HOME OFFICE
A home office must have the right balance of openness and enclosure to be a good place to work.
The author Nigella Lawson in her home office, London, UK
SIZE & ENCLOSURE
A home office can be its own room or part of a larger space, but a workspace that will be used for extended periods of time cannot be too cramped or else working in them will be uncomfortable and unproductive. They should be at least 60 sf.
Another important matter is how the workspace is oriented relative towards the room’s entrance. It’s well demonstrated that people feel more comfortable when they can see who may be approaching them. One should never sit facing a wall so that their back is exposed. Instead, orient your workspace so that a wall or tall cabinet is behind you. Also have one wall running along the side of your workspace so that your field of vision is narrowed, helping to quiet your mind’s natural instinct for surveillance and security.
VIEWS
Ask any optometrist: when people work, they should occasionally look out to relieve their eyes. This rhythm also helps maintain work flow by providing opportunities to shift mental focus. There are two keys to achieving this in the workspace: firstly, have a window located so that you can occasionally gaze out of it without leaving your seat, either to the side or directly in front of you. Secondly, locate any blank wall facing you at least eight feet away. Where this is not possible, hang in front of you a mirror or artwork that has great depth and detail.
CONNECTEDNESS
Working in total isolation can often be lonely, negatively effecting mood and productivity. Where space allows, consider sharing a home office with another person. Just ensure that you maintain a good sense of enclosure for your own workspace (about 50 to 75%, with windows counting at one-half), and that the other person is at least eight feet away from you.
For those of us who must be alone, consider using glass doors or interior windows to maintain a sense of connectedness to the rest of the house.
Sketch of a large office
Sketch of a small office
In summary:
Workspaces should be at least 60 sf. Orient them so that you have a wall behind and beside you. Locate a window so that you can occasionally gaze out of it, and place any blank wall directly in front of you at least eight feet away. Consider sharing a larger space with another person, but maintain a sense of enclosure and keep at least eight feet between you. Provide a sense of connectedness to the rest of the house with a glass door or interior window.
The ideas above are based on A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction by Christopher Alexander, et al. Oxford University Press, 1977, specifically pattern: #183 Workspace Enclosure.
