An analysis of the effect of hybrid working on the design of office space

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the space requirements of hybrid working and investigate the relationship between office space design and hybrid working in co-working spaces in Nakasero, Kamwokya, and Makerere. A concurrent mixed research design was employed through conducting interviews with the space managers and carrying out a survey with the coworking space users. Through interviews with co-working space managers, various space needs were identified. A thematic analysis was applied to the interviews to establish patterns and generate themes. These were used to establish an ideal design of a hybrid work office. The ideal design of a hybrid work office is one with flexible furniture for all occasions and for user comfort. It should also have spatial, technological and client specific elements that facilitate both autonomy and collaboration. Additionally, the study investigated the relationship between office space requirements and hybrid working through employing an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the data collected through the survey. However, the analysis did not reveal a significant relationship, suggesting that hybrid working space requirements are independent of traditional office space requirements. These findings contribute to the understanding of space requirements and the design of hybrid work offices, providing valuable insights for co-working space managers and organizations adopting hybrid working models. Future research should focus on exploring the metrics of workplace preferences and their correlation with hybrid work office design.