A repeated cross-sectional study of a biophilic building's effects on workers' perception of indoor environmental quality, health, well-being and productivity

Jones, R. V. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2716-9872, Fuertes, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6224-1489 and Bilverstone, P. A. (2025) A repeated cross-sectional study of a biophilic building's effects on workers' perception of indoor environmental quality, health, well-being and productivity. Journal of Building Engineering, 111. 113476. ISSN 2352-7102 doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2025.113476

Abstract/Summary

The study aimed to investigate the sustained effects of a case study biophilic designed building, The Enterprise Centre (TEC) in the UK, on its permanent workers' satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and their health, well-being and productivity. A repeated cross-sectional research design, following the Building Use Studies (BUS) Methodology, was used with two data collection periods 12 and 24 months after building occupation with participation rates of 86 % and 97 % respectively. Results showed high and sustained satisfaction with IEQ, including thermal comfort, acoustics, lighting, and air quality. Workers consistently reported improved health and well-being, with productivity gains of 12.98 % amongst the 12-months cohort and 9.17 % for the 24-months cohort. This study contributes novel insights by: (1) providing evidence of biophilic design's sustained impact over time, an area with limited existing research; (2) evaluating combined biophilic strategies at full-building scale (including natural materials and colours, connection with nature, outdoor views, natural light and air, and climate-aligned indoor conditions) rather than isolated biophilic interventions; and (3) establishing new insights into the effects of biophilic design on occupant health, well-being, and productivity. The positive outcomes suggest that biophilic design could be successfully integrated into future buildings and spaces to improve satisfaction with IEQ and enhance workplace health and performance.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/123665
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.jobe.2025.113476
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of the Built Environment > Construction Management and Engineering Science > School of the Built Environment > Energy and Environmental Engineering group Science > School of the Built Environment > Organisation, People and Technology group
Uncontrolled Keywords	Biophilic building design; Indoor environmental quality; Health; Well-being; Productivity
Publisher	Elsevier
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