Refining the Understanding of Workplace Characteristics from an Occupant Centered Perspective with Emphasis on the Influence of Seating Preference

Workplace design not only influences the people’s feeling, but also the work or task performance, knowledge innovation, and the employees’ loyalty and commitment to their employer. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the subjects’ seating preference at workplace and the environmental factors impact their decision. A field survey was carried out on the campus of Dresden University of Technology, and 119 subjects participated in this study. Furniture placement in three different functions of room was employed to conduct this survey. The self-pictured seating preferences indicate that room function influences the subjects’ decision of seating area. Having sense of control over physical workplace and privacy significantly impacted the subjects’ decisions. However, subjects are not always aware the environmental factors affect their behavior. Subjects attracted by outdoor view and good lighting condition in a general way.