white paper
The influence of Smart Buildings upon the wellbeing andproductivity of office workers (summary)„The workplace is more than just a piece of real estate.
It’s a living organism that enables people and companies to bring life and work together
in a positive and constructive way.“ 1Version 01, 18th June 2020
Prof. Dr. Michael Krödel (IGT – Institut für Gebäudetechnologie)
For office-based businesses, the cost of labour represents the largest operating cost by far. For knowledge-based companies, it represents approx. 90 % of the budget compared with approx. 1 %spent on energy (Illustration 1).
Therefore it goes without saying that employee productivity is theforemost priority. Next to personnel management, working atmosphere and remuneration, the quality of the workplace emerges asa key factor. A study involving more than 7.000 people from 12 nations indicates that more than 50 % of those interviewed statedthat the quality of their workplace has a direct effect upon theirproductivity [JLL 2017]. Smart Buildings can make a significant contribution by providing optimal air quality, lighting, thermal comfort
and flexible interaction with a modern office environment.
The direct effects of indoor air quality upon human health havebeen thoroughly analysed. Studies conducted in 2006 and 2008
have shown that performance (defined as speed of work at astandardised error rate) increases by between 8 % and 14 %when the fresh air intake rate is doubled (e.g. increased from 17
m³/h to 34 m³/h) [Wargocki 2008].

Illustration 1: operating costs ofknowledge-based companies[WGBC 2014]

Workplace lighting influences wellbeing in the office as well as the quality of sleep at home. Restful sleep is an important factor for fitness and working performance, and fundamentally important
for workplace safety. A lack of natural light and excessive exposure to artificial light, especially„cold“ light, can lead to disturbed sleep and fatigue as well as poor concentration which, in turn,can increase the risk of accidents as well as depression and cardiometabolic illness [Kantermann etal. 2018].
Thermal comfort plays a decisive rôle in workplace wellbeing and employee productivity. Research
conducted in 1986 supplied evidence that there is a clear relationship between rising temperature

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Dr Marie Puybaraud, Global Head of Research, JLL Corporate Solutions1

white paperand sinking physical and psychological performance. At 28 °C, physical performance drops by 50 %whilst psychological performance suffers a 20% loss [Dentel&Dietrich 2006], [Wyon 1986].
Another important factor is the flexible use of office space within Smart Buildings, with varying office furniture configurations as well as a mix of large open-plan areas and meeting rooms, plus
communal spaces. Evolving work processes (team structures, procedures etc.) call for ongoing optimisation. A Smart Building can monitor and evaluate the utilisation of available spaces and supply data enabling the smart management of limited resources. When Smart Building facility users
have more influence upon their workspace environment, e.g. by adjusting climate and lighting according to personal preference, this invariably leads to better workplace satisfaction and higher
productivity [WGBC 2014].
A Smart Building is much more than just a resource-optimised facility. „Smart Building“ is often
used to indicate that a building uses less energy and lowers operating costs. This is correct – building automation pays for itself in the space of a few years and generates appreciable savings in running costs [Merz et at 2016]. However, the main benefit of such „Smart Buildings“ lies elsewhere –in the positive effects upon employee productivity, employee loyalty and employer attractivenessfor new talents.
Smart Building requirements must be taken into consideration at the planning stage. A key aspectis the timely planning of the sensor networks needed to supply essential data on occupancy patterns as basis for real-time building management and control, as well as for analytical purposes.
[Dentel&Dietrich 2006]

Dentel, A., Dietrich, U.; Thermische Behaglichkeit – Komfort inGebäuden; 2006

[JLL 2017]

JLL Corporate Solutions; Global Report on „Workplace poweredby human experience”; 2017

[Kantermann et al 2018]

Kantermann T., Schierz C., Harth V.; Gesicherte arbeitsschutzrelevante Erkenntnisse über die nichtvisuelle Wirkung von Licht
auf den Menschen. Verein zur Förderung der Arbeitssicherheitin Europa e.V. (VFA); 2018

[Merz et al. 2016]

Merz H., Hansemann T., Hübner C.; Gebäudeautomation (Hanser Verlag); 2016

[Wargocki 2008]

Wargocki P.; Improving indoor air quality improves the performance of office work and schoolwork; 2008

[WGBC 2014]

World Green Building Council; Health, Well-being & Productivity in Offices; 2014

[Wyon 1986]

Wyon, D.P.; The effect of indoor climate on productivity andperformance, revised version of a Swedish publication in VVS &Energy; 1986

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