individual IEQ factors, but developing an integrated, evidence-based, and scalable model that aligns environmental quality, spatial design, and actual user behavior.

Research Questions and Research Objectives

Research Objectives

Evaluate the impact of integrated IEQ and spatial design on employee satisfaction, collaboration, productivity, and job satisfaction in hybrid workplaces.
Analyze real-world space utilization patterns and behavioral dynamics to assess alignment between design intent and actual use.
Identify strengths, limitations, and performance gaps within the WorkHub model, particularly in acoustics, thermal comfort, privacy, and utilization efficiency.
Develop an adaptive, scalable WorkHub framework that integrates environmental quality, spatial configuration, and technology.
Translate research findings into actionable design strategies and guidelines for public-sector hybrid workplaces.

Research Methods

This study follows a three-phase mixed-methods framework integrating conceptual, empirical, and applied components.

Phase 1: Exploratory and Conceptual Analysis (Completed)

Phase 1 established the theoretical foundation through a comprehensive literature review and a participatory Think Tank session with 24 employees. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic coding to identify key indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors, workplace drivers, and user priorities that informed the study framework.

Phase 2: Empirical Benchmark Study (Completed)

Phase 2 evaluated the WorkHub using both quantitative and observational methods. A self-reported survey (WESP-Q™, n = 93) measured satisfaction and employee outcomes. Statistical analyses, including MANOVA and Mann–Whitney U tests, examined differences across groups. In parallel, Space-Centered Behavioral and Environmental Mapping (SC-BEM) was conducted through 272 structured observations to assess occupancy, activity types, spatial use, and perceived IEQ conditions.

Phase 3: Model Development (Ongoing)

Phase 3 focuses on translating findings into an adaptive WorkHub model. This includes integrating IEQ strategies, spatial optimization, and technology solutions, along with developing prototypes and a validation framework to support scalable implementation in hybrid workplaces.

Research Results and Deliverables

The completed phases of the study provide robust empirical evidence alongside actionable insights for improving hybrid workplace design and performance. Findings demonstrate that enhanced indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and optimized spatial configurations are associated with significantly higher levels of employee satisfaction and improved outcomes in collaboration and productivity, particularly among WorkHub users.

At the same time, behavioral analysis reveals that space utilization is unevenly distributed. Workplace activity is concentrated in enclosed, reservable, and technology-supported environments, while open seating areas remain consistently underutilized. This pattern indicates a misalignment between spatial provision and actual user preferences and behaviors. Across both perceptual and observational data, lighting, spatial layout, acoustics, and thermal comfort emerge as the primary determinants of workplace experience. Persistent challenges related to acoustic conditions, thermal regulation, and privacy highlight critical areas requiring targeted design and operational interventions. Key deliverables from Phase 2 include validated datasets, comprehensive statistical analyses, structured behavioral mapping outputs, and an integrated evaluation framework that links environmental conditions, spatial use, and employee outcomes.

Building on these results, Phase 3 will deliver a scalable and adaptive WorkHub model, accompanied by design guidelines and implementation strategies that integrate environmental performance, spatial efficiency, and user behavior to support high-performing hybrid workplaces.

Commercialization Opportunities

Applications

The findings can be applied to hybrid workplace design, office retrofits, smart workplace planning, and facility management strategies. The framework is particularly relevant for organizations transitioning to flexible and activity-based work environments.

Key Values

The project provides an evidence-based approach to workplace design, reducing reliance on assumptions and improving decision-making. It supports increased productivity, enhanced employee experience, and more efficient use of space. The integration of environmental, spatial, and behavioral data enables more precise and adaptable workplace solutions.

Potential Customers

Potential users include public-sector organizations, corporate real estate teams, architecture and design firms, facility management organizations, and companies developing workplace analytics and smart building technologies.

Research Timeline

Start Date: November 2024

End Date: TBD

Phase 1: Completed

Literature review, theoretical framework development, and Think Tank session

Phase 2: Completed

Survey data collection and analysis, behavioral observation, and integrated evaluation

Phase 3: Ongoing

Model development, framework synthesis, technology integration, and prototyping