Environmental satisfaction, mood and cognitive performance in semi-outdoor space in the tropics

Abstract

The use of semi-outdoor space for the well-being of occupants is promoted in the tropics. Although a semi-outdoor space is often used for break space, environmental satisfaction and work performance are unclear in a semi-outdoor space as work activity space compared with air-conditioned (AC) room. This study focuses on the use of semi-outdoor space for short-term work activities such as office work and meetings. Experiments were carried out to evaluate environmental satisfaction, mood and cognitive performance in the cool and warm seasons in an AC room and a semi-outdoor space in Singapore. Eighty-nine participants answered questionnaires and conducted cognitive performance tests of Stroop test, visual backward digit span test, typing test and mind map test for 70 min per case in the AC room and semi-outdoor space with or without the operation of a ceiling fan. We analyzed the relationships among environmental satisfaction, mood, work performance by Structural Equation Modeling. The conditions which 80% of participants accepted in the semi-outdoor space were thermal environment ranged from 23.3 °C to 30.1 °C SET*, lighting levels of more than 260 lx and noise levels of less than 48 dBA. No differences in cognitive performance were found between the AC room and semi-outdoor space (p > 0.05). Mood influenced work performance (p < 0.001) while environmental satisfaction did not (p = 0.28). Self-reported performance, especially stress, influenced creativity (p = 0.047). These findings lead to the possibility of short-term work activities in the semi-outdoor space without a decrease in work performance.