How spaces in homes, offices influence creative performance and productivity
Most times, people who live in homes, work in offices or find themselves in other spaces don’t sit down to think about the influence such spaces they occupy make in their lives, thoughts, creative performance and productivity.
There is a bit of psychology in the space people find themselves and the psychologist insists that the spaces people occupy, to a large extent, shape their performance, productivity and, ultimately, their results.
“A large part of our lives is spent in physical interaction with the space around us”, confirms Udo Okonjo, CEO, Fine & Country West Africa, explaining that “the spaces we occupy directly influences our psychological well-being and creative performance; space has the ability to shape who we are and how we behave, and because many of us spend large amounts of time, even years, working in the same space, it makes sense to optimize that space for maximum benefit”.
‘Feng Shui’ is a Chinese idea described as a system of laws that govern spatial arrangement and orientation of space in relation to the flow of energy. It is a belief that the way people arrange objects in their space affects their success, health and happiness.
This perhaps explains the marked difference between the lifestyle, creative thinking, performance and productivity of those who live in highbrow urban areas and those who live in the slum areas of a given city. City dwellers are generally more proactive, swift, quick and amenable to change and innovation than the slum dwellers whose worldview is generally short and narrow.
Okonjo recalls that, in 2005, a study looking at a range of organisations found that allowing employees an element of control over their working space and environments engendered increased satisfaction and productivity.
Today, it is interesting to note that lots of developers, urban planners, designers, architects and business owners are accepting the knowledge that a large part of how people define themselves and success is caught up in the close relationship they have with the spaces they occupy and the way in which they inhabit them.
In reality, space has so much influence on the way people live and work such that it can easily empower or dis-empower their lives.
Juxtaposing two concepts— Beauty and the Beast—in the psychology of space, Okonjo says the beauty psychology of space creates a synergy between recreation, relaxation, serenity and work. “It provides for more flexibility and room for relaxation and enjoyment, creating a contented and happy work environment”, she notes.
Out there, there are beautiful spaces that present environments with wide open spaces for networking and collaboration with a clear and relaxed mind to get work done easily. One of such environments is ‘The Finery, Ikoyi’, a beautiful well-spaced green landscape located in the heart of Ikoyi, Lagos- Nigeria. The Finery provides a serene environment for collaboration and co-creation, equipped with a well-trimmed garden, a studio for events, generous car-park space and a work-fun experience.
The Beast mode’ is generally believed to connote the concept of hard-core, high impact activity. The Beast Space, for instance, is a high rise building in the middle of a busy business district that provides a good working space environment meant to produce, store and maintain enormous volume of knowledge and information rather than a place to simply perform work and relax.
Spaces in Beast mode are characterised by their structure and construction; they are mostly high-rise buildings with creative architectural urban designs that gives a big visual effect to people so that it is considered a critical factor for a conducive work environment.
‘Beast’ spaces emphasize on mostly brick, mortar, glass, structure and form. There are a couple of office spaces in Lagos that fall within the Beast mode. One of such buildings is ‘The Post Square’, a Grade A office buildung situated on the intersection of Adeola Odeku and Ologun Agbaje streets in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
The Post Square is a premium office space that offers flexible spaces to suit the ever changing and dynamic needs of fast growing organizations. It also offers a generous underground parking.
The experience in a space like this contrasts sharply with what obtains when one finds oneself living or working in a forest with tall trees all around. It is difficult to imagine how one feels in such an environment.
The question to ask is whether the sound of the breeze on the trees and woody scents helps people you concentrate. People generally feel uncomfortable working in such environment. “But looking at your work environment, how does it make you feel? Do you feel challenged by the space around you; does it limit or enable you? Does what you see, feel and smell help you stay focused and relaxed, or does it distract you and keep your mind wandering?” asked the Fine and Country CEO.
Right answers to these questions, inevitably, lead to the search for the right space for positive impact and influence on performance and productivity, especially in the work place.
CHUKA UROKO