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From Workspaces to Workplaces: Does Circularity in Buildings Make People Return to CBDs

Futuristic OfficeThe failure to incentivize in-person work as the transition toward flexible working arrangements seems irreversible poses significant challenges for existing office spaces including in CBDs, potentially diminishing their role as hubs of economic and social activity. This project explores whether implementing circular, sustainable practices in office design and management can address these challenges by creating workspaces that employees are eager to use. 

The issue

There is a persistent decline in office occupancy rates, with a noticeable shift towards hybrid work models among white-collar professionals. Despite efforts by some employers to mandate office attendance and incentivize in-person work, the transition towards flexible working arrangements seems irreversible. This shift poses significant challenges for existing office spaces including in CBDs, potentially diminishing their role as hubs of economic and social activity. Against this backdrop, our project explores whether implementing circular, sustainable practices in office design and management can address these challenges by creating workspaces that employees are eager to use.

Sustainable office design prioritizes adaptability, sustainability, and employee well-being alongside circularity. By integrating principles of circular economy into the physical and organizational structure of workspaces, i.e., sustainable workplace design, a stronger sense of place attachment and perceived value among employees can be fostered. This, in turn, may encourage more willingness to get back to the workplace, foster consistent office attendance, help revitalize CBDs, and support the surrounding business ecosystem.

About the project

Office2.pngThe project aims to understand how creating more sustainable, appealing workspaces can encourage people to return to offices, thereby supporting the vitality of central business districts (CBDs). The project will delve into various aspects of circular office environments, including public and private sector dynamics, the impact of high (low) organizational communication on the environmental effectiveness of the sustainable workplace design and employee engagement with sustainability initiatives, and its influence on the relationship between place attachment and employee behaviour.

Office3.pngThe project is rooted in the concepts of "place attachment" and "place identity," exploring how emotional and symbolic connections to workplaces influence environmental behaviours and preferences. Thus, primarily, the project plans to take advantage of existing sustainable workplace design to investigate the dynamic relationship between employees and their offices, enhancing sustainability within workplace environments.

The Team

Partners

Impact

  • Understanding what drives employees to prefer and value sustainable work premises, the project can offer actionable insights for leaders and organizations within South Australia.
  • Recommendations on reconfiguring office spaces to better accommodate targeted internal communication, new work habits, and preferences, thereby reducing the environmental footprint of office buildings and enhancing their appeal to a workforce increasingly concerned with sustainability.

Last updates

Study 1 involves:

  1. Conduct a multi-wave online survey targeting employees working in green buildings.
  2. This survey will serve as a preliminary assessment of employees' current attitudes, perceived value, and importance toward their work environments, with a focus on sustainability, well-being, and place attachment.

Study 2 involves:

  1. An online experimental study on employees working remotely outside of Australia will be conducted.
  2. The project will manipulate organizational communication by randomly assigning employees to high or low consistent frequency and quality conditions, thus testing its impact on perceived value and importance regarding sustainable work environment, place attachment, affinity towards sustainable and unsustainable behaviours, and their willingness to return to work at the workplace.

Contact us

If you wish to be involved as a participant or partner, please contact Dr Subha Parida at subha.parida@unisa.edu.au  for further information.

Publications

Contact us

Australian students

Phone: +61 8 8302 2376
Enquiry: unisa.edu.au/enquiry

International students

Phone: +61 8 9627 4854
Enquiry: unisa.edu.au/enquiry

For further information please visit unisa.edu.au/study
Information correct at the time of publication. CRICOS provider number 00121B.
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