MA Final Thesis Project

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Understanding the Holistic Needs Millennials Require to Live and Work in Compact Residential Environments Perpetually: A Pandemic Interior Design Investigation

Emanuel Bazinet A Final Project Submitted to the Faculty of the Interior Design Department in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Interior Design Savannah College of Art and Design INDS-749-OL: Interior Design M.A. Final Project Professor Bonnie Casamassima May 2021

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© 2021 Emanuel Bazinet

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Abstract Life as we once knew it quickly altered in early 2020. Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted societies to work from home (WFH) and accept a perpetual phase of experiencing life in a single dwelling. As a defying ordeal, large accounts of residence configurations aren't suitable to deliver the varying needs of each dweller. From remote work to virtual learning and myriad distractions, various fundamental needs require attention to afford resolute appropriations to lessen the compact sentiments of households. A triangulation research approach has explored existing studies and delivered new investigative revelations employing surveys, interviews, observations, and creative schematics. Conferred by the millennial generation, results have identified a diverse necessity to balance separation and unification. With WFH discipline proclaimed as becoming a new societal norm in a post-pandemic era, interior design theories likewise require a traditional shift. When surveying 70 millennials, only 54% have indicated their desire to maintain a WFH practice in the post-pandemic: of these individuals, a majority of 70% reveal having a designated workspace. Identified as enticing work productivity, WFH also eases household and familial needs by hosting shared responsibilities in childcare and routine domestic maintenance. Alternatively, it blurs the separation of work-life balance. These results unveiled the fluidity of transpiring all daily tasks in the same space and how WFH methods heavily rely on technology and its continuous connectivity. Ultimately, the dire need to connect with nature in actual and figurative ways has shielded WFH individuals and dwellers' daily stresses. By adopting flexible and adaptable means, dwellers can have an immediate impression of being within one space providing multiple uses. Such application directly acknowledges the drawbacks fundamentally exhibited from their workspace. The in-depth analysis of user needs proposes key essential mediations to meet the complex emotional, physical, and social needs of WFH during the pandemic and beyond by expending tangible modular elements, nature-driven features, and adequate disperse between private and shared environments.

Keywords: COVID-19, millennials, work-from-home, flexibility, home-work-balance

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Dedication To the future of society and its remote working professions, may this current perpetual life at home bring us a post-pandemic era where we all thrive to do better for ourselves, our loved ones, and our natural environment.

Acknowledgments Foremost I would like to recognize and thank Professor Bonnie Casamassima, who has continued to guide and support me in my graduate studies and my achievement at SCAD. Without her, the reality of accomplishing a particular research project amid a pandemic and in a brief period would have been far more challenging.

To my former and recent academic instructors and professional mentors, special thanks are given for their shared proficiency and devotion, giving me the determination to accomplish such great things.

Finally, a very special thanks to my parents, family, and dear friends who have always believed in my dreams and aspirations; without their encouragement, none of this would have been attainable. You all have been my greatest supports.

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Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................3 Dedication and Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................4 Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................5 List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................8 List of Tables .................................................................................................................................10 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................11 Research Question and Study Justification ...................................................................................13 Definitions of Terminology ...........................................................................................................15 Literature Review...........................................................................................................................16 Adjusting to a Pandemic Life of Stay-at-Home Orders .....................................................16 COVID-19 Pandemic Impact .................................................................................17 Self-Isolation and Co-Habitation During Lockdowns ...........................................19 Adapting to Work-from-Home (WFH) ..............................................................................22 WFH Generational Differences .............................................................................25 Millennials Potentially Leading WFH ...................................................................26 WFH Family Dynamics .........................................................................................28 Disengaging from Work within the Personal Home Environments ..................................29 Adaptable Lifestyle Ultimatum in Residential Dwellings .................................................31 Human Living and Quarter Needs .........................................................................33

6 Conventional Design Theories ...........................................................................................36 Nature’s Offering Mode .........................................................................................38 Utilitarian Comfort.................................................................................................40 Knowledge Appraisal.........................................................................................................41 Research Methods ..........................................................................................................................43 Intuition: Survey and Interviews ........................................................................................44 Indication: Visual Analysis, Ethnography, and Virtual Behavior Mapping ......................45 Innovative: Space Planning and Reconfiguration of Existing Floor Plans ........................45 Prevailing Literature Assessment ......................................................................................46 Research Data Analysis .................................................................................................................46 Literature Review Breakthrough........................................................................................46 Survey Outcomes ...............................................................................................................48 Interview Findings .............................................................................................................58 Survey and Interview Visual Workspace Environment Assessment .................................64 Virtual Behavior Mapping Discovery ................................................................................67 Critical Analysis of Emerging Themes ..............................................................................70 Connections and Contrast Between Data Findings ............................................................70 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................72 Literature Review Deductions ...........................................................................................72 Triangulation Conclusions .................................................................................................74 Study Significance and Provisions.....................................................................................75 Recommendations and Design Interventions.................................................................................77

7 Research Limitations .....................................................................................................................87 Future Research ............................................................................................................................88 References ......................................................................................................................................90 Figures and Tables .........................................................................................................................98 Appendices...................................................................................................................................102 Appendix A: Online Survey Consent Form .....................................................................102 Appendix B: Survey Questionnaire .................................................................................103 Appendix C: Virtual Interview Consent Form ................................................................105 Appendix D: Interview Questionnaire Guide ..................................................................106 Appendix E: Virtual and Visual Documented Observation Notes ..................................107 Appendix F: Supplementary Furniture and Fixture Proposals ........................................109

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List of Figures Figure 1. Key Needs Required to Prosper in Isolation for Various Dwelling and Dweller Dynamics ...........................................................................................................................21 Figure 2. Engaging Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Perpetual Isolation of Work and Life .....34 Figure 3. Affinity for Life in Place ................................................................................................37 Figure 4. Stimulating Harmony with Design .................................................................................41 Figure 5. Engaging a Triangulated Foundation .............................................................................43 Figure 6. Millennials Residential Setting.......................................................................................49 Figure 7. Type of Dwellings Millennials Currently Occupy .........................................................49 Figure 8. Millennials Household Occupant Structures ..................................................................50 Figure 9. Millennials Household Key User Groups.......................................................................51 Figure 10. Millennials Workspace Location ..................................................................................51 Figure 11. Millennials Workspace Area by User Groups ..............................................................52 Figure 12. Millennials Commute Time Replacement ....................................................................53 Figure 13. Hierarchy of Relaxing Elements in Living Environments ...........................................54 Figure 14. Emotions/Feelings During the Workday ......................................................................55 Figure 15. Emotions/Feelings Away from Work ...........................................................................55 Figure 16. Day-in-the-life Use of Space - Word Cloud .................................................................56 Figure 17. Day-in-the-life Responsibilities and Accomplishments ...............................................57 Figure 18. Home Office, Interview Participant 1 ..........................................................................62 Figure 19. Workspace Desk, Interview Participant 2 ....................................................................62 Figure 20. Desk Relation to Floor to Ceiling Windows, Interview Participant 2 ..........................62 Figure 21. Desk Space in Living Room, Interview Participant 3 ..................................................63

9 Figure 22. Workspace 1, With No Window ..................................................................................64 Figure 23. Workspace 2, With Window ........................................................................................64 Figure 24. Workspace 3, Living Room Setup................................................................................65 Figure 25. Workspace 4, Kitchen (Island) Setup ...........................................................................65 Figure 26. Workspace 5, With View of Nature .............................................................................65 Figure 27. Workspace 6, With City View......................................................................................65 Figure 28. Workspace 7, in Bedroom ............................................................................................65 Figure 29. Workspace 8, at Sofa ....................................................................................................65 Figure 30. Workspace Representation Popularity .........................................................................66 Figure 31. Virtual Behavior Mapping of Concentrations and Distractions ...................................69 Figure 32. Existing One-Bedroom Suite Configuration ................................................................79 Figure 33. Reconfigured One-Bedroom Suite (600 sq. ft.)............................................................79 Figure 34. One-Bedroom Suite Interior View, with open glass partitions ....................................80 Figure 35. One-Bedroom Suite Interior View, with closed glass partitions ..................................81 Figure 36. Existing Two-Bedroom Suite Configuration................................................................81 Figure 37. Reconfigured Two-Bedroom Suite (1100 sq. ft.) .........................................................82 Figure 38. Two-Bedroom Suite Recessed Workspace View, with Bi-fold Doors in a Semi-Private Position ..............................................................................................................................83 Figure 39. Two-Bedroom Suite Recessed Workspace View, with Bi-fold Doors in a Fully Open Position ..............................................................................................................................83 Figure 40. Two-Bedroom Suite Interior View Looking Towards the Living and Terrace............84 Figure 41. Existing Three-Bedroom Bungalow Configuration .....................................................84 Figure 42. Reconfigured Three-Bedroom Bungalow (1700 sq. ft.) ...............................................85

10 Figure 43. Three-Bedroom Bungalow Interior View of the new Open Concept Flex Room .......86

List of Tables Table 1. Research Objectives and Justifications ............................................................................14 Table 2. Techniques Helping the General Population cope with COVID-19 Effects ...................19 Table 3. Standard Daily Routine Schedule ....................................................................................31 Table 4. Millennials and the Perpetuity of the Pandemic ..............................................................47 Table 5. Day-in-the-life Affirmative and Adverse Survey Excerpts .............................................57 Table 6. Contrasting Interview Participant Estimations ................................................................60 Table 7. Pros and Cons of Workers Environment Productivity.....................................................68 Table 8. Contrasting Research Synthesis of Primary and Secondary Data ...................................71 Table 9. Synthesis of Key Needs and Recommended Design Interventions .................................77 Table 10. Explicit Complex Needs and Recommended Interior Environment Proposals Divvied

by User Groups ..................................................................................................................78

11 Understanding the Holistic Needs Millennials Require to Live and Work in Compact Residential Environments Perpetually: A Pandemic Interior Design Investigation Amidst the ongoing existence of remaining in place, there is a compelling modern plea to amplify the environmental integrity towards the ongoing and enduring existence of working, living, and unwinding in a single environment. A present and existing conditional need is assigned to uncover approaches that can assist the fundamental human needs for a pandemic life and emerging new customs within sensible residential dwellings. Since the invasion of the 21stcentury global coronavirus pandemic, individuals have become familiar with the challenge of professionally functioning coupled with living and rejuvenating under one roof. While residential structures throughout the world vary in style and sizes, several deficient practical similarities have been identified since the start of lockdown and quarantine measures instilled by governments. With the pandemic still looming a year later throughout nearly every part of the globe, work from home (if feasible) orders have continued to be mandated. Individuals are continuously advised to only leave their homes only for absolute essential needs. Altering most standard appointments and traditional occurrences ruling themselves virtual, individuals lack human physical connection, demonstrating substantial psychological effects on diverse and countless populations.

Through a global adaptation, there has been a unified vitality that has provided support to individuals and corporations, and varied organizations in assimilating the new standards of life and work. Existing recent studies have identified some ways to balance a new custom of social detachment. In keeping in check that the well-being and mental health needs to be amplified during an international halt, the American Psychiatric Association has painstakingly reminded society that “social distancing does not mean social isolation” (p.1). Grateful to contemporary

12 technology, humans, millennials particularly, have continued to expand their virtual connectedness with visual and audible means to stay sane and optimistic for brighter days ahead.

A literature review will investigate the current notions and warrants required for a perpetual life of working and living in the same environment. Likewise, varied interior design theories will be concisely highlighted to assimilate supporting measures that can afford supportive dwelling circumstances. Questioning each new stressors arising daily, either with media coverage of the pandemic or challenging tasks of remotely performing responsibilities, certain aspects of the interior design practice can provide a better function to dwellers and their limited living environments in a present and post-pandemic realm.

Initially driven by current standards of work-from-home conventions, the identified advantages and disadvantages will establish the supplementary exigences required in residential built environments. Predominantly focused on the Generation Y - Millennials age group and its 74.5 million population in North America (US Census Bureau, 2020; Statistics Canada, 2020), distortions have been identified to allude that “Millennials do not recognize a distinction between work and personal life because technology made it so easy to move from one to the next” (Johnson, 2015). Simultaneously these individuals are currently the fastest growing population in today’s workforce (Calk & Patrick, 2017), and their appreciation for collaborative work is envied.

Validated with interviews and surveys, there will be a greater need for balance in private dwellings where individual home dynamics are diverse in physical and emotional existence. By discussing and analyzing present-day practices, we can explore how everyone can continue to sustain a distant life from the love and passions that are greatly missed. Respectively with homes necessitating an adaptable manifestation, various elements of flexibility, adaptability, and

13 transformability will be meditated to efficiently provide a renewed design process of homes demanding much more nowadays. Prevailing studies are currently estimating that "spatial distancing is going to be part of modern life and the "new normal" (Khan et al., 2020, p.4); thus, we must conform to a new trend of living simultaneously, all while being safe physically and emotionally. Ambitious to reduce stress on individuals and the natural environment, this fervent investigation will give the interior design profession a familiarity beyond current standards.

Research Question and Study Justification Understanding the holistic needs millennials require to live and work in compact residential environments perpetual? How to happily work-live-rejuvenate in place?

Although this pandemic has declared a housing cost increase, there has also been a significant need for greater use of singular dwellings. Abodes prove their usefulness while testing their complete extension in numerous spatial areas, no matter their size and footprint. On the other hand, dwellers have been pushed to the limits of their homes over the past year.

Contingent on flexibility and adaptability, shreds of evidence indicate a substantial amount of designated square footage in households coveting greater space use. To its alteration in society, new concepts may theoretically assist current homeowners in reducing the rapid decline in our natural environment and decreasing the stresses individuals bear on maintaining the upkeep and financial burden associated with acquiring larger homes.

Whether individuals reside alone, with family members of mixed generations, or acquaintances, each can gain a feeling that subsisting in a condensed living space can be taxing.

Especially with some working professions and daily activities are requiring more space within standard living environments. With remote work orders quickly spreading across the board in the

14 early spring of 2020, individuals had no chance to change or adapt to their new temporary quickly turned permanent setting. Whether or not a designated private office space may be available in the home, individuals who have adapted a work-from-home routine are “all but one click away from each other” (Ferreira et al., 2021, p.12), often causing unstructured workdays.

With boundaries blurred in circadian rhythm, it is crucial to discover disconnecting methods from work and home life in both psychological and physical senses. By so, residential producers, especially interior designers, can gain greater familiarity in residential space planning through appropriate severance no matter the allotted square footage. As a practicing interior designer and experienced student of e-learning undergraduate and graduate programs, all performed in a remote setting, a multi-facet need, and rationalization for a perpetual homestead balance investigation is of personal virtue. With over ten years of experience in this practice of a single environment to perform various tasks, an honest approach to the vast distinct needs will objectify the infinite awareness this study shall provide. Focusing on the psychological tenets of physical seclusion brought by the reoccurring stay-at-home orders, the post-pandemic aspiration will be a driving force to this exploration of anticipated solutions of the future.

Table 1 Research Objectives and Justifications Research Objectives • Identify work from home needs • Requirements for perpetual life in a single environment • Provide post-pandemic living recommendations • Nurture a thriving holistic lifestyle with a wor- life balance

Research Justifications • To ensure we all thrive during a global pandemic and beyond its time • The need to reduce stress outside of the pandemic • Preparation in adapting a ‘new normal’ • Hypothetical sustainable approach in reducing commute emissions and carbon footprint

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Definitions of Terminology Adaptability:

-able to adapt oneself to new conditions (Oxford, 2004).

-capable of different social uses (Schneider & Till, 2005).

-the quality or state of being adaptable (Merriam-Webster).

COVID-19:

- a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, discovered in 2019, and vastly spread throughout the world in 2020 causing a pandemic (CDC.gov)

Flexibility:

-capable of different physical arrangements (Schneider & Till, 2005).

-the capability to be willing or disposed to yield to adapt to varied circumstances; not be rigid (Oxford, 2004).

-effortlessly altered, having the disposition to change or compromise.

Modus Operandi

-a method of procedure, a distinct pattern or method of operation (Merriam-Webster).

Remote Work:

-refers to work that is accomplished outside the normal organizational limitations of space and time (Klopotek, 2017).

Smart Working:

-considered as an evolution of teleworking, where “smart” puts the emphasis on the positive effects that this practice provides to employees and employers (Bolisani et al., 2020).

Telework:

-work performed in virtual settings and heavily dependent on technology for communication and contribution, employment nongeographically bound to a specific area (Raisiene et al., 2020).

Transformability:

-the ability to transform from one position, location, or form to another (Canepa, 2017).

Work-from-Home: -the primitive designation for performing work tasks from the comfort of (WFH) one’s own home or desired location.

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Literature Review Present and unceasing in current societies worldwide, former and fresh studies have identified the countless trials and tribulations individuals are experiencing working from home while also feeling like a near hostage in their own home. Whether remote work was once coveted or not, the 2020 pandemic has instilled and continues to mandate stay-at-home orders limiting social interactions between strangers and extended family members. Desperately lacking physical connections and collaborations, professionals and individuals having the capacity to work from home (WFH) have disclosed both advantages and disadvantages to this new tradition.

Likewise, with one of the earliest generations profoundly raised with technology dependence, Millennials (or Gen Y) have notably exhibited their appreciation and worthwhile contribution to remote work. Although work-from-home often deemed itself a work environment with little to no distraction in a pre-pandemic time, lockdown measures have brought significant others, children, and other adults to stay home, significantly altering this preconceived notion. From psychological needs to physiological discounts, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought stresses and numerous mental concerns to nearly every individual constrained from their usual and accustomed lifestyle. With the pandemic predictably deemed a medical concern, Ahmed et al.

(2020) has cogitated it to be “a social and socio-economic problem that different families deal with for the first time” (p.332). As a call for extensive balance during daily tasks and the permanency of constant overcrowding of homes (Raynor et al., 2020), dwellings, no matter their physical size, feel compact and necessitate an alteration in comfort and formation.

Adjusting to a Pandemic Life of Stay-at-Home Orders Life as we know it changed drastically in late winter early spring 2020. From losing the freedom to being directed to stay home, traditional ways of working, living, and socializing all

17 vanished. Although some consider the media a significant driving force to the fearmongering process, the reality of the COVID-19 virus has demonstrated its unapologetic ways as “anyone of any gender and sociodemographic status can be infected” (Ho et al., 2020, p.1). A look at the impact that the pandemic has presented and the repercussions of self-isolation and co-habitation is reflected.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Causing a global crisis across nearly all sectors and realities of our contemporary world, the COVID-19 virus has and continues to force copious turmoil to individuals, corporations heavily, and everything except our natural environment, it seems. They are inevitably causing fear with a contagious disease and constant soaring numbers of infections and losses rising daily and monthly. This virus “has adversely affected the shared economy due to growing concern for safety, hygiene, higher operational cost and consumers’ growing acceptance of work-from-home concept” (Bhattacharya et al., 2021, p.3). With no denying that a significant impact has been experienced on individuals working in public health care, the media has played a catastrophic role in the mental stability of each individual. According to a letter to the editor in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction: Studies have reported that the spatial distancing, self-isolation, quarantine, social and economic discord, and misinformation (particularly on social media) are among the major contributing factors towards unusual sadness, fear, frustration, feelings of helplessness, loneliness, and nervousness. (Khan et al., 2020, p.1) Through the drastic increase in mental health concerns and all-in person assistance retracted since the start of the pandemic, individuals are suffering independently and often increase their primary issues due to lack or complete inaccessible help.

18 With the media serving as an effective tool for trepidations of being diagnosed with the infectious disease, Ho et al. (2020) have noted that these information’s are causing individuals to be apprehensive, and it serves them as a critical vindication to “precautionary and preventive measures” (p.1). The unearthing of various coping mechanisms, enlightened in recent studies, has shared simple strategies to endure a modern global pandemic. Table 2 showcases a list of techniques that have been identified through a qualitative analysis focused on discovering how the general population is surviving the pandemic lockdown and all of its social distancing measures. Furthermore, the study determined that maintaining employment with a safety plan in place (such as PPE protocols) ensures the prevention of economic strain is a “significant protective factors for psychiatric disorder and loneliness” (Ivbijaro et al., 2020, S396). Likewise, with the abrupt occurrence of lockdown, studies have collectively uttered that employers and corporations are compelled to provide mental health support programs (Bolisani et al., 2020; Chung et al., 2020; Ivbijaro et al., 2020; Otu et al., 2020). By encompassing all wellbeing tenets beyond the physical complications from the virus contraction, we can and must move forward and learn from society’s unpreparedness.

19 Table 2 Techniques Helping the General Population Cope with COVID-19 Effects

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Note. Copyright 2020 by Ivbijaro et al., S402 Self-Isolation and Co-Habitation During Lockdowns Subsisting together in a single environment with little to no escape is a challenge many individuals develop during conventional times. Add the stress of a highly contagious infection along with legal mandates to stay-at-home, the beginning of the pandemic saw an earnest and cooperative response to the measures. While a year and months have now gone by, there has been a significant change in people’s practice, especially since the beginning of face-covering requirements within public environments. Whether or not masks and face shields have given some reassurance to individuals, governments have been inconsistent in the last fourteen months with stay-at-home orders being enforced and lifted periodically. For instance, many metropolitan areas in Canada face a significant second and third shutdown from November 2020 to recent days. Alternatively, a study performed in China has expressively demonstrated that self-isolation has caused various forms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), varying from prevalences of

20 “invasion, avoidance, emotion alteration, and hyper-arousal” (Zhao et al., 2020, p.584). With boredom and isolation intermingling, individuals have an alarming distress rate (Banerjee & Rai, 2020), especially if they live alone or are in quarantine for travel or possible virus exposure.

Consequent to quarantine measures instilled for various causes for concern, each individual should be provided with technology to communicate with loved ones to “reduce feelings of isolation, stress, and panic” (Brooks et al., 2020, p.918), primarily when enforced in environments outside of their private dwellings.

Amidst families co-habiting incessantly, there are apparent and straightforward stressors that can easily differentiate between the children and older adults. When comparing a family with infants, young children in school, and adolescents, various struggles can occur, requiring individual attention to resolve. Aside from virtual learning to be reflected afterward, a lack of physical activity and access to outdoor environments is essentially demoralizing but affects the safety of virus spreading. During the beginning of the pandemic, a shock was instilled as "children were home without any structure or activity […] [and] every trip out of the house became treacherous" (McCarthy, 2020). While children's stress is one of many concerns for parents, there is a significant likelihood that couples are not coping with the pandemic in the same ways. With a drastic change for many couples not used to spending copious and non-stop time together, there are suggestions that the "cycle of closeness and distance keep our relationships happy and healthy" (Solomon, 2020). By setting plans in which part of the home you will spend time together and apart, you allow for space and respect dealing with all the emotions. Dr. Solomon (2020), a marriage therapist, has stated that "our lived experiences of love teach us that togetherness and separateness are an inhale and exhale, [t]hey coexist, and each enhances the other" (n.p.). Upon being together as a family with very little separation time,

21 there is much to say about how children are more apt to feel and grasp tension between adults.

Therefore, any type of stress management or release will assuredly be beneficial to the family.

The same could be well perceived for various family dynamics. Dr. McCarthy (2020), a pediatrician at Boston's Children's Hospital, has designated "there is no way our children can live without anxiety and sadness [during these times], having a daily schedule is important, especially for children […] but don't get to ambitions [,] keep the bar low" (n.p.). Each household has unique circumstances, relationships, daily responsibilities, and understanding how lockdowns vary drastically from one to another, especially if particular stressors were present within the homestead pre-pandemic.

Figure 1 Key Needs Required to Prosper in Isolation for Various Dwelling and Dweller Dynamics

Note. These needs are itemized in order of prominence and can undoubtedly alter and vary with specific physical, developmental, or psychological complexities.

22 Adapting to Work-from-Home (WFH) Several recent studies have identified the benefits and drawbacks displayed in diverse societies with work-from-home experiences amplified since the beginning of the pandemic.

Global Workspace Analytics (GWA) (2020) has estimated that “56% of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible with remote work” and that “25 to 30% of the workforce” will be working from home by the end of 2021 (n.p.). Furthermore, GWA alludes that work-at-home measures “will save [the] U.S. employers over thirty billion dollars a day” (GWA, 2020) throughout the pandemic. By echoing these statistics, additional studies have projected that with remote work attaining impetus throughout the globe, “teleworker [numbers are] increasing every year and [are] expected to double each year” (Raisiene et al., 2020, p.1). The new trend sparked by the stay-at-home orders will assuredly require many companies to consider finetuning and cooperate with individual workers and their task at hand. From productivity to attentiveness, some definite advantages and disadvantages have been acknowledged and assessed.

Identified by various terminologies, work-from-home has been dubbed remote work (Klopotek, 2017), telework (Raisiene et al., 2020), and even smart working (Bolisani et al., 2020). At the same time, each identifies unique distant work conformities while being classified as working away from the brick-and-mortar place of employment. Although in typical times (pre-pandemic), remote workers can often be found traveling or working within varied public environments, such as coffee shops, these individuals are mostly all currently confined to their residential dwellings. With productivity and efficiency at the forefront of remote work, individuals have identified an excessive dedication to proactively performing their daily and weekly tasks as best before moving from the office to home. While Bolisani et al. (2020)

23 designate the smart working method as being more productive with "spatial and temporal flexibility" (p.459), Chung et al. (2020) affirm that the: Shift away from the organizational culture of presenteeism and long hours in the office as a sign of commitment and productivity, to a culture where employees are given more freedom over when and where to work as long as key aims, and goals are met. (p.31) With the lack of physical presence and collaboration with co-workers, it is essential to remember that individuals have to "keep moving throughout the day […] [especially with] no usual office distractions (socializing with colleagues, getting up for meetings, stepping out for lunch)" (Liu, 2020). Additionally, it is crucial for remote workers to "set calendar reminders to stretch, grab a snack, go for a walk, or simply step away from [their] laptop and phone" (Liu, 2020) periodically to ensure strategic attention and productivity is maintained. In considering staying attentive and practical, most remote workers are known to work additional daily hours (anywhere from threeplus hours) (Bolisani et al., 2020; Chung et al., 2020; Liu, 2020; Staglin, 2020). These additional hours are often estimated to ensure further significant contribution and appeasement from managers and employers. "Teleworkers tend to act as leaders themselves because the digital platform, by fostering mutual collaboration, removes some of the organizational powers and privileges of the leaders and thus enables and encourages employees to take the lead" (Raisiene et al., 2020, p.3).

Some apparent hardships arise as further teleworking familiarities are established throughout efficiencies taking the lead in remote work. Critical advantages identified in current studies are designated to be having “an impact on socialization processes and personal work styles” (Bolisani et al., 2020, p.460), adapting to a modern work environment, and permitting companies with an enhanced response on saving overhead costs (Ferreira et al., 2021; Raisiene et

24 al., 2020). “Technology has [also] been pointed at as a pivotal enabler to support massive virtual collaboration” (Ferreira et al., 2021, p.1) in remote work. Perhaps the most reflected benefit to remote working is the reduced time commuting to and from work (Bolisani et al., 2020; Chung et al., 2020; Klopotek, 2017; Raisiene et al., 2020; Toth & Belaiche, 2021). Additionally, Raisiene et al. (2020) reveal that “the possibility of teleworking in [various] organizations attract qualified employees who do not want to be tied to a specific work location and allows to reduce management costs” (p.1). Personalizing a work ambiance is often unattainable in office work, but as Toth and Belaiche (2021) denote: If you like listening to music while you work, you won’t have to worry about distracting anyone around you. You’re able to set the temperature to your liking when you’re by yourself. Working from home gives you the freedom to set up your workspace however you like. (p.6) In shifting to the drawbacks of working from home, multiple collective concerns impact the well-being of individuals inducing stress among other mental health apprehensions.

Beginning with the evidential isolation and disconnect from colleagues and superiors, remote work can cause difficulty with interactions and collaborative assignments, along with the unknown of home life and how the environment may be toxic to some individuals (Bolisani et al., 2020; Raisiene et al., 2020). A leading disadvantage that has been identified in nearly all previous studies is the constant and unknown issues that arise with technology (Bolisani et al., 2020; Ferreira et al., 2021; Raisiene et al., 2020). Individuals are left frustrated, anxious, and confused from a lack of experience and knowledge with the software or how to configure technical mishaps appropriately. They often find themselves miscommunicating with employees or clients. Bolisani et al., 2020; Ferreira et al., 2021; Raisiene et al., 2020). Programming and

25 software service, including network connection issues, are among further complications that have been noted. Naturally, while both advantages and disadvantages can surface unannounced, there is a great need for patience and will to learn attributed to remote work and its heavy dependence on technology and virtual communication.

WFH Generational Differences Commanding the generational gap, there is a clear difference between younger and older age groups when contemplating work-from-home practices. Beginning with the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), they have been identified to have "experienced information overloads" as well as finding themselves with "increased time-consuming asynchronous communication" (Raisiene et al., 2020, p.5). According to the dynamic study investigating specific word sharing on the social media platform of Twitter, "Baby Boomers hold a negative opinion about working from home because of the unfamiliarity of remote work" (Xiong et al., 2021). On the other hand, they are satisfied to work from home but not as a permanent routine (Watkins, 2021). Each of the eldest generation's adverse responses today is heavily weighted to the frustration of technology and its amplified use in remote work. When it comes to Generation X or Xennials (born between 1965 and 1980), contrarily, these individuals have shared a modest disparity with remote work. At the same time, they are the champions of enacting the home office and flexible working schedules (Johnson, 2015). However, since the pandemic and the full-time effort of remote work, some Xennials have "felt [a] lack of feedback, face-to-face interaction with colleagues, inspirational work atmosphere, increased career restrictions, selfmotivation-related challenges, blurred boundaries from work and personal life, doubt's with manager evaluation, constraints on building trust, [and lack of] self-organization" (Raisiene et al., 2020, p.8).

26 Overlooking millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) for now as they are a driving force of remote work practice and a founding contender of this exclusive study, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2015) and their inaugurating presence in the workforce has been briefly referenced as a "pro-office" age group, which was heavily induced by the miss of socialization and assorted office perks (Watkins, 2021). While variances assuredly may vary from study to study, the core concerns of remote work are the significant dependence on technology for productivity and willingness to be flexible in time and availability. Before millennials, generations tend to have difficulty breaking away from their traditional nine to five, Monday to Friday work schedule. It is also important to note that while the fear of COVID-19 has broadly scared individuals to be among others (outside of their families), opinions on the appeal to WFH could well be persuaded.

Millennials Potentially Leading WFH "Millennials statistically most often tend to emphasize the pros rather than the disadvantages of telework" (Raisiene et al., 2020, p.17). As a prevalent new leading working group in the current workplace, Millennials are unique in their needs and appeal to workplace environment and communication. With 52% of remote workers currently being Millennials versus the 29% Gen Xers and 17% Baby Boomers (Robinson, 2020), there is an alarming concern on each generation's suitable remote work engagement and well-being. Although they tend to emphasize personal necessities versus organizational requests, Millennials are more apt to "take a lateral career move to gain beneficial work experience" (Calk & Patrick, 2017, p.132).

As the generation nurtured and reliant on technology and its hasty progression in the last three decades, they have a strong appreciation of the virtual world and its multi-faceted possibilities.

27 "According to Nielsen, more than 70% of millennials feel that technology makes their lives simpler; more than 50% feel that technology brings family and friends closer, and almost 25% ranked technology as the top defining characteristic of their generation.

Technology has given the millennial generation the ability to work where they want and when they want." (Johnson, 2015) While it may be a pitfall in some instances, millennials do not recognize the difference between work and personal life (Klopotek, 2017; Johnson, 2015). That is thanks to the technology aspect of having access to work and information on any handheld device. Causing some issues, this blur of no control (Agovino, 2020) has demonstrated some significant challenges in the work-fromhome practice.

Compared to Gen Z, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, Millennials share to be "much more productive at home" (Watkins, 2021). Alternatively, some survey findings have shared that personal home dynamics and the pandemic's looming anxiety heavily play a part in their productivity and appeal to remote work (Agovino, 2020). For a generation with the aptness of having young children, the stresses of caring for children, and the back and forth of assisting in homeschooling, a variety of millennial individuals are perplexed with the appeal of remote work, especially in the work-life balance now being heavily intertwined and nearly invisible (Agovino, 2020). "Millennials are the most educated, most diverse generation in history" (Van Dam, 2020).

Nevertheless, they are also a generation that has found themselves surviving many struggles since entering the workforce in the early 21st century. With the pandemic being a prevalent cause of concerns with this generation, it will be noteworthy to see how the progression and post-pandemic situational employment rate will impact its leading presence in the workforce.

28 WFH Family Dynamics There are many uncertainties for families when considering work from home, especially during the pandemic and extensive lockdowns. Current findings have recognized that individuals lacking the balance of professional and family life are unable to “increase [their] productivity and feel greater fulfillment with [their] job” (Ferreira et al., 2021, p.5). It is understandably advised that when a remote worker isolates alongside family members, the best and only way to remain productive is by ensuring a designated space is allocated for work periods. As households customarily differ in both emotional and physical environments, there will most likely always be challenges to overcome when experiencing a perpetual situation of crowded living and working environments in a contained dwelling (Prime et al., 2020). Alternatively, many recognize the benefits of working from home especially considering the additional time they have to be with their loved ones and seeing their children grow (Bolisani et al., 2020; Johnson, 2015; Xiong et al., 2021). However, on the other hand, some studies have determined that work and family life has increased conflicts with both work and home life, especially when considering the divided attention both require (Chung et al., 2020; Ferreira et al., 2021).

Upon insistent immeasurable considerations, particular family dynamics have heavily altered since the start of the pandemic and if “pre-existing vulnerabilities within families increase susceptibility to social disruptions and the sequelae of the pandemic” (Prime et al., 2020, p.632).

While mentioned earlier, many couples have had their individualistic struggles to overcome during the pandemic. With children constantly at home, the lack of privacy has manifestly added stress to children who fall witness to marital disagreements. “Younger people are moving [back] home [with] their families, [post-secondary] students have returned home” (Raynor et al., 2020, p.1); this trend has been in itself an impact on familial dynamics. Separately, there are significant

29 concerns that indicate “Online education experience [is] found to be dissatisfactory due to internet issues, lack of concentration, time management, lack of peer interaction, home-work conflict and inappropriate mode of assessment and have caused [an] adverse psychological impact on learners” (Bhattacharya et al., 2021, p.3). This statement can well reflect children, adolescents, and young adults in post-secondary studies. Numerous reports convey familial cohabitation and work-life equilibrium; appropriate and open overcommunication is essential (Ahmed et al., 2020; Raisiene et al., 2020; Prime et al., 2020). “The more the family feel things are organized and in control, the more its overall stress would be controlled” (Ahmed et al., 2020). Deprived positive interaction can assuredly cause amplified stresses and more significant mental health well-being concerns; therefore, a time for the structure of work and school needs to be balanced with a time for leisure and interaction.

Disengaging from Work within the Personal Home Environments The evident underlining progressive effects of working from home afford “flexibility and potentially better working conditions” (Bolisani et al., 2020, p.461). Even though this new concord does afford a sense of resilience to private life, there is a great individual and familial responsibility to ensure boundaries are set and respected. With professions changing their location within the personal environments’ people have needed to completely shift their modus operandi (Dubey & Tripathi, 2020; Ferreira et al., 2021). While shifting habits of customary work dedication in the remote working practice, there are fine lines between what can be controlled and what cannot in a household habituated perpetually. According to the University of Kent and University of Birmingham working from home study, there is 66% of non-parents and 52% of the parent population have indicated they will continue to work from home after the pandemic (Chung et al., 2020). These factors demonstrate the appeal, yet with the pandemic

30 looming continuously, some variations shall be expected. A great responsibility is owed to companies and organizations to ensure appropriate resources are available to their remote employees. Chung et al. (2020) suggest that: Managers need to have open discussions with employees to understand what working arrangements would be the best to allow them to effectively balance work and home commitments, including being clear about key aims and goals that need to be met and what support the organization can offer. (p.31) Considerately, there has been much mention of self-control (Bolisani et al., 2020; Chung et al., 2020; Raisiene et al., 2020) with remote work and production alterations expectancy and support of required personal times are practically ignored on both the individual and company front. As leaders in psychosomatic precaution, several mental health amenities, much like the Colorado State Jefferson Center (JC-MHSUS) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), have made great efforts to share appropriate knowledge for balance work and home life. By “[managing] your expectations and [giving] yourself understanding and forgiveness,” remote workers should “[create] a designated workspace […] [as] it creates healthy boundaries” (APA, n.d.; JC-MHSUS, 2020), which should assuredly include a routine of “turning off your computer” (JC-MHSUS, 2020) and all notifications to be free from interruptions during time away from work. APA suggests an excellent and straightforward practice is creating and maintaining a standard schedule, as seen in Table 3. With simple time and activity, individuals can keep themselves accountable and sustain a positive workday balance. There is also a great understanding that the cleanliness of the environment is responsible for the mental health state of individuals. The National Counselling Society (NCS, 2019) justifies that:

31 Untidiness makes us anxious on an instinctive and on a personal level. Instinctively, we are programmed to have a degree of anxiety about mess due to the health hazard it may present. Personally, people in messy environments may become anxious about what others may think of their living conditions, the time it will take to clean up, and so on. (n.p.)

Every household member's evident requirement to maintain order within their environments is especially demanded with a relentless existence in the same interior quarters.

Table 3 Standard Daily Routine Schedule

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by American Psychiatric Association Adaptable Lifestyle Ultimatum in Residential Dwellings Dependent on flexibility and adaptability intended to the new lifestyle of perpetually remaining at home, some shreds of evidence indicate that substantial amounts of designated square footage in residential areas are insufficiently utilized and unsustainable (Nelson, 2018).

With a vast knowledge of environmental psychology dedicated to interior environments, Kopec (2012) has shared that:

32 In traditional Western culture, home is often regarded as a specific dwelling or building where we reside and one we travel away from with the intention of returning. To most of us the ideal home symbolizes stability, security, and safety.” (p.175) While there is no denying that this is the case in customary times, the pandemic has wholly shifted the earlier notion where we are instead continuously remaining in place. No matter the allotted space that an individual home epitomizes, dwellers are authorized to feel comfortable and capable of prospering to their best capacity during a worldwide ordeal, like the 2020 pandemic. Having gained a greater appreciation and warrant to household functionality since the beginning of the 21st-century housing flux demonstrated an increase to function as workplaces in comparison to previous centuries, especially in e-working environments (Nelson, 2018).

Unknown to us that a global pandemic would cause a drastic shift, the craze of communal living such as condominiums dominating urban and spreading to rural settings has visibly reduced interior space and thus limited practicality. On one side, Rowan (2013) states that “successful small-space design is a gestalt process” (p.6). Correspondingly Chittenden (2015) affirms that “a space that is elastic in its scope and alterable in its quality […] it is space only when it needs to be space” (p.7). To each of these philosophies, one can attest the importance of flexible performance in our interior environments.

As an emerging design theory, adaptability has been crucial to designing interiors with a sustainable and purposeful approach. Shown to produce a logical process to the interior environment, Estaji (2017) highlights in the A Review of Flexibility and Adaptability in Housing Design article that Moffatt and Russell claim: “adaptable designs and materials can improve the environmental performance of buildings in at least three ways:

33 - More efficient use of space- adaptable buildings are likely to use the same amount of space and materials more efficiently, on average over their entire life.

- Increased longevity- adaptability extends the total lifetime of buildings.

- Improved operating performance. (p.38) As open concept areas and smaller dwellings are continuously on the rise recently, we have become more conscious of adaptable spaces allowing occupants controllability to personalize this space and evolve over its duration. While our built environment develops and improves in specific ways, architects and designers are subject to converging favorable environments to understand fully the required alterations they demand. Kelly et al. (2011) have designated six analysis strategies that apply significant influence and involvement to the change of diversity of dwellings. These strategies are adjustable, versatile, refitable, convertible, scalable, and moveable (Kelly et al., 2011). Recognizing the differences and commonalities that each approach demonstrates, we can warrant that while some aspects of dwelling interiors are determined to be fixed, there is an overall existence of these elements that can assuredly change over time. Each can additionally initiate a modifiable measure and practical ease of adaptability.

Human Living and Quarter Needs After delivering invaluable knowledge in the mid 20th century, Maslow, a famed humanistic psychologist, and philosopher proclaimed his hierarchy of needs. Since its dissemination, individuals and creators of our built environment have harnessed its incredible value to residential design needs. From needs for physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and the ultimatum self-actualization, human environments significantly impact how we feel and react within public and especially personal surroundings (Kopec, 2012). As the structure of needs is arranged to function once one is met, each need level is “important and will

34 monopolize consciousness” (Celestine, 2021) at each forthcoming basic adjustment of psychosomatic influxes. Understanding the holistic importance of dwellings is crucial for the intent that each individual living in a permanent condition. Figure 2 represents Maslow’s eagerness to help every individual live their best life and recognize that the distinct humanity (Celestine, 2021) is profoundly interconnected to a continual situation of subsisting life and work in a sole environment. Balancing a healthy life demands specific necessities and routines that typically vary from one family to another. With the abrupt change of extracurricular activities being severely limited or canceled, individuals have adapted primarily to new remote measures or in particular operating establishments. Although a typical workday tends to occupy most of one’s time, especially with the previously observed data that additional hours remote Figure 2 Engaging Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Perpetual Isolation of Work and Life

35 work displays, individuals are entrusted in daily occurrences for personal, dependents, or household requests. Weekly routines have changed, and with much of the prevailing evidence of individuals and families escaping the home for essentials or nature escapades, they have constantly attempted to keep the perplexing realities of the global pandemic afloat. “Playing outdoor games or doing physical activity together such as going for a walk and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air regularly while applying physical distancing, can turn everyday moments into quality time through practicing [a share] of experience” (Ahmed et al., 2020). Relatedly specific time is required in each household to maintain familial practices of rituals, spiritual or simply traditional. Each of these dedications for oneself and loved ones will greatly assist individuals in maintaining a positive environment and continue healthy household perseverance.

By incorporating innovative components and modular counterparts, there is a multifunctionality to be experienced in new and existing interior environments. Such intriguing trials could discern a given assistance to the balance of compact and congested residential environments. "Flexible, 'loose fit' housing will provide greater diversity in accommodation.

Moreover, by doing so, it will be more inclusive of a broader cross-section of society – diverse housing for a diverse society" (Volz, 2018). Although "houses and their internal activities are ordered by long-standing habits in building and living patterns, they remain responsive to social influences in ways that have the potential to remake and reform them outside of a static framework of living standards" (Taylor et al., 2008, p.184). In this statement, the interior design philosophy suggests the importance of reflecting living environments with each object and activity to balance sentiment to all – inherently deemed crucial in these contemporary times.

36 Conventional Design Theories Countless principles have been established for the creation of homes fostering a holistic approach for the well-being of individuals, specifically concerning their needs of shelter. While interior designers and most dwelling fabricators have periodically referenced existing customs of standardized household requirements, there is a plethora of evidence dedicated to a valuable living environment. Beginning with the place attachment theory, this model has offered a perceptive and sensitive bond meaning to settings for various personal values (Parman and Robinson, 2010). “Benefit[s] of place attachment is that it can provide emotional and cognitive restoration and escape from daily stressors” (Scannell and Gifford, 2017, p.257). With homes typically conveying a meaningful sense and ultimate intimacy of life and its experiences, it is crucial that the intermingling of life and work in a perpetual reality could be a psychological benefit. With the traditions of place attachment founding themselves at home and afterward formed within one’s workplace and community (Nussbaumer, 2009), there is a prevalent advantage to honing deep connection with our homes. This is especially telling in a time where physical attachment to others is minimal. With our homes and the varied spaces it entails inherently being an extension of oneself, there is a tremendous physiological and psychological support required in current and future moments.

Correspondingly territoriality is a perceptive theory of analyzing the relationship of individuals amongst each other in spaces and a particular focus on the “sense of one’s own space” (Nussbaumer, 2009, p.135). As a key to personalization and a sense of belonging, territoriality has a significant presence in every individual’s life and the environments they occupy. As Kopec (2012) identified, there are three types of territoriality, such as primary, secondary, and public. A clear understanding is that a primary territory could represent a

37 bedroom (or section of if shared) and a separate office workspace area when considering a home.

Secondary areas would entail a general remainder of the household where other individuals share the space. With a limit of physical boundaries in the perpetual state of constantly existing at home, there could be a greater need for visible and indirect barriers. Both principles are recognizably requested and essential in various spatial environments of dwellings, where individuals currently lack disconnection from one another and change of scenery.

Figure 3 Affinity for Life in Place

Note. Design theories promoting an individualistic renewed lifestyle.

38 Nature’s Offering Mode As a symbiotic procedure between beings and their surroundings, environmental psychology is a prevailing methodology in the configuration of our built environment. Through its bountiful philosophies ranging from human to nature-centric and everything in between, there are a few specific epitomes that positively foster a setting that has come to serve multiple uses with a constant presence of its users. Deemed as an effective implement for work performance and productivity, attention restoration theory (ART), which Stephen and Rachel Kaplan developed, is an excellent way of alleviating "attentional fatigue occurring when a person can gain psychological distance from tasks" (Kellert et al., 2008, p.136). This restoration encourages the individuals to focus on observational views, most commonly of nature, where it provides a pause to regain concentration and the initiative to continue work functions. According to the Kaplan's, there are four states of restorative attention, each being: "clearer head, or concentration, mental fatigue recovery, soft fascination, or interest, and reflection and restoration" (Ackerman, 2020). Through each of these states, individuals can refrain from operational capacities and enjoy the quick pause to revitalize their routine. Such rehearsal is entirely beneficial in WFH setting where traditional breaks can be seen at either extreme where the person will overcompensate or slack. To its advantage with ART and copious other motives, nature and green space have proven their progressive contribution to human psychological welfare.

Remaining with this phenomenal sponsor, nature and its systematic measures have provided the design industry with an inherent connection to the natural systems and processes, extensively recognized as biophilia (Kellert et al., 2008) and its relative biophilic design. With measures and methods identified in many customs for structures, occupants, and functionality,

39 this theory remarkably achieves the capacity to donate to both the natural and built environment.

Bestowing this practice, Casamassima (2020) has affirmed that: Biophilic design has profound benefits to engaging our sense and supporting emotional wellbeing: reduced cortisol levels (a marker of our body’s stress response), increased kindness, improved learning engagement and increased social connectivity. Beyond supporting emotional wellbeing, it has even been shown to positively impact an organization’s financial wellbeing through increasing focus and productivity. (n.p.)

With organizations and employers having a significant loss of control over their employee's continual and accurate performance, a great responsibility is put onto the individuals themselves to perform and contribute. With biophilia and nature's modes providing a holistic approach to human wellbeing at all aspects of life, there is solid proof of "the ability to use these researchdriven insights to positively impact those who learn, work, live and ultimately thrive" (Casamassima, 2020). As a performance to enact restoration with nature and biophilia, Kellert et al. (2008) have indicated parameters of stress and the uplifting needs of life being measured by activity cycles performed by individuals where a social-ecological model (p.145) is estimated as the best biophilic design component. With recovery being a significant benefit to humankind and the earth, there was a quick glimpse of hope seen throughout the world at the commencement of the 2020 global pandemic. With this testament, a permanent work home life inherently decreases pollution in various ways. Hence asserting that "designing with biophilia in mind implies balance" (McLennan, 2006, p.168), this theory can prosper new dwellings enduring perpetual circumstances where humans require a greater need of harmony.

40 Utilitarian Comfort Ergonomic appropriation has transpired in our modern-day, and its driving force in workplace design has significantly increased, especially in most office settings. Outlined as the "relationship between people and their working environment" (Kopec, 2012, p. 247), this physiological principle has undoubtedly been a concerning issue in today's WFH environments.

While "good ergonomic design focuses on the ability to change and adjust the position of workrelated tools to properly fit [peoples] needs" (McLennan, 2006, p.160), it accordingly propagates "effective and efficient performance levels" (Kopec, 2012, p. 247). Mindful towards adaptability and flexibility, each workstation or space in a home should afford appropriate furniture and equipment. With vast manufactures' providing ergonomic adherences, there are many intrinsic and straightforward means WFH individuals can apply. These could vary from their desk, chair, monitor, keyboard, and most importantly, measures of appropriate working habits (Nussbaumer, 2009). In the article How to Set Up Your Dynamic Workspace for Less, the author and movement educator exclaims, "working from home offers flexibility in ways that showing up at an office may not" (Schappel, 2021). Throughout the copious, simple, and viable proposals, Schappel (2021) has illustrated it's essential that "creating a dynamic home office space that's primed for movement allows [us] to layer physical and mental health-promoting practices that will help [us] feel peacefully productive, while managing aches pains." With performance and productivity remaining a crucial need for work no matter the location, these utilitarian practices of appropriately equipping a workspace to meet physiological requirements. Furthermore, it will anew ensure a work balance that won't impede psychological strain. These pressures assuredly reaffirm the importance of channeling holistic methods of nature and personal appropriation.

41 Figure 4 Stimulating Harmony with Design

Knowledge Appraisal While a lack of comprehensive understanding of how each dwelling can support and continue to succeed in perpetual living arrangements, greater spatial and psychological recognition must establish the contributions needed to render a sense of balance and virtual escape. With the desire for a thriving life, it has been implied by psychologists of performance excellence that thriving is the act of “experiencing a sense of development, of getting better at something, and succeeding at mastering something,” essentially meaning a feel “good about life and yourself and being good at something” (Sandoiu, 2017). These feelings are assuredly related to the ambient energy of the space and its co-occupants. Additionally, Forrester (2017) shares that “thriving is not a way-point on the map of personal development. It is the perpetual journey

42 of growth — of expansion and adaptation — that allows you to venture further into a sense of authentic well-being”. To this extent, this research establishes a warrant for a more significant experience with notable moments for individuality in a world of uncertainty.

Nevertheless, the diverse classified stressors of balancing work, life, raising children, and household demands divulged in this analysis designates individuals and the various household features commanding physical, emotional, spiritual, and recreational sustenance. Through the varied research methods and tools to be performed, this study will examine in filling current voids to contribute to a prosperous change to interior design and its ability to purposely design residential environments that meet the needs of an uncertain world. Simultaneously, due to a hesitant society withstanding the pandemic and its uncertainties of the future and the workplace practice, various existing practice techniques can be employed to minimize forthcoming unknown instances. With much current effort determined on addressing public environments, a particular need is granting a proposal for dwellings attending to the hierarchy of needs in remaining safe, purposeful, and attainable. The same shall be considered on the varied dwelling dynamics and the precise requirements of restorative barriers and emphatic conditions.

43

Research Methods Figure 5 Engaging a Triangulated Foundation

Employing a triangulation approach has revealed a magnified outlook on each research component and the benefits of understanding the prominence of the perpetual state so many individuals face. With the advantage of quantitative and qualitative evidence, a creative analysis can expound and apprehend parameters and merits of "yielding a more significant, critical and holistic view" (Gray & Malins, 2017) to cultivate new paradigms for founders responsible for designing current and future residential dwellings. With an epitome of ideas accessible in current developments, the use of surveys, interviews, digital observations, and innovative hindsight measures, a balance can be afforded to a restored living environment. While physical changes and relevance would have been ideal for experimenting, the COVID-19 dealings have sanctified a virtual approach that will sensibly acquire value to the future of society's abodes.

44 Intuition: Surveys and Interviews Through the use of today’s technology and interaction, an online survey shared on social media platforms has reached out to diverse individuals with various WFH experiences during the pandemic. Commencing with consent agreement to participate (see Appendices A), and a screening question asking if individuals work from home or not, this accumulation has requested both closed and open-ended inquiries. Each question was conceived to gain a well-rounded understanding of how the broad population currently exposes its concern to the perpetual state of feeling captive at home for work and life. Similar to the surveys, interview participants were first asked to read and sign the involvement consent form (see Appendices C) before the interview performance. Subsequently, virtual interviews were performed and delivered a well-rounded source of quantitative and qualitative information about the new traditional measures that individuals, along with their significant other and family members, experience with these stay-athome circumstances. Longing for a post-pandemic adaptation, the survey (via SurveyMonkey) (see Appendix B) was active from April 12 to the 19th, 2021 and the interviews (performed via Zoom) (see Appendix D) occurred between April 15th and 20th, 2021 and lasted between 30 to 40 minutes each. Correspondingly these outcomes will deliver a basis of where individuals are currently situated with the steady-state of living and working within the same four walls. These contributions will give itemized information about the needs, thoughts, experienced emotions, and future preferences anticipated. Five interviews with varied professionals of the millennial age group with various experiences with remote work will contribute and offer a specific consideration of how individuals have adapted and continue to strive in their workforce and home life. Beyond the shreds of evidence discovered in the literature report, these interactions authorize an opportunity to observe the non-verbal reactions that each inquiry may represent.

45 Indication: Visual Analysis, Ethnography, and Virtual Behavior Mapping With visual analyses integrated within both the online survey and interview process, the objective is to gain recognition from respondents and interviewees which workspace setting may best suit their present needs and desires. These visual contexts express a specific incline to be discussed within the ensued analyses by results of percentage and voiced desirability. In comparison, life at home has been an orthodox experience; the WFH measures and its current mandated inclusion quickly become a permanent manifestation that has demonstrated much value for examination and understanding. Simultaneously, employing a form of ethnography and behavior mapping measures, an existing recording on the video platform YouTube (see Appendices E) has been designated to provide a mode of observing and reflecting how an individual can remotely function. This surveillance video will permit a varied outlook on the previously gathered information from research implementations and compare it to a single instance. The videos, context, and emerging discerns will also be reviewed within the subsequent analyses.

Innovation: Space Planning and Reconfiguration of Existing Floor Plans As a final research phase to my study and through design interventions on existing floor plans, I will focus on three dwellings (two condominium units and one small detached home) to employ new measures discovered from the initial assessment. This task will encourage prospective notions to further design configurations that could be considered for the future of residential design, with close attention to the essential balance of life and work now being synchronized.

46 Prevailing Literature Assessment As an initial investigation of existing knowledge, an in-depth review of the literature was performed to gain a current understanding and research extents on the balance of working and living in a single space perpetually. Expanding to specific areas and briefly identifying the impact of each resource's global pandemic has contributed to this research study.

Research Data Analysis As a recognized dearth in previous studies, the leading force to this analysis has chosen to concentrate on work-from-home individuals within the Generation Y or Millennials age group.

From the overall 155 survey respondents, 70 (or 45%) of these contributors have identified themselves as between 25 and 40 years old. Respectively, each interviewee is also a part of the Millennial group category, including the remote worker visually surveyed within the work-fromhome video footage observed. Furthermore, these assessments were designated and engaged following the initial literature report findings indicating that most millennials lead the way of remote work.

Literature Review Breakthrough •

All media platforms play a significant role in current mental health.

•

Great assistance has been proven with staying in touch with “their” people additionally; exercise and self-care are compulsory.

•

PTSD, anxiety, depression have been induced (heavily due to COVID contraction scare).

•

Additional stresses heavily rely upon specific family dynamics (relationships).

•

Technology provides significant private respite and support.

•

Respecting personal space and time apart in various parts of the home is a must.

•

Advantages to WFH - Increase productivity and efficiency (including extra worked hours).

- Additional flexibility of time.

- Ability to act as their own ‘leader’.

- “Easier” personalization of space(environment)

47 •

Disadvantages to WFH- Large social disconnected impacts.

-Uncertainties of technology dependence.

•

Challenge of breaking away from the traditions of a 9-5 and Monday to Friday schedule.

•

Designated private space when living with others is crucial (especially with young children)- it assists in creating healthy boundaries.

•

Open overcommunication is required for all families and co-habitants.

•

Ongoing communication with workplace/organization is detrimental.

•

Enforce oneself to disconnect from work (power off technology).

•

Set and follow a schedule as best.

•

Flexible and adaptable counterparts suggest a work-life balance.

•

Applying territoriality and place attachment needs to improve the WFH proficiency.

•

Meet physical and psychological needs with nature inspired and ergonomic processes.

As shown in Table 4, millennials have exemplified and dominated their predominance in

the remote work practice. Being the leading population of North America, they have provided extensive support and justification to contenders of society accepting the presence and looking to the future with new and improved measures for all.

Table 4 Millennials and the Perpetuity of the Pandemic •

Characterising Millennials Represent 52% of the current WFH employees, since the start of the pandemic.

•

They perceive work and life to be heavily blurred, yet they tend to be much more productive and happier at home.

•

They appreciate the virtual world, 70% say technology generates a simpler life.

•

They find it easier to stay virtually connected with friends and extended family members than other generations.

•

Currently they are more apt of have young children/families at this time of life.

48 Complete with every study achieved within the last few years, there are significant changes and particular needs that most households require in maintaining inhabitants to work from home positively. From underlining disadvantages and benefits to the remote work practice, a clear definition between workspace and living area is desired to keep a productive and healthy lifestyle in both work and personal engagements. With millennials feeling an interconnection to technology and its vital presence and need in WFH, a significant dependence can be further engaged to emanate a more innovative environment. By noting the considerable differences between each household dynamics and distinct privations, specific details should be analyzed to differentiate, for example, a home with children or individuals with unique necessities, presenting unpredictable distractions for a remote worker.

Survey Outcomes From the 70 millennial respondents (aged 25-40 in 2021), there is an explicit variety and similarity among their responses in closed and open-ended inquiries. The following is a brief portrayal of what quantitative evidence has been revealed. With a majority, 53% currently reside in a suburban setting, and 54% are occupying an average detached or semi-detached home. With 36% situated in an urban environment and 17% occupying a condominium, apartment, or townhome, there are mere minimal inhabiting spaces with less interior expanse and less intimate connection to isolated exterior environments.

49

Figure 6

Figure 7

Millennials Residential Setting

Type of Dwellings Millennials Currently Occupy

From the survey respondents we have discovered a plethora of family and household categorizations. Leading these categories is the households with adult(s) and only pets (which includes 11% of solitary dwellers) or no pets, followed by dwellings occupied by adults with two children and pets (including 3% of single parents). Homes with adult(s) with no kids and no pets, adult(s) with one kid and pets, adult(s) with two kids no pets, and adult(s) with three kids and pets are all easily identified and represented in Figure 8 below. Through interference disclosed afterward, children and pets play a significant contributor to both an optimistic and disadvantageous role in work performance. With these results, we can understand the vast differences that each household may intervene in throughout the work-from-home experience, especially if children are remote learning. Thankfully this virtual schooling has been an off-andon program in most North American regions since the beginning of the pandemic. Still, during this survey’s collection, it is crucial to indicate that children were at the beginning of another

50 new stay-at-home order. While schools were closed, some daycares were opened, and some infants were still attending these day programs at the parent’s discretions. To separate specific Figure 8 Millennials Household Occupant Structures

needs within the study and its forthcoming solutions, we have divided household user groups into three categories, as established in Figure 9. These varied categories can configure detailed and complex requirements to determine that each specified demand is addressed to the best capacity. However, precise environmental needs should always rely upon a direct client and enduser contribution of open communication. With the uncertain timeline that the pandemic has issued, it is imperative to contrive flexibility in particular suggestions to ensure alterations can be adjusted in the post-pandemic era.

51 Figure 9 Millennials Household Key User Groups

When surveyed if these millennials maintain a typical 8-hour workday or a flexible work schedule, 79% have identified a structured consecutive workday, and 57% express a flexible capacity can be enacted with their daily work performance and productivity. Furthermore, when asked if they are interested in returning to work after the pandemic, 54% have indicated the desire to continue their WFH experience. Additionally, when surveyed, 70% have claimed to have so if they currently have a designated workspace. Alluding to various work environments, the following Figure 10 demonstrates the responses shared by each survey contributor.

Figure 10 Millennials Workspace Location

52

By further analyzing the survey responses concerning individuals with a child, children, and no kids, there is an evident availability in a private home office in households without children. While individuals who have children (representing only 10% of the survey respondents) are in a virtual school, we can perceive their proximity and lessened privacy in terms of workspace. Alternatively, some individuals have demonstrated a fluidity between workspaces. These were generally all from the user group with no children, allowing them to work from wherever they desire and having little to no distractions. The following Figure 11 represents the areas above and their applicability to the varied three user groups.

Figure 11 Millennials Workspace Area by User Groups

Interested in identifying the additional time individuals have from working from home and not commuting to and from work, a designated inquiry posed the question of what

53 individuals have found themselves doing to replace this typical repetitive daily occurrence. From the shared open-ended questions, we have gathered the following connotations of the most common themes. Leading the way is cooking and dinner preparation and going for a walk, and getting outside. In near equal representation, individuals have indicated to either do nothing, clean and perform household chores, spend time with their children, or indulge in past times (i.e., read, craft, watch tv), and explicitly walking their dogs. As a last commute alternative, respondents have indicated to use this extra time to exercise or perform more work tasks.

Figure 12 Millennials Commute Time Replacement

Simultaneously, a comparable formation has been investigated for the relaxing and rejuvenating features of each unique living environment and the action of continuously

54 remaining in the same four barriers at home. From every 70 responses to this open-ended question, we have assembled the following repeating outcomes. Varying from self-care to extra time to relish hobbies, each millennial respondent has designated a uniform appeal to direct attachment of their homes, occupants, arrangement, fixtures, and dispersion of activities. Each participating millennial has essentially shared an appreciation for living and enjoying the simpler things even with the looming scare outside their familial home base and circle.

Figure 13 Hierarchy of Relaxing Elements in Living Environments

Commanding this research, most importantly, two separate questions requested each millennial to identify if they are extremely happy, somewhat happy, neutral, somewhat unhappy,

55 or extremely unhappy during their workday and also inquiring about their time away from work.

These findings in Figure 14 and 15 imply that most are more apt to feel neutral during work time yet feel somewhat and extremely happy when the workday is complete. By evaluating how these individuals recount a day-in-the-life, there is a strong recognition that most (92%) experience a positive outlook compared to the slight adverse feelings that are suggestively aligned with the review of being extremely unhappy or somewhat unhappy in both work and after-work instances.

Figure 14

Figure 15

Emotions / Feelings During the Workday

Emotions / Feelings Away from Work

In response to how individuals perceive a day in the life of their current workdays’ individuals has shared the following daily experiences as a continuous remote worker during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The next assembly of words in Figure 16 reveals key themes and repetitive opinions of how most individuals perceive their present repetitive diurnal experience within their home. From morning to night, varied schedules, routing, and everything between individuals have filled their quotidian verve with both particular and collective happenings.

56 Figure 16 Day-in-the-life Use of Space - Word Cloud

We can quickly decipher the important and repeating themes that individuals decisively indicated through this cluster. While the lingering pandemic has heavily influenced everyone's responses, there is a more outstanding notion of opportunities to engage individuals towards a positive outlook of their physical and psychological environment. Such environments are also connected to the individual's home surroundings as a great appeal to, and inclusion of nature has been continuously reckoned. Across the 92% positive outlooks of at-home daily activities, some contributors have revealed common themes highlighted in Figure 17. Balancing various everyday household responsibilities and ensuring appropriate division is by far an insinuated aspiration.

57 Figure 17 Day-in-the-life Responsibilities and Accomplishments

Throughout each exclusive response to this wide-ranging circadian analysis, there was a strong presence of an optimistic outlook on space consumption and only a few adverse thoughts.

Table 5 Day-in-the-life Affirmative and Adverse Survey Excerpts The following are some optimistic rationalizations from survey respondents •

“Realizing how much unused space I have so I have been trying to use more of it daily by utilizing it all.”

•

Office space: “It allows me to walk away from work at the end of the day which has been the greatest benefit.”

58 •

“Keep each space as its own and use them as they are.”

•

“I work from my bed most of the time and will switch to my desk/space for a good portion of the day and for client calls. Will also work from the couch/kitchen when I can switch it up.”

•

“I work in the basement laundry room in the morning. Husband works upstairs in the bedroom with the kids running around or watching TV. We switch offices in the afternoon.

I homeschool my daughter in the afternoon upstairs in the dining room. I then finish my shift in the basement in the evening.”

The following are some adverse rationalizations from survey respondents •

“During work hours I'm at my desk in the living room, then after work I commute 3ft to the couch to attempt to unwind while my computer monitors loom in the corner.”

•

“Overall - our ‘living space’ feels cluttered and cramped. But we did not want to introduce our workstations into the bedroom - that has remained unaffected.”

• “I am quite sedimentary and have a very small one bedroom shared with my partner who also works from home. The majority of our time is rotating between the living room and bedroom based on calls, meetings and paperwork space needed.”

Interview Findings After achieving each of the interviews, much evidence suggests similarities and differences among each millennial individual who currently works from home. With the majority experiencing this practice only since the beginning of the pandemic, one participant has shared to have a few years of experience; however, they seem to have the slightest traditional observation over their workspace environment. The following are the key points that have been deduced following the review of each interview and comparing the similarities and differences amongst each other and correlating with survey results and existing information from the initial literature analysis.

•

Workspace drastically altered since the beginning of work from home orders occurred.

(One participant has relocated to meet remote work needs better.)

59 •

4 out of 5 regularly relocate from one space to another for work. (bed, couch, outside, basement, bedroom, etc.)

•

1 out of 5 has a designated office environment resembling a traditional space.

•

Most specify to be a lot more productive at home.

•

Each greatly misses impromptu conversations with co-workers indicate virtual, or telephone calls aren’t the same.

•

Most have indicated not taking proper/ traditional breaks; if they do, it tends to be for quick housework or caring for pets.

•

Greatest challenge: the ability to disconnect once the workday is supposed to be complete. Most have learned the hard way and are in a better position to disconnect appropriately.

•

2 out of 5 are unable to distinguish between work and non-work. All are intermingled.

•

Greatest distraction is pets, children, phone/social media notifications, or household needs.

•

With nice weather (summer) around the corner, each has mentioned a greater sense of employing daily routines and feeling motivated.

•

Most supportive to disconnect from work: technology, virtual hangouts, alcohol, cannabis, yoga, go for a walk, television/movies, and revealed to be the greatest is pets.

•

Noteworthy necessity to connect with nature, being outside, plants: being one with nature.

•

Juggle other projects or work activities to keep a busy schedule (avoiding the pandemic and COVID realities: regarding lockdowns and the fear of contracting the virus)

•

Most prefer the intimate home-work environment due to easy access to natural light and views looking out windows.

•

Emotional and mental health concerns have significantly surfaced due to the uncertainty of the virus contraction, which inherently relates itself to general performance.

The following Table 6 is a detailed graphic comparison of the gathered specifics questioned in each interview, along with significant similarities and differences between each interviewed participant.

60 Table 6 Contrasting Interview Participant Estimations Participant 1

Participant 2

Participant 3

Participant 4

Participant 5

2 (adults)

1

3 (adults)

1

(User Group 1)

(User Group 1)

(User Group 1)

(User Group 1)

3 (2 adults, 1kid, & 1 on the way) (User Group 2/3)

No. of Pets in Home

2 (dog/cat)

1 (dog)

4 (2 dogs/2 cats)

3 (1 dog/2 cats)

1 (cat)

House Size

Moderate Detached Home

2-Level Studio Condo

Moderate Detached Home

1-Bedroom Basement Appt

WFH Experience

Since COVID

3.5 years (Pre-COVID)

Since COVID

Workspace

Converted Spare Room to Office

Work Schedule

8:30 to 5-6

Bed, Desk (in room), Couch, Kitchen Island 8:00 to 4:00 (morning and night side job)

Basement Rec Room, Living Room, Outdoors Flexible (days, afternoon, evenings)

Moderate Detached Home Previously Hybrid (Full time since COVID) Spare Room Corner with Desk, Couch, Outdoors

WFH or Return to Office PostPandemic

Interested in hybrid but may not be offered

Continue, reveals they will never return to office

Wants to return to office / place of work

No. of People in Home

Distractions Replacing Commute/ End of workday Supportive/ Refuge/ Haven

Pets, Phone, Social Media Dinner Prep/Cook, Converse with partner Basement, Living Space, Alcohol, Virtual Hangouts

Dog, to do list Cannabis, Cook, Car ride, Side job (music industry) Dog, Bed, Bath, Cannabis Somber Mornings, Exhaustion

Workspace Desire/ Change

Nothing, current setup is ideal

Change occurred with recent move

DIFFERENCES

SIMILARITIES

Anxiety, Depression

KEY FINDINGS

Experienced Emotions

Most desire and exert a fluidity of workspaces

Most work a consistent traditional schedule

User groups vary from: Each has varied 1w/ partner, desirability to 1 w/ cohabitants, enhance their 1 w/ family, environments 2 solo w/ pet

Child, Pets, 100+ Plants, T.V. ‘Mom’, Dinner Prep/Cook, go for a walk or to the park, Gardening Natural light, Living room, Plants, Backyard, Renos/Crafts Whirlwind of emotions, Stress, Frustration, Exhaustion

8:00 to 4:00-4:30 (flexible)

Since COVID Desk in Living Room, Couch, Kitchen Table Varies (flexible, depends on schedule)

Interested in hybrid opportunity

Return to office / Place of work

Dog

ADHD, phone, Pomodoro Tech

Dinner prep/ cook, Care for Horses, Gardening Dog, Living with others, Bedroom, Outside, Barn/Horses

Dinner Prep/cook, go outside, Start studies (school) Cat, Bedroom, Reading Nook, Play music instruments

Stress, anxiety (due to COVID) Introvert

Boredom, Lost, Tired, Exhaustion

Create a personal office with a door

Move to have my horses closer, (rural area)

Change apartment layout. Create more division

60% want to maintain WFH post-pandemic

Acknowledge appreciation and importance of nature

Mixed feelings about the perpetual state of always being home

Distractions vary from dweller dynamics to personae

Distinct physical workspace environments ranging from bare to hectic

Exclusive valuable features and elements for coping and rejuvenating

61 By closely correlating with both the literature review and survey findings, each of these millennial interviewees has inherently affirmed the vital kinship with nature and its intrinsic provision to the well-being of multiple detriments of living and working from home perpetually.

Whether it be immersing oneself in nature or bringing some nature connection inside, these attributes and associations remain to set a clear path within this pilot study. For instance, participant one has shared, "My private office is a lot nicer at the accounting firm, but I have a window in my office at home, so it's nice to be able to see outside because I don't have that luxury at work." Although this certainly isn't a standard case, its awareness has also been shared with another individual who indicated that access to natural light and views is the most supportive element of their home working and living environment. "My office at work is in the basement of a very old building, and so we only have about two feet of windows at the very top of the ceiling, and we don't get to see outside. It isn't very motivating. So being at home with all my plants and this sunlight is amazing." A similar idea was also shared with the other participants where they appreciated the ability to enjoy time outside or looking outside on periodic occasions.

Through a workspace visual observation captured by each participant, the next segment will briefly identify some perceived elements present in each shared image. Each of these parties has given written consent to share their personal work environment to enhance further our study in distinguishing the shortages and providing recommendations for each of these at-home workspaces. It is essential to denote that each of these three succeeding workspaces is from user group one, households with single or partnered adults. What differs from these environments to some from other user categories is perhaps the permanency and availability of physical designated space. This certainly alters the individual housing size, configuration, and count of each dweller's demands for private and shared environments.

62 Figure 18 Home Office

Participant 1 Workspace Observation Review: The area is situated on the upper-level spare bedroom, a large window to look out (great A.R.T.) and allows for plenty of natural light into the workspace, yet easily controlled with curtains. Space is occupied with a large traditional office desk with ample work surfaces and an ergonomic task chair. No décor or personal items are seen in the room. We detect a pet bed (and dog), which we do not see in the image but mentioned in the interview and was seen in the video call was also a cat post. The individual has a great love for their pets and appreciates their company during work hours.

Figure 19

Figure 20

Workspace Desk

Desk Relation to Floor to Ceiling Windows

63 Participant 2 Workspace Observation Review: This desk is situated right beside their bedstead, with the individual’s bed being the predominant workspace choice. While it may not be super ideal for most or ergonomically and psychologically, this is the preferred area for a few personal reasons. Firstly, for the ease of their dog’s calmness, the comfort of sitting, lying, and lastly, having the best view of the windows.

This loft space allows for a small work surface with technology and decor with ample natural light provided by the double-height windows. A good sense of place attachment is visualized with the spiritual figurines and gemstones. As seen from both images, this arrangement indeed provides no disconnection, even if the individuals spend all their time working, sleeping, and relaxing upon their bed.

Figure 21 Desk Space in Living Room

Participant 5 Workspace Observation Review: As the primary workspaces of this individual, the desk and chair provide a sufficient environment for their work and studies. The bookshelf’s position offers a somewhat barrier from what was indicated to be the living room space. While it also provides easy access to books and supplies. It also offers ample space for personal items, giving a great area to observe and quickly break, especially with no visible window or natural light.

With most of the interview focused on the work implementation and its constant presence in their homes, each individual shared simple rehearses for time away from work and elements that have supported them during these uncertain times. Pets have been at the forefront of each

64 individual. This support has certainly significant assistance to the psychological stresses of the pandemic, especially in a period where physical connection with other humans is minimal, where pets can replace this miss to a certain degree. From physical space to emotional state, these interviews and the shared contributions have heavily supported the need for a desperate demand for separation between work and living space. Also, a setting provides better rejuvenation in place, mainly when access to nature and other favored environments are limited to the pandemic and seasonal weather changes. From wishes of relocating to homes with more excellent outdoor spaces, an ultimate demand for prosperity with flexible conditions has driven each curious as to what possibilities could occur in their personal environments.

Survey and Interview Visual Workspace Environment Assessment Through eight exhibited workspace environments (Figures 22 to 29) 70 survey contributors have been tasked to identify which workspace environment they prefer between two images in four separate categories.

Figure 22

Figure 23

Workspace 1, with No Window

Workspace 2, with Window

Note. Copyright 2019 by Carleton

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by McQuay Architects

65 Figure 24

Figure 25

Workspace 3, Living Room Setup

Workspace 4, Kitchen (Island) Setup

Note. Copyright 2019 by Schieck

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by Houzz

Figure 26

Figure 27

Workspace 5, with View of Nature

Workspace 6, with City View

Note. Most desired from Survey and Interview.

Copyright (n.d.) by Hammer Architects

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by Tschetter

Figure 28

Figure 29

Workspace 7, in Bedroom

Workspace 8, at Sofa

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by Gustafson

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by Tangkula/Pinterest

66 Straightforwardly the first two images demonstrate a workspace with no natural light or windows, and the other showcases both natural light and a beautiful mountain view. Results from the survey indicate a significant appreciation for natural light and windows, with 81% selecting this workspace. Secondly, the options depict a workspace in the living room or at a kitchen island, and again 81% have chosen the desk work area in the living room as their preferred environment. Thirdly, each domain shares an impressive view, one with a deep connection to nature and natural light. The other provides a conventional urban city view of a 'concrete jungle'; results indicated a substantial 91% aspires to a nature view. Lastly, the final analysis questioned if individuals prefer a workspace in the bedroom or at their sofa with a desk-table. This option demonstrated a closer balance, with 54% inclined to the bedroom setup and 47% with the ability to work from the comfort of their sofa.

Figure 30 Workspace Representation Popularity

67 Comparably, at the end of each participant interview, we revealed the same eight photos.

Each participant was asked to identify one or two environments that meet their needs best.

Additionally, it was investigated if they could provide a brief explanation as to their choice. The results were surprisingly mostly all parallel. With 4 out of 5 selecting the same workspace (Figure 26), they correspondingly denoted that nature's natural light and the view of flora is the ultimate desire. This investigation was open-ended and gave no direction or explanation to the interviewees. "Being one with nature" is reasoning that most have contributed. Additional remarks gave the image with a mountain view similar sentiments and consideration.

Alternatively, one participant shared their preference for the image (looking at the concrete jungle) for the practicality of a standing desk and image (space with no window/natural light) for the ease of having more than one workspace to spread. This individual balance's both full-time employment and a full course load of university studies; the additional space most likely coincides with the assistance of switching from one performance to another.

Virtual Behavior Mapping Discovery After viewing the 3-hour long video (https://youtu.be/KsVCufHLVsg) (see appendix e) of a remote worker, it has been clear that every individual’s performance and productivity heavily depend on their physical environment, location, and most definite acoustic setting. Additionally, the well-known Pomodoro Technique (https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodorotechnique) was exercised in this virtual video documentation. It is important to note that the individual did a self-recording experiment and was aware they were being filmed, presenting their best behavior approach.

Workspace physical attributes: •

Large window with ample natural light.

•

Clean environment (white fixture and finishes, excluding dark task chair).

68 •

Only sense of décor is the two potted plans on the desk and a stack of books in the corner.

•

The space is quiet, although traffic and bird sounds coming from the exterior. Other sounds we hear are initiated by the individual (paper shuffling and mouse scrolling)

•

Biggest distractions: traffic, transport rear moving sound, and a few interior sounds have diverted the individual’s concentration at minimal instances over three hours.

During the three-hour video observation, the individual: •

Provided mental capacity towards different occurrences, such as: in the beginning of their workday, the individual demonstrated a smile in response to something unknown on their computer screen.

•

Additionally, a few instances where a ‘sigh’ of relief is exhaled following by a posture repositioning. Lastly, self-gratification is also observed where the individual exclaims okay and claps their hands after accomplishing a task on their iPad.

•

Took six breaks, every 25 minutes for 5 minutes (following the Pomodoro Technique).

•

Was distracted a total of 6 times from sounds inside and outside the home, predominately traffic noises.

•

Adjusted their posture a total of 8 times.

•

The individual spent approximately 30% of their time reading, 50% typing or writing (with a pen/pencil) and, 20% drawing on the iPad with a stylus pen.

•

Engaged/Utilized technology and material: a laptop with separate mouse and keyboard, an iPad with a stylus pen, books, and paper and pen/pencil.

Table 7 Pros and Cons of Workers Environment Productivity

• • • • •

Supported Productivity Great access to natural light View of trees/outside for great Attention Restoration Theory (ART) Use of various materials (computer, iPad, paper, books) Repetitive breaks, use of Pomodoro Technique Self-pride and recognition in their work

• • • • •

Hindered Productivity Closeness to city street/traffic Moderate workspace surface for multiuse of materials Lack of storage/organization for books Questionable comfort of seating in task chair Space lacks personal attachment or representations

69 Figure 31 Virtual Behavior Mapping of Concentrations and Distractions

From this visual diagram, there is an evident perception that the location of the desk is beneficial for this individual in particular but certainly a configuration that could also appropriate to many other individualistic needs discovered in this expansive study. While at the beginning of the observation, we are left unclear as to what is beyond the workspace perspective. Viewing an additional angle in the second part of the video, we quickly identify a wall with colorful notes

70 introducing a creative environment that permits the individual to thrive in their workday production and performance workday or time.

Critical Analysis of Emerging Themes Sensibly understanding the holistic psychological, physical, and even transcendent needs that individuals desperately long for these days, there are numerous evolving components that most contemporary dwellings currently lack. While the change to work-from-home came extremely quick last year, we can advise that most remote workers have significantly improved their initial workspace environment. With a leading impetus with nature and all, its embodiment has an apparent need for divide, respect of personal space, and adequate disconnection from work (or technology) is coveted. By comparing emotions during the workday versus being away from work, an exciting predisposition demonstrates increased contentment when work tasks are completed. With the commonality of both life and career being severely intermingled these days, these detailed records of desires and existing functions will assist in exemplar solutions.

Connections and Contrast Between Data Findings In identifying both primary and secondary information newly gathered and primarily up to a year ago, both measures have introduced some stimulating associations that create a clearer understanding of what can and could be engaged. Predominate with the sense of being and belonging, findings have inherently demonstrated an engagement of permanency on both ends of the continuum of work and life. Following this recognition, there is probable merit in separating physical space and the recharging benefits identified without any indifferent energy. Being one with nature is far beyond connecting to our natural environment; it ensures the innate sense of simulating the renewing and resilient dynamism that nature has graciously portrayed and bestowed on humans.

71 Table 8 Contrasting Research Synthesis of Primary and Secondary Data Primary Data Survey-InterviewObservation

》

Technology Dependence

》

Privacy/Separation

》

Unification/ Spend time with others at home

》

Flexible Schedule and Environment

》

Individual Haven/Support System Developed Mental Health Concerns

》

Longing for Nature

》

Yearning for better views from workspace

》

Pomodoro Technique

》

The desire for private home offices

》

Appreciation for more family time

》

Contrasting Evidence and Propositions A desire for broadened simplicity. (i.e., ‘Smart Home’ Equipment, being user-friendly, voice command) Adaptable and Moveable Division/Partitions.

Introduce supplementary living environments.

Greater use of communal areas (i.e., living, dining, kitchen) by providing flex rooms for togetherness and independence.

Provide detachment opportunities in the home. (offer various workspaces) Respect and amplify personal spaces. (bedrooms, spa like bathrooms) Rejuvenating/ Restoration design application. (i.e., calm design features)

《

Secondary Data Literature Review

《

Lack of Technology Knowledge, Lack of reliability

《

Healthy Boundaries

《

Open communication with co-habitants

《

Additional Hours Worked Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

《

Severe Mental Health Issues

Introduce nature indoors (in representation and reality) with plants and organic finishes.

《

Biophilia Design

Provide workspace by a window, or mimic desired vista’s if inaccessible

《

Attention Restoration Theory

《

Set Schedule

《

Place Attachment/ Territoriality

《

Over Communication

Utilize technology (timer) or visuals (timetable) to ensure periodical breaks/rests are taken Strive to offer permanency in-home workspace, locate in an area where one can prosper (avoid gloomy dark areas) Ensure acceptance of all emotions each dweller may experience, have open communication with all.

Note. Each of the contrasting evidence and propositions will assist in designing practical interventions in each user group dwellings.

72

Conclusions Twenty years into the 21st century, life as we formerly experienced quickly transformed into a time of vulnerability and uncertainty. While some have classified the pandemic unfavourably, others have embraced the optimistic enforcement of appreciating what is important and valued. Through the ongoing influence of evolution within our vast, evolving, and innovative society, millennials have graciously adapted to the opportunity of new traditions in nearly every facet of life. This study has gathered cohesive manifestations by objectively discovering the particular needs they command for remote work life, requesting a greater sense of stability and alluring a collective awareness in separation and integration.

Probing into existing acknowledgment to work from home practices, the COVID-19 pandemic effect, along with ways to remain dynamic in a life of perpetually living and thriving at home, each analyzed contribution has provided relevant merit. These inclined affirmations have extensively driven this research, alluding that WFH practices are here to stay as the latest trend. Amidst recent resource reports and the completed qualitative and quantitative exploration, the appeal and evident benefits to remote working millennials and their settings, along with their homes’ built environment, including furniture and equipment design, all affirm some need for an amendment. By employing a triangulated and mixed research methods approach, findings exposed disparities between what was previously investigated since the onset of the pandemic and what is currently ensuing and being sought a year into this new societal tradition.

Literature Review Deductions Across the widespread literature review analyzing diverse continuums ranging from prepandemic studies including alterations and investigations influenced by the COVID-19 contagion, each resource has systematically contributed foundational knowledge to the issue in

73 question. The first focus examined how individuals adjust to the new lifestyle of performing all daily activities at home, including the pandemic impact and self-isolation customs. With a dire need for harmony in differentiating daily and weekly activities, the second focus investigated the WFH configurations and how its previous awareness paved the way for the drastic influx of individuals who shifted into this practice and self-confinement instantaneously. With prominent encounters established through various household and familial dynamics, millennials have nevertheless subjectively hailed themselves as leaders in remote work. As a third topic investigated, varied disengagements between work and personal environments have been distinguished from predominating physical barriers and dissociative needs. Lastly, explored subjects serving close attention to the physical, psychological, and philosophical theories related to interior design and the built-environment cognitions were gathered. Expounding the existing knowledge to meet modern needs, each of the identified approaches and contention has assisted in inferring motivations that can help the modify current and assist in re-imaging future dwelling configuration and interior design trends.

Palpably the best unearthing discovered were the distinct advantages and disadvantages that WFH represents. With a significant increase in employee productivity and efficiency, additional pros are the flexibility in work performance fitting outside of the traditional scheduled norms. Alternatively, disadvantages heavily rely on the uncertainties of clear direction and leadership. However, these detriments of being physically and socially disconnected could be deferred for WFH workers if they organized recurrent (in person) gatherings in a post-pandemic time. Also, while its relevance is not explicit to millennials, a significant hindrance is allocated to technology and its unpredictability, including the periodic disruption it could bestow to remote work. Finally, while mental health and work often intermingle, WFH routines have seen an

74 optimistic alteration. Nevertheless, most anxieties that arose over the last year were mainly due to the pandemic and somewhat less by the professional efforts to juggle this new work lifestyle.

Triangulation Conclusions Numerous exerted research channels fulfilled an exploration process with efficiencies in quantitative, qualitative, and creative measures. Succeeded by validation of foundational literature, the administered survey investigated and corroborated commonalities with the millennial generation. Moreover, this survey identified omitted views such as emotions felt during WFH efforts and mindsets for time away from work. The majority stated a neutral, happy contentment feeling during work time and a somewhat extremely happy alteration when their workday tasks halted. Another key finding that the assessment delivered is how individuals appreciated eliminating daily commuting to achieve extracurricular activities that may not have occurred in a pre-WFH period. Other appreciative elements identified have been within their space during these stay-at-home orders and some typical daily occurrences. Unequivocally, we have discovered three primary user groups in millennial households. Group one identifies singles or partners, while the second user group implies (an) adult(s) with a child, and lastly, families with two or more children. Each of these prompts’ specific needs of control for distraction, responsibilities, and spatial requirements.

Leading the subjective outcomes of the study, all five WFH millennial interview participants have shared genuine contributions. With 80% amplifying their WFH experience has significantly altered since the onset of the pandemic, a compelling interest shared how they have identified a form of slight to prevailing flexibility in their work performance, particularly in workspace conditions. Conversely, another blur relating to survey respondents occurred with a noticeable work schedule distortion since the start of WFH. With no traditional structured breaks

75 (including lunches) engaged, evidence has rippled into the poor disconnection from work that most have signposted. These findings' have exposed the deep-rooted desires of nature, its representation, connection, and the inherent need for being one within (nature). The desired relationship to natural beauty is expressed at any possible interval when away from work and household life undertakings. It specifically established an appreciative bond increase with nature and natural light from workplaces that lack and negate any connection.

As visual assessments and observations, the outstanding efforts implemented have shared valuable knowledge in moving forward with the design of at-home interior workspace environments. Alongside the survey and interview, graphical analyses of existing workspaces identified the inherent desire for a natural and flora vista, which highly connects to famed design theories studied in the literature. Correspondingly the videoed remote worker valuation has identified critical needs for observational cues and focuses within a home-working environment.

With audible and visual distractions beheld, some materials and technology recommendations could alleviate these instances. Throughout these examinations, an excellent enlightening notion inferred the need to be productive with time and the significance of an appeasing physical, psychological, and audial comfortable atmosphere.

Study Significance and Provisions Per its entirety, this study has predominantly revealed the supportive findings between previous and prevailing knowledge. While the focus on earlier reports did not specifically attempt to understand the extensive physical and emotional needs WFH dwellers and their dwellings require, this study has specifically discovered various mediations to provide a holistic interior environment. It has been enthralling to recognize repetitive relations and needs contingent on nature's provisions by correlating both primary and secondary research (as we saw

76 in Table 8). These associations were interestingly so varied as far as implementation and expenditure. However, each provided the rejuvenating element desired to persist the continued trials and tribulations of the pandemic life and perpetual status of isolating with significant others, children, and other acquaintances.

With the apparent desire for a harmonious environment in both separated and unified spaces all at once, each constantly blurred boundary brought by the new lifestyle, a division between spaces is required. With unification befitting a conclusive appeal, its dependence has heavily relied on technology and its multi-faceted provisions in communication, production, performance, and environment attribution. In the end, the desire for personal space persists to be extremely important for every individual who works from home- which mainly includes an area that also provides a clear separation between attachment while working and evident detachment when not. It is essential that moving forward, the residential interior design practice addresses the specific needs for WFH dynamics, especially when considering the distracting components that each specific locale and occupant criteria familiarize. These specific needs are most certainly best achieved by including experienced WFH individuals sharing personal experience and desired conditions for the multi-faceted workspaces in homes- that provide efficiency, including visual and modular division. Particular alterations to existing dwellings and workspaces of offices, no matter the square footage, can provide an exemplar method alluding to sustainable measures by eliminating a multitude of unused organizational space. Analytically, these study findings can also provide valuable information to all fields related to residential and office equipment. Additionally, a larger population identifying the desire to WFH could significantly alter organizational policies to reform employment measures to validate a significant increase in employed individual’s satisfaction.

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Recommendations and Design Interventions Emerging from the prior findings, various endorsed design strategies can profit environments finding balance in all facets of perpetual home life during a pandemic and post-era.

Table 9’s interventions amplify adherence to various household dynamics from physical to audible and psychological alterations of each setting. With some proposals fitting specific needs, each can alleviate potential stressors. To their application, each promotes an improvement.

Table 9 Synthesis of Key Needs and Recommended Design Interventions Key Necessities Gathered Separation (Especially for user group 2 or 3, where three or more dwellers cohabit) (for division from work tasks)

Unification (for all user group types)

Flexible / Changeable / Adaptable / Transformable Distractions Comfort / Ergonomics

Need for Nature

Improved Technology Equipment Communication / Cooperation (for respect/consideration of others)

Enlightening principles Perception of personal evolution and dignity

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Proposed Design Interventions New living environments (interiors and exteriors) Flex rooms Moveable partitions Furniture with ability to close (i.e., enclosed desk cabinets) Provide each child with a separate bedroom at best, or some division if unable Greater seating arrangements within living spaces Sectional sofas, freestanding chairs, etc.

Expandable dining tables (if space permits) Deliver numerous workspaces, giving the ability to move from one workspace to another.

Offer various environments to perform multiple tasks.

Furniture with multi-functions and light for ease of move White noise machine, or instrumental music Orient workspace away from occupied spaces with movement Offer height-adjustable desks (standing and sitting) Provide appropriate task chairs Supply plants, natural and in visual representation Present improved exterior views, add windows if possible Utilize Biophilic design features (organic/raw materials) Interior garden (i.e., Click and Grow) Exterior garden/flower bed (vertical or horizontal) Implicate smart home technology (i.e., voice command: lighting window treatment, temperature control, (etc.) to offer circadian rhythm).

Open communication, periodical family/partner discussions Develop schedule or plan to share responsibilities Visuals for informative/instructive growth of children Use of the famed Pomodoro technique for both adults and children Exhibit achievements, goals, personal possessions, and momentums or heirlooms

78 While Table 9 delivered a broad overlook of mediated practices for all types of households, Table 10 designates some specific recommendations for the three user group types currently identified with Millennials. In these suggestions, some particular needs have been identified as primary complex needs with suggestive environment proposals.

Table 10 Explicit Complex Needs and Recommended Interior Environment Proposals Divvied by User Groups

User Group Three

User Group Two

User Group One

Revealed Complex Needs Varied workspaces Streamlined environments Embrace nature and its nurturing capacities

Environment Proposals • Convey numerous workspaces and surfaces, giving the ability to move from one to another as needed.

• Ensure physical disconnection is possible when work is done.

• Equip dwellings with ‘smart home’ technology.

• Create and provide adaptable furniture and equipment.

• Introduce interior gardens (i.e., Click and Grow).

• Provide natural and representation of nature, organic elements.

Flexible workspaces

• Provide noise control, some privacy, but not constant confinement.

• Offer various arrangements, but with ease of caring for a child.

Motivate evolution for adult(s) and child

• Embrace supportive and innovative equipment for both parental support and child growth.

Open Communication

• Provide gathering spaces to entice interaction and autonomy.

• Respect varied progress occurring, support with distinctly situated refuges, allowing parental intervals.

Embrace nature and its nurturing capacities

• Same as group one.

Flexible workspaces

• However, parallel to group two may require stricter separation of noise/privacy control dependent on work tasks (voice/video calls).

Motivate evolution for adult(s) and child Adequate spaces for each individual Open Communication Embrace nature and its nurturing capacities

• Same as group two, with the inclusion of informative/ instructive visuals.

• Provide personal areas for each adult and child.

• Separate bedrooms for each child or a type of divide if not.

• Same as group two.

• Establish and familiarize boundaries and respect for all users • Similar to group one, although its offerings can assist in teaching and many psychological detriments.

Note. Each of these complex needs is to be correlated with features shared in Tables 8 and 9.

Additionally each are proposals that could diverge for the exclusivity of each client.

79 Inspired to modify existing built environments to adequately meet dwellers' needs and employ a nurturing sustainable approach to furthering user group permanency. Mindful of the endless dwelling prototypes currently obtainable in North American communities, this innovative endeavor has devoted itself to three unique living environments, each with modest square footage. Each dwelling was evaluated for current deficiencies. Beginning with one and two-bedroom condominium suites, we succeeded with a three-bedroom single-level bungalow.

Amidst the limitless possibilities in reconfiguring each home, most interior shared spaces are redesigned to meet demands recognized in the three user group categories previously exposed.

Figure 32

Figure 33

Existing One-Bedroom Suite Configuration

Reconfigured One-Bedroom Suite (600 sq. ft.)

80 One-Bedroom Suite Annotated Changes 1. A private open office workspace was positioned in the existing kitchen dining space. With a work surface, and ergonomic chair, and ample open and closed storage, space is optionally enclosed with sliding frosted translucent partitions that permit varied stages of private, semi-private, and fully open configurations. The Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and biophilic design is highly granted. Additionally, the shelves provide a great location for personal attachment item display.

2. While a freestanding table typically introduces a flexible positioning, this limited living space requested a fixed dining counter to ensure max floor space was available. Thus, this counter-height surface provides an additional preparation surface and an added workspace.

3. A sectional with storage and a pull-out bed has been sourced in this limited lounge area of this suite.

By first providing comfort, this fixture provides an optional guest bedstead.

4. With bedroom workspaces displaying their appeal to 54% of millennials, this additional simple workspace is suggested if partners occupy this dwelling. Overall, this new domicile allocates three interior workspaces.

5. With a significant appeal to nature and fresh air, an optional workspace is presented on the exterior balcony, weather permitting. This follows the appeal of being able to move from one space to another during a workday.

6. Lastly, the inclusion of natural plants throughout the space, including organic finishes and natureinspired wall coverings (as seen in Figure 34), the overall space follows a biophilic design approach to ensure a nurturing and healing environment is providing a physical and psychological supportive dwelling.

Figure 34 One-Bedroom Suite Interior View, with open glass partitions

81 Figure 35 One-Bedroom Suite Interior View, with closed glass partitions

Figure 36 Existing Two-Bedroom Suite Configuration

82 Figure 37 Reconfigured Two-Bedroom Suite (1100 sq. ft.)

Two-Bedroom Suite Annotated Changes 1. By utilizing the additional closet space from the original second bedroom, a workspace niche was carved out with a (height-adjustable) ergonomic worksurface, task chair and floating shelves for personal display. While in use, the fully operable bi-fold doors can be open, closed, and adjusted to provide a semi-private space reducing distractions. Doors could be equipped with solid or frosted translucent panels. This gives a flexible and overall separation during and after work hours.

2. An additional built-in desk and storage unit, and ergonomic chair is specified in the new flex room.

3. Within this same flex room, a murphy bed is equipped to provide a convertible room that can be used as a bedroom, guest room, and secondary living space or den.

4. This oversized sectional sofa provides ample seating, an additional pull-out bed, and storage.

5. An expandable round table with concealed surface sections is specified for any entertaining needs.

83 6. The large exterior terrace space has been equipped with a vertical garden to permit many benefits of nutrition, remedial (ART) features and a pleasing activity. The exterior dining space also provides an additional temporary work surface.

7. Plants are scattered throughout all interior and exterior areas; this inclusion is further enticed with a biophilic design and restorative hallmarks in every work and living space. Ensuring ART is granted.

8. While this overall reconfiguration allocates a flex room that includes an additional recreational area, the exterior seating area also introduces an additional lounge to cater as a unification and separation environment. This space would be profitable if the flex room is required to be a child bedroom.

Figure 38 Two-Bedroom Suite Recessed Workspace View, with Bi-fold Doors in a Semi-Private Position.

Figure 39 Two-Bedroom Suite Recessed Workspace View, with Bi-fold Doors in a Fully Open Position.

84 Figure 40 Two-Bedroom Suite Interior View Looking towards the Living and Terrace

Figure 41 Existing Three-Bedroom Bungalow Configuration

85 Figure 42 Reconfigured Three-Bedroom Bungalow (1700 sq. ft.) (+ 250 sq. ft. with New Conservatory)

Three-Bedroom Bungalow Annotated Changes 1. The existing laundry area was relocated to the entry closet, and in its space a private workspace home office was created. This included the relocation of both the entry and linen closets.

2. An open concept area has provided greater sight lines and increase space in the shared spaces

86 3. By eliminating the dining room, a flex room was created with a cabinet with an enclosed workspace, along with round table with fixed and floating seating to provide numerous functions. (i.e., virtual school, additional work surface, activities, etc.)

4. A desk in both bedrooms has remained with an increased work surface.

5. With the removal of the dining room, a fixed island with dining seating is introduced.

6. One of the greatest additions to this redesign is the addition of a conservatory. This additional 250 square feet has permitted additional workspaces, recreational area, and a great space to connect with the surrounding exterior environment and flora.

7. Further enhancing the nature-inspired connections, a living wall and a significant scatter of varied sized plants have been placed throughout the home.

8. The inclusion of three new windows has permitted natural light to flood the interior open concept space for whenever it is utilized for working or living. * In general, this complete bungalow reconfiguration has promoted a balanced use of private and communal spaces to meet current need of perpetual life and daily undertakings and the future requirements of maintaining a WFH practice and being able to disconnect and rejuvenate.

Figure 43 Three-Bedroom Bungalow Interior View of the new Open Concept Flex Room

This concluding schematic task has stemmed from the gathered results in each research method first performed to prove further estimates promoting adaptation to existing dwellings.

Sustainably and economically contributing to society, each reconfiguration can decrease specific

87 trends of how newly designed, and fabricated residential environments have profusely and swelled over the last decades. While one would agree that a perpetual life at home could demand some more significant extents, one should recognize that an excessive vast space is not an answer or commonality disclosed by Millennials. In return, request for function and flexibility has regenerated a holistic environment for all dwellers to persist and thrive at home for years to come.

Research Limitations Although devoted and heavily influenced by the drastic lifestyle changes brought on by the global pandemic, this research was precisely impacted due to the restrictions indicated in the paper. In contrast, access to in-person observations of remote workers would have been ideal for analyzing their workspace, daily performances, and living environments, each measure undertaken attempted to attain the most information possible. In particular, these restrictions entailed using creative measures with simplified technology and techniques. With stay-at-home orders and lockdown procedures in most if not all areas, including the entire study period of the survey and interview participants, it must be acknowledged that a prospect of potential skewed responses could have occurred due to individual opinions on the measures in place. Furthermore, through online surveys and virtual interviews, certain margins require recognition; as a small sample of millennials (0.000001% of North America to be exact), household types, their function, and dynamics have been observed and considered. These restraints have also limited in attaining adequate information correlating to the various needs that specific households may require in various parts of the American continent. Lastly, the ten-week study period has also limited the research, analysis, and proposal to an introductory performance.

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Future Research This research sought to understand the core needs individuals share across each research restraint affected by the global pandemic in this time and place. By providing insight and application to a future post-pandemic era, WFH measures have been deemed to remain for most organizations, including individual employee interests and requests. Hence, although each insight is specific to the current societal occurrences, the present information provided within this research and its parameters can provide future research in working from home and keeping a healthy and positive work-life balance in both a professional and personal situation. These conditions are heavily relying on the varying type of work, and profession individuals entail.

With the complexities of families and each having their unique experiments, especially with a growing trend of multi-generational homes, additional research should be performed to understand the precise needs of individuals who represent any atypical confronts. Without limiting physical or psychological hindrances, individuals could introduce a significant change in engagements to a daily routine of a WFH. They would undoubtedly require expert research in discovering particular requests. Furthermore, with evident varieties in WFH practices and individual adaptation to this performance, researchers should perform further observations and examinations at a larger scale to understand the varied dynamics each WFH employee type experiences. Potential opportunity from employer’s performance reviews can also contribute profound knowledge to assist organizational efficiency caused by workspace settings often negated at both the workplace and home level. Conclusively, as an experienced remote worker, distance learning undergrad, and graduate student for over a decade, I have appreciated this comprehensive study. Moving forward I hope to this research can extend itself for years to come

89 and see how this experience and examination of remote home could notably support others and future residential development projects.

90

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Figures and Tables Figure 1. Author’s own. (2021). Key Needs Required to Prosper in Isolation for Various Dwelling and Dweller Dynamics Figure 2. Author’s own. (2021). Engaging Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Perpetual Isolation of Work and Life Figure 3. Author’s own. (2021). Affinity for Life in Place Figure 4. Author’s own. (2021). Stimulating Harmony with Design Figure 5. Author’s own. (2021). Engaging a Triangulated Foundation Figure 6. Author’s own. (2021). Millennials Residential Setting Figure 7. Author’s own. (2021). Type of Dwellings Millennials Currently Occupy Figure 8. Author’s own. (2021). Millennials Household Occupant Structures Figure 9. Author’s own. (2021). Millennials Household Key User Groups Figure 10. Author’s own. (2021). Millennials Workspace Location Figure 11. Author’s own. (2021). Millennials Workspace Area by User Groups Figure 12. Author’s own. (2021). Millennials Commute Time Replacement Figure 13. Author’s own. (2021). Hierarchy of Relaxing Elements in Living Environments Figure 14. Author’s own. (2021). Emotions/Feelings During the Workday Figure 15. Author’s own. (2021). Emotions/Feelings Away from Work Figure 16. Author’s own. (2021). Day-in-the-life Use of Space - Word Cloud Figure 17. Author’s own. (2021). Day-in-the-life Responsibilities and Accomplishments Figure 18. Interview Participant 1. (2021). Home Office [Consent for use of photo received] Figure 19. Interview Participant 2. (2021). Workspace Desk [Consent for use of photo received]

99 Figure 20. Interview Participant 2. (2021). Desk Relation to Floor to Ceiling Windows [Consent for use of photo received] Figure 21. Interview Participant 5. (2021). Desk Space in Living Room [Consent for use of photo received] Figure 22. Workspace 1, With No Window. Carleton, A. (2019, June 5). How to make a small, windowless office feel bigger. https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/windowless-officetips-36602875.

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Figure 24. Workspace 3, Living Room Setup. Schieck, M. (2019, February 7). A Small Seattle Studio That Looks Much Larger Than It Is. Apartment Therapy. https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/house-tour-a-small-modern-industrial-seattle-studio251709.

Figure 25. Workspace 4, Kitchen (Island) Setup. Houzz. (n.d.). Contemporary Kitchen. Houzz. https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-contemporary-kitchen-london-phvwvp~24066984.

Figure 26. Workspace 5, With View of Nature. Hammer Architects. (n.d.). Mid-Century Modern Addition, Truro. Houzz. https://www.houzz.com/photos/mid-century-modern-additiontruro-midcentury-home-office-boston-phvw-vp~34533.

Figure 27. Workspace 6, With City View. Tschetter, J. (n.d.). Chicago Penthouse. Houzz. https://www.houzz.com/photos/chicago-penthouse-contemporary-home-office-chicagophvw-vp~13675430.

100 Figure 28. Workspace 7, in Bedroom. Gustafson, J. (n.d.). Modern Bedroom with Home Office.

Houzz. https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-bedroom-with-home-office-modernbedroom-san-francisco-phvw-vp~258220.

Figure 29. Workspace 8, at Sofa. Tangkula 360° Free Rotating Sofa Side Table. Pinterest. (n.d.). https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/536139530644694104/.

Figure 30. Author’s own. (2021). Workspace Representation Popularity Figure 31. Author’s own. (2021). Virtual Behavior Mapping of Concentrations and Distractions Figure 32. Author’s own. (2021). Existing One-Bedroom Suite Configuration Figure 33. Author’s own. (2021). Reconfigured One-Bedroom Suite (600 sq. ft.)

Figure 34. Author’s own. (2021). One-Bedroom Suite Interior View, with open glass partitions Figure 35. Author’s own. (2021). One-Bedroom Suite Interior View, with closed glass partitions Figure 36. Author’s own. (2021). Existing Two-Bedroom Suite Configuration Figure 37. Author’s own. (2021). Reconfigured Two-Bedroom Suite (1100 sq. ft.)

Figure 38. Author’s own. (2021). Two-Bedroom Suite Recessed Workspace View, with Bi-fold Doors in a Semi-Private Position Figure 39. Author’s own. (2021). Two-Bedroom Suite Recessed Workspace View, with Bi-fold Doors in a Fully Open Position Figure 40. Author’s own. (2021). Two-Bedroom Suite Interior View Looking Towards the Living and Terrace Figure 41. Author’s own. (2021). Existing Three-Bedroom Bungalow Configuration Figure 42. Author’s own. (2021). Reconfigured Three-Bedroom Bungalow (1700 sq. ft.)

101 Figure 43. Author’s own. (2021). Three-Bedroom Bungalow Interior View of the new Open Concept Flex Room Table 1. Author’s own. (2021). Research Objectives and Justifications Table 2. Techniques helping individuals cope with COVID-19 effects. Ivbijaro, G., Brooks, C., Kolkiewicz, L., Sunkel, C., & Long, A. (2020). Psychological impact and psychosocial consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic resilience, mental well- being, and the coronavirus pandemic. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 62(Suppl 3), S395S403. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_1031_20.

Table 3. Standard Daily Routine Schedule. APA (American Psychiatric Association). Working Remotely During COVID-19. Center for Workplace Mental Health. (n.d.). http://www.workplacementalhealth.org/Employer-Resources/Working-RemotelyDuring-COVID-19.

Table 4. Author’s own. (2021). Millennials and the Perpetuity of the Pandemic Table 5. Author’s own. (2021). Day-in-the-life Affirmative and Adverse Survey Excerpts Table 6. Author’s own. (2021). Contrasting Interview Participant Estimations Table 7. Author’s own. (2021). Pros and Cons of Workers Environment Productivity Table 8. Author’s own. (2021). Contrasting Research Synthesis of Primary and Secondary Data Table 9. Author’s own. (2021). Synthesis of Key Needs and Recommended Design Interventions Table 10. Author’s own. (2021). Explicit Complex Needs and Recommended Interior Environment Proposals Divvied by User Groups

102

Appendices Appendix A: Online Survey Consent Form SCAD E-learning Consent to Participate in Online Research Study Title: Understanding the needs required to continually live and work in compact residential environments holistically.

Study Description: The purpose of this survey is to gather information that may be used by the faculty and students of the SCAD E-learning Department of Interior Design to inform design projects.

Risks/Benefits: Risks to participants are considered to be no more than encountered in everyday life. There will be no costs for participating, nor will you benefit from participating other than to further research.

This survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.

Confidentiality: Your completed survey has a unique identifier that is available only to the Principle Graduate Student Investigator and Faculty Advisor. Your survey responses are entirely confidential, and no individual participant will ever be identified with their answers. Data from this study may be saved on a password-protected computer for two years.

Voluntary Participation: Your participation in this study is voluntary. You may choose to not answer any of the questions or withdraw from this study at any time without penalty. Your decision will not change any present or future relationship with the Savannah College of Art and Design.

For more information about the study or procedures, contact Emanuel Bazinet at ebazin20@student.scad.edu or Professor Bonnie Casamassima at bcasamas@scad.edu.

Research Subject’s Consent to Participate in Research: To voluntarily agree to participate in this study, you must check “I Agree” and complete and submit the following survey.

Checking this box indicates that you have read this consent form, have had all of your questions answered, and that you are 18 years of age or older.

Add required/mandatory “I AGREE” Response Button.

103 Appendix B: Survey Questionnaire *These questions were implemented and gathered with the use of the Survey Monkey platform.

1. Are you currently working (or studying) from home?

(Y/N) – If no, thank them and end the survey.

2. What is your age?

(18-24, 25-40, 41-56, 57-75, 76+) 3. How many people live in your home, including yourself? How many adults? How many children (18 and under)? How many pets?

(Number Input box: x3- Adults/Children/Pets and species) 4. In which setting do you currently live in? a) Urban b) Suburban c) Rural 5. What type of home do you currently live in? a) Small/Tiny/Micro b) Condominium / Apartment / Townhome c) Average Detached / Semi-Detached Home d) Larger Detached Home 6. Do you have a designated space for working (i.e., private office/desk nook) in your home? (Y/N) 7. If no, where do you currently setting yourself up to work in your home?

(Text input-5 words max) (If answer 6 is Yes-remove Question 7) 8. Do you work a typical 8-hour consecutive day? (Y/N) 9.

Is your work schedule flexible? (i.e., days, evenings, weekends) (Y/N)

10. On a scale of 1 to 5, what emotions do you generally feel during your workday?

(Where 1= Extremely Unhappy, 2= Somewhat Unhappy, 3=Neutral, 4=Somewhat Happy, 5= Extremely Happy) 11. When your workday is complete, what are the first things you tend to do to replace a traditional commute time? (Text input box-20 words max) 12. Would you return to your office/place of work or remain to work from home in a post-pandemic time, if feasible? (a) Return to office/place of work, (b) Continue to work from home,

104 (c) Does not apply 13. On a scale of 1 to 5, what emotions do you generally feel during your time away/off from work? (Where 1= Extremely Unhappy, 2= Somewhat Unhappy, 3=Neutral, 4= Somewhat Happy, 5= Extremely Happy) 14. What have you found to be most relaxing for you in your living environment during the pandemic? (Text input box-50 words max) 15. Briefly describe the ways you use your space during the pandemic in a typical dayin-the-life. (Text input box-50 words max) 16. For the following eight images, please select which one of the two in each category best resonates with you.

(*Please see Figures 22 to 29 for images and figures in question)

105 Appendix C: Virtual Interview Consent Form SCAD E-learning Consent to Participate in Research Study Title: Understanding the needs required to continually live and work in compact residential environments holistically.

Persons Responsible for Research: Principle Graduate Student Investigator: Emanuel Bazinet, INDS MA Candidate Faculty Advisor: Professor Bonnie Casamassima Study Description: The purpose of this research study is to explore how individuals are coping with the current perpetual condition of working, living, and relaxing within their home during the lockdowns.

Time Estimated to Complete Interview: 30-60 minutes Risks/Benefits: Risks to participants are considered to be no more than encountered in everyday life. There will be no costs for participating, nor will you benefit from participating other than to further design/research education and knowledge. This interview should take approximately 30 to 60 minutes to complete.

Confidentiality: Your interview responses may be kept entirely confidential if desired. Please select an option below, determining whether your name should be used in any research reports or presentations. Data from this study will be saved on a password-protected computer for two years. Only the Principle Graduate Student Investigator and the Faculty Advisor will have access to the information.

Voluntary Participation: Your participation in this study is voluntary. You may choose to not answer any of the questions or withdraw from this study at any time without penalty. Your decision will not change any present or future relationship with the Savannah College of Art and Design or the Graduate Student Investigator or Faculty Advisor.

For more information about the study or procedures, contact Emanuel Bazinet at ebazin20@student.scad.edu or Professor Bonnie Casamassima at bcasamas@scad.edu.

Research Subject’s Consent to Participate in Research: To voluntarily agree to participate in this study, you must check the box below and one of the confidentiality statements below.

Checking below indicates that you have read this consent form and have had all of your questions answered and that you are 18 years of age or older.

Checking this box indicates that you have read this consent form and have had all of your questions answered and that you are 18 years of age or older.

I agree to have my name identified within any research reports and/or presentations, along with quotes from my interview without review.

I agree to have my name identified within any research reports and/or presentations, along with quotes from my interview with prior review.

I prefer to not have my name identified within any research reports and/or presentations.

Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________

106 Appendix D: Interview Questionnaire Guide 1) Give me a brief description of your current living arrangements? Type of dwelling?

Location-rural or urban? How many people, pets live with you?

2) What type of work do you do? How long have you been working in this position/with this company?

3) With a year now passed since work from home mandates have started, would you consider continuing this setup post-pandemic?

4) Can you describe to me where you traditionally work within your home? How do you feel in this space? Has this space/environment changed since the beginning of the pandemic/work from home mandate?

5) Can you please describe to me a typical workday-in-the-life, starting from when you wake up to finish work? What do you do for breaks, including lunch/dinner?

6) What do you do to avoid being easily distracted during your work time?

7) Once your workday is complete, can you please tell me what you tend to do?

8) Can you please give me an ordinary evening-in-the-life of what you tend to do at home once your workday is complete? What do you typically do for entertainment/activity?

9) What have you found to be most supportive for you in your living environment during the pandemic?

10) What emotions have you felt during the day? During the evening? During the weekends?

11) When you are not working, what space of your home do you tend to spend your most time in? What is your favorite area in your home?

12) Is there anything if you could change in your home that you believe would better assist you in balancing working and living under the same roof? o Lastly, would you kindly share a photo of your workspace for me to examine? o Is there anything that I haven’t asked that you’d like to share?

107 Appendix E: Virtual and Visual Documented Observation Notes The following video was observed as an example of a remote worker day-in-the-life experience.

Work from home with me 3 HRS Pomodoro | no music | typing ASMR | paper shuffling ASMR | with timer (Length 3:16:48) Video By: Vicky BEEAMP - Find Your Point of View Video Link: https://youtu.be/KsVCufHLVsg First half of video – working view (Video Clip, 2021)

Second half of video – working view (Video Clip, 2021)

Observation Key Notes This individual is said to be a self-employed management consultant. During the recording of this video, it is identified that the work performed is for “Project Urban,” a venture that engages training knowledge and development. The home office is located in Tokyo, Japan, in what appears to be an urban residential setting.

Observation Notes: First 25 minutes: They smile and type and scroll through their work/info/emails.

3.5 minutes in, the first drink of water.

108 -

Browsing through papers on the desk.

Outside loud (traffic) noises begin but don’t seem to distract.

While reading and typing on their computer, they consistently shift their head from side to side.

They go from typing at an average speed to very fast, periodically.

The first large sigh occurs at the halfway mark, followed by a chair repositioning.

Continuously looking and browsing papers and books on the desk.

With the first 25 minutes passed, the individual was only distracted for a few seconds once when a loud beeping noise occurred outside (from what we can assume to be a large vehicle reversing.

Second 25 minutes: During the 5 minutes break, they left and returned to the desk.

5 minutes in, they adjust their seating posture and lean into the computer.

10 minutes in, they are distracted by something in the house.

Looking into the distance, pondering for over 30 seconds towards the pile of books on the desk, which occurred immediately after reading something from a book.

Another change of posture occurs to have head resting on palm and fingers covering mouth while profoundly looking into the computer screen.

17 minutes pass, and again another outside distraction occurs (due to traffic noise).

After this distraction, they immediately grab their iPad and start working with it and a stylus pen.

Third 25 minutes: During this period, they employ the iPad and perform drawing tasks primarily.

No distractions occurred, and one posture adjustment only Fourth 25 minutes: They continue to employ the iPad but also report to their computer.

Loud noises occur again outside yet no distraction.

5 minutes into this work session, they say their first word, “Okay,” and clap their hands.

Self-gratification? This occurs another 4 minutes after.

Fifth 25 minutes: After a more extended break, this time the angle of the camera shifts (angle 2 of the diagram) Now, a piece of paper and pen is being used.

With no longer seeing eyes or face, we can see the individual is having more instances of looking into the distance, contemplating ideas or findings discovered in their reading.

Moving to the end of this video, the individual spent more time looking outside while writing and reading. While they were engaged with the iPad (what seems to be a creative exercise), they were hyper-focused on their task, even leading to a self-gratifying instance.

109 Appendix F: Supplementary Furniture and Fixture Proposals •

The following are some additional visuals of opportunistic furniture, fixture, and equipment introduced in existing residential environments to offer support in flexibility and separation from work in the living area, especially homes with minimal space.

Figure A

Figure B

Wall Mounted Fold-Down Desk

3 in 1 Sofa-Bed with Storage

Note. Copyright (2020) by Simmons

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by Shahid

Figure C

Figure D

Hidden Desk Murphy Bed (desk position)

Hidden Desk Murphy Bed (bed position)

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by Sleepworks

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by Sleepworks

110 Figure E

Figure F

Space Saving Desk in Cabinet

Space Saving Desk in Cabinet

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by LoveProperty Figure G Expanding Dining Table

Note. Copyright (2017) by Hack The Hut

Note. Copyright (n.d.) by MADE Figures References Figure A: Simmons, K. (2020, August 27). 20 Space-Saving Fold Down Desks To Maximize Productivity. decoist. https://www.decoist.com/fold-down-desks/?safari=1.

Figure B: Shahid, U. (n.d.). Zara Sectional Sofa 3.in.1 ( Sofa, Bed & Storage ). Canadian Liquidation. https://canadianliquidation.com/?product=zara-sectional-sofa-3-1-sofa-bed-storage.

Figure C-D: Alegra Murphy Desk Bed Queen: Sleepworks New York. Sleepworks. (n.d.). https://sleepworksny.com/product/allegra-diy-hidden-desk-bed-queen/.

Figure E: Hack The Hut. (2017, May 17). 43 Tiny Office Space Ideas to Save Space and Work Efficiently. Hack The Hut. https://hackthehut.com/43-tiny-office-space-ideas-save-space-work-efficiently/28/.

Figure F: Cool convertible furniture that transforms before your eyes. LoveProperty. (n.d.). https://www.loveproperty.com/gallerylist/74214/cool-convertible-furniture-that-transforms-before-youreyes.

Figure G: 4- 6 Seat Round Extending Dining Table, Dark Stained Oak | MADE.com. MADE. (n.d.). https://www.made.com/belgrave-4-6-seat-round-extending-dining-table-dark-stained-oak.