Academic literature on the topic 'Office layout'

One important factor to consider in increasing productivity in a company is the design of the facility layout. PT Hari Mukti Teknik is keen producing pyrolysis machine to contribute to addressing waste issue in Indonesia. Currently, the facility layout at the company is not suitable to produce pyrolizers as it was set up to produce industrial scale washing machines. To improve production efficiency, PT Hari Mukti Teknik needs facility layout that can be optimized for pyrolizers. The purpose of this study is to provide a layout design proposal for the pyrolysis machine manufacturing process to obtain an effective and efficient process. Here, we used ALDEP method to produce layouts based on consideration of the level of relationship between departments. There were 4 alternatives for the manufacturing and production and two alternative layouts for employee and office area. The design for new layout was selected based on the closeness relationship between the departments. An overall facility layout plan that is required for the production of pyrolysis machines is a building area the total of 1045 m² covering manufacturing, production, employee, office and parking space areas.

Architectural space layout has proven to be influential on building energy performance. However, the relationship between different space layouts and their consequent energy demands has not yet been systematically studied. This study thoroughly investigates such a relationship. In order to do so, a computational method was developed, which includes a method to generate space layouts featuring energy-related variables and an assessment method for energy demand. Additionally, a design of experiments was performed, and its results were used to analyse the relationship between space layouts and energy demands. In order to identify their relationship, four types of design indicators of space layout were proposed, both for the overall layout and for each function. Finally, several optimisations were performed to minimise heating, cooling and lighting demands. The optimisation results showed that the maximum reduction between different layouts was up to 54% for lighting demand, 51% for heating demand and 38% for cooling demand. The relationship analysis shows that when comparing the four types of design indicators, the façade area-to-floor area ratio showed a stronger correlation with energy demands than the façade area ratio, floor area ratio and height-to-depth ratio. Overall, this study shows that designing a space layout helps to reduce energy demands for heating, cooling and lighting, and also provides a reference for other researchers and designers to optimise space layout with improved energy performance.

<p><em>This study aimed to determine the layout of the office at KPU Kota Surakarta in relation to employee performance. This research is qualitative. Data collection techniques using interviews, observation, and documentation. Test the validity of the data using source and method triangulation. Qualitative data analysis was carried out interactively and continuously until completion. The research procedure uses problem identification, determination of research focus, data collection, data analysis, and research reports. The results showed that the office layout at the Surakarta City Election Commission Office used a mixed type of office layout. This type of office layout is in accordance with the factors that affect the office layout. Employee performance with this type of office layout remains stable because employees feel comfortable and accept existing conditions. Still, they realize that a better office layout will undoubtedly impact performance. </em></p>

BACKGROUND: Open plan or open space office has become increasingly popular but those who promote the concept seldom refer to health studies or workers’ perceptions of a change in office layout towards an open space arrangement. OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on open plan or open space office layouts in terms of facilities management (FM) with users’ perceptions in mind and to obtain opinions of users of open space offices for a better appreciation of the FM issues. METHODS: A literature search of research papers from 2007 in journals using the keywords “open plan office” and “open space office” plus “health”, first in the titles then in the text, was carried out. Thirty-two of those papers, accessible by the authors’ institutions, were consulted together with 5 other works in the Harvard Business Review. The review consulted but excluded papers and reports published or sponsored by commercial firms that were in favour of open space layouts. Case studies were conducted by face to face meetings in confidence with workers in the middle managements of twelve Hong Kong organisations known as friends to two of the authors. Problems as seen by staff are reported and discussed. RESULTS: The literature review reveals that apart from writing that promotes the use of an open plan office layout, a host of scientific works point to the problems of perceived dissatisfaction with such a layout, the nature of the dissatisfaction tending to depend on the actual design. Most workers interviewed disliked the new style open plan layouts, which points to the necessity of consulting workers when such changes are contemplated, as well as monitoring the results of the change once it is in place whether against workers’ wishes or with their support. There is a need for a number of facility arrangements in making a change to open plan that ensures that worker needs for proper lighting, privacy, and indoor health will be met. CONCLUSIONS: If the aim of a change to an open plan arrangement is to promote collegial communications in office, the study sheds light on the extent to which such arrangements may not in practice be suitable for achieving the aim. It follows that further, more specifically sociological studies of workers’ job satisfaction and emotional health in open plan office settings would be worth doing.