Giving back control: a user-centered approach to the design of a work environment

• Main Author: Taylor, Emilee
• Other Authors: Karpan, Cynthia (Interior Design), Chalmers, Lynn (Interior Design) Starzyk, Katherine (Psychology)
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Environmental psychology; Personality psychology; Third place theory; Home; Prospect-Refuge theory; Introvert; Extrovert; Corporate design; Churchill
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/30768

This project centers on an office environment and the physical and psychological well-being of the people who work within it. Located at 525 Beresford Avenue in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Churchill Park United Church was converted to serve as an office space for a hypothetical publishing firm, Choice Publications. With recent knowledge concerning the health and well-being of employees, the design of workplaces has shifted to comprise a human-centered approach. The purpose of this practicum project was to investigate the evolving nature of the office and to determine its role regarding the identity, well-being, and behavior of individuals in order to better accommodate their needs. Central to the exploration is the study of environmental psychology theories and the introvert-extrovert dichotomy. Research into third place theory and the significance of home act as the primary lenses to evolve conventional office design into a hybrid of new typologies. October 2015