The University Faculty Office as an Environment

Abstract

A post-occupancy evaluation of faculty offices was conducted at two universities. A stratified sample of faculty were surveyed via interview/questionnaire batteries, including an eight-item rank-order list of user priorities in built environments. One-third of faculty members' office activities were found to entail face-to-face social interaction. Consequently, faculty emphasized their need to be located close to classes, labs, colleagues, and resources, and their needs for privacy and space. These variables, with the addition of windows, affected user satisfaction. Three-quarters of the faculty were found to have had no choice regarding office assignment. Choice correlated with better environmental conditions and with satisfaction.