Home design for remote work

Remote work is on the rise, not only as a result of the recent COVID-19 crisis, but also due to the growing percentage of freelance workers, which is estimated to already account for up to 40% of skilled jobs in Europe. In addition, companies are becoming increasingly aware of the advantages of offering flexibility and adaptability to employees, as it has been shown that workers who are allowed to organise their working day freely improve job satisfaction, efficiency and commitment to the company.

In Spain, a country that has traditionally been unaccustomed to remote work, it has had to adapt at speed to this new dynamic as a result of the lockdown.

Recently, Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) published a study showing that remote work increases productivity by between 5% and 25%. Although during the lockdown families with young children were the most affected in this respect, the shift in mindset and the adoption of remote work in many companies is here to stay.

In this new scenario, many families have had to reorganise their living spaces to meet new work demands: from separating work areas so that each family member can have independence and privacy for video-conference meetings, to adapting furniture and IT equipment that, until now, were not designed to support long working days.

The fact that our home must also become our workplace presents many challenges that, as designers, we are beginning to address with each new family that comes to the studio. What used to be a request for a small space with a table to manage household tasks or for children to do homework has become the need for one or more rooms where several family members can complete a full working day without interruptions or acoustic interference from the rest of the household, with quality light and a healthy indoor environment, in which furniture and layout play an essential role.

In today’s article we analyse home design for remote work, a task we have already incorporated into the studio as essential in any new project, and which we approach from the perspective of comfort and a healthy indoor environment.

Our perception of the workspace depends on environmental comfort and a healthy indoor environment, which in turn depend on different variables: temperature, ventilation, humidity, natural materials, healthiness, acoustics, furniture, contact with nature and lighting.

This comfort is closely linked to bioclimatic design, as achieving comfort without having to run any active heating or cooling system (air conditioning) significantly improves indoor environmental quality, creating healthy spaces.

This is achieved through the design of passive systems. In winter, south-facing windows capture energy from the sun and materials with thermal mass store this energy naturally, protected by good insulation. In summer, solar shading prevents solar radiation from reaching the interior, and North–South cross-ventilation naturally cools the environment.

This environmental quality is complex and requires an in-depth study of each of the factors that create comfort in a home. Let us look step by step at how to achieve a healthy indoor environment.

Temperature

In home design for remote work, the first thing we take into account is the new need for a constant temperature throughout the day and night. Many families are used to leaving home in the morning, with the house empty throughout the working day, and therefore the heating is not turned on until they return home in the afternoon.

In the new scenario, we need a comfortable temperature from early in the morning. This will mean higher energy costs in terms of consumption, so it is important to prioritise natural heat gain and maintain a controlled comfort temperature that allows us to work efficiently. The recommendation is that the indoor temperature of our workspace should be around 24–25°C in summer and 20–21°C in winter; in this way we ensure a comfortable temperature without excessive energy consumption.

In all cases, whether new build or renovation, the priority is always to get as close as possible to this comfort temperature through passive systems, i.e., without having to activate any active heating or air-conditioning system.

Achieving comfort through passive systems

But why is it better to reach a comfortable temperature using only passive systems?

First, to reduce consumption: if I can capture sun through windows, store heat indoors and prevent it from escaping thanks to good insulation, throughout the day I can heat my room naturally without consuming energy, whether renewable or not.

Second, for health reasons: any modification of the indoor environment alters natural air conditions. If we use heating, we dry out the air by removing humidity; the same happens when we turn on air conditioning. Humans have evolved to live in an environment with a relative humidity of around 50%; below these levels our mucous membranes dry out, reducing our defences against viruses and bacteria. Therefore, an environment that is heated naturally is much healthier.

The recent update to the Technical Building Code

Each European Union country’s Technical Building Code must be updated in line with the European directive every 5 years. In Spain it has been updated on average every 7 years, and the latest update was published in December 2019, coming into force—with delays due to COVID-19—in June 2020. This latest update includes the requirement to build zero-energy homes.

Here we have several scenarios: from architects who work with engineering firms to find strategies to meet the efficiency requirements demanded of a home today, to companies or certifications that follow a single working pattern such as Passivhaus certification, which is a kind of “manual for building a passive house” in a somewhat rigid and academic way, but which guarantees the client a zero-energy home regardless of the architecture team’s experience or expertise.

And a final group: all-in-one catalogue construction companies that promise low-cost prefabricated homes and achieve airtight housing systems into which they insert aerothermal machinery that injects hot air. Because the home is like a thermos, they do meet the efficiency requirements demanded by regulations, but with a highly questionable indoor environmental quality, especially regarding the relationship between temperature and humidity and the healthiness of the space.

For this reason, in home design for remote work it is important to collaborate with an engineering firm specialised in demand calculations and to analyse the systems we need from an investment–return perspective; but it is also crucial from a health perspective in order to achieve a healthy indoor environment in which to spend the entire working day in comfortable conditions.

Energy generation and distribution systems

In this regard, it is important to understand energy generation and distribution systems in depth, to recognise that an air-based heating model, which reduces relative humidity in a very airtight home, will easily turn that interior into unhealthy air—an unacceptable condition in home design for remote work, where the user will spend much of their time throughout the week.

The first step in making decisions regarding the energy production and heat distribution system is an energy demand study.

Next, we will provide a brief summary of the active energy system options available to generate heat.

The most common in Spain is fossil gas, also known as natural gas, which emits less CO₂ and nitrogen compounds harmful to health than alternatives such as coal during combustion, but which, on the other hand, can have methane leaks, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent.

Biomass, also known as pellets or wood chips, emits CO₂ during combustion, although it is claimed that the CO₂ emitted has already been absorbed by the tree during its growth. This is a disputed claim, especially when forests are not sustainably managed or when pellets travel long distances.

And finally, electricity, which we can buy from the grid or generate using photovoltaic panels. With it we can run a geothermal heat pump (exchange with ground temperature) or an aerothermal heat pump (exchange with outdoor air temperature). Both systems have a high cost, and if our building already performs passively it can be difficult to recoup the investment.

The reality is that no energy source is the solution to every problem, and each case must be assessed through energy demand calculations, space use, the site’s microclimate, ground conditions and, no less importantly, the ability to recoup the investment.

The key is to reduce energy demand so that the active contribution is minimal and we can use low-impact, low-cost, cost-effective systems. There may be situations where demand is so low that the investment in the energy generation system is not cost-effective; in these cases it is advisable to opt for targeted systems that meet the demand of rooms that do not reach a comfortable temperature, such as those facing north.

In fact, many energy demand studies in which rooms have been correctly resolved through passive architecture strategies (capturing and storing heat from the sun in winter, and shading and ventilation in summer) yield results showing that some rooms—especially those well oriented to the south, airtight and well insulated—do not need any energy input because the annual average temperature is already sufficient to ensure thermal comfort.

Ventilation

Ventilation serves two purposes: cooling in summer and as an air renewal system—since in any room that is used, different types of harmful agents accumulate, such as CO₂ or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by paints, varnishes or flame retardants present in many textile surfaces, for example.

Regarding cooling, there are several passive strategies from vernacular tradition, such as cross-ventilation, which consists of allowing air to pass between windows on opposite North–South façades, based on the principle that the thermal contrast between the cold side and the warm side encourages convection movements.

In Spain we have examples such as Seville’s corralas, where opening courtyards facilitates this dynamic, while also adding the presence of water through fountains, whose evaporation absorbs energy from the environment, lowering the temperature.

However, when we talk about passive homes, characterised by high thermal mass and insulation, in certain situations—such as when the outdoor temperature is higher than the indoor temperature—it may be more beneficial to avoid ventilation, provided we ensure air renewal mechanically.

To ensure indoor air renewal, Spanish building regulations distinguish between two documents: the Technical Building Code (CTE) and the Regulation of Thermal Installations in Buildings (RITE). For housing, we work with the CTE, but in the case of offices—i.e., buildings not intended for residential use—the applicable regulation is the RITE.

Thus, in home design for remote work, unlike workplace environments, we will apply the CTE regulations, which require a constant minimum flow rate in habitable rooms ranging from 6 to 10 l/s depending on the use of the interior spaces. The RITE is more demanding for offices, considering them good-quality air spaces along with uses such as residences, reading rooms, museums or classrooms, among others, and requiring a flow of 12.5 l/s.

In addition, to achieve such air renewal we must use two ventilation systems: natural and mechanical. Since June 2020, with the latest update to the CTE, all new-build constructions are required to guarantee a mechanical ventilation system due to the increasing airtightness of homes.

This increasing airtightness can lead to high concentrations of CO₂ or other gases or pollutant particles indoors, so it is important to be able to quantify these levels using CO₂ meters.

It often happens that in older buildings, where air renewal depends strictly on opening windows, it is difficult in winter to ventilate as much as in summer—especially if you do not know how long is necessary. Therefore, a CO₂ meter indicates how stale the air is; ideally it should be between 420 ppm (the current outdoor concentration) and 800–1,000 ppm to ensure a healthy environment.

On the other hand, there are so-called pressure sensors, in this case connected to mechanical ventilation systems, which automatically detect pressure changes when a door or window is opened and therefore people are at home, and activate the air renewal system. Thanks to these elements, a home becomes more efficient, using energy for this purpose only when necessary.

In this regard, the average number of air changes per hour will depend on whether we are talking about renewal that runs 24 hours a day or whether we have pressure or CO₂ sensors that allow the system to act only when essential.

Our experience has led us to work with two distinct values depending on each situation, based on studies in single-family homes. A value of 0.25 air changes/hour is ideal when systems run 24 hours a day, while if sensors are used, we work with a value of 0.18 air changes/hour.

Some of these sensors do not only refer to CO₂ concentration; they can also measure VOC concentration, a series of indoor air pollutants. In any case, the best way to avoid the presence of toxins is to choose natural materials and finishes, as we will discuss later.

Humidity

Humidity is closely linked to thermal perception as well as to ventilation, which is a natural mechanism for regulating humidity. However, we should not underestimate the ability of certain materials to regulate it naturally as well: so-called hygroscopic materials. In fact, these materials are usually of natural origin and are considered living materials, as they adapt and respond organically to the climatic conditions of spaces.

Materials such as clay or wood, whether used in construction or simply in finishes, can naturally regulate the humidity conditions of a space.

Humans are comfortable and healthy at relative humidity levels around 50%, with a range of 40% to 60%. Below these values our mucous membranes dry out, reducing our defences; above these values we risk creating breeding grounds for mould and bacteria.

As always, the goal is to achieve a natural balance, which often does not involve a specific solution, but rather achieving equilibrium by using natural, minimally processed materials that help us regulate the indoor environment naturally.

Natural materials and health

When we talk about materials and health in relation to environmental comfort in home design for remote work, the solution always involves choosing natural materials and finishes.

First, the user’s direct contact with materials matters, through both finishes and the furniture itself. Materials can feel colder or warmer to the touch, and this perception actually depends on whether they are more or less conductive, since the former are in fact absorbing energy from our body—hence the sensation of cold.

For all these reasons, warm materials are more comfortable, and a key natural material stands out: wood, provided it is locally sourced and sustainably managed.

Other traditional natural materials, such as stone and ceramic materials, work well because their high thermal mass allows us to store heat naturally.

In addition, materials of natural origin often have better energy performance, allowing, in many cases, significant energy storage. They are also natural regulators of both humidity and acoustics, thanks to their high porosity, which allows them to absorb and breathe, adapting to conditions at any given time.

From an aesthetic point of view, these materials create a better visual impact, and when left exposed they provide constructive authenticity, helping us understand what things are made of at all times. Likewise, they allow us to be aware that we are in an environment with a lower concentration of chemicals, which are so present and yet harmful to our health.

Respecting the purity and nature of materials also helps us avoid distractions, creating neutral environments that do not overwhelm us and encourage concentration.

To all this we must add notions of health and wellbeing, which in recent years we have come to confuse with hygienism, focusing on disinfecting with chemical products that eliminate harmful bacteria but also directly affect our bodies.

Approaching this topic from the perspective of passive strategies means focusing on prevention, and it is closely linked not only to construction materials, but also to finishes and the composition of everyday objects, which are ultimately what we have direct contact with.

Thus, a house built entirely in ceramic, which opts for natural insulation, may be painted with a plastic paint that releases toxic VOCs into the air, undermining all this prior effort.

As a result, more and more cases are emerging of users with so-called multiple chemical sensitivity, probably due to prolonged exposure to large amounts of chemicals.

Some firms committed to this issue are carrying out interesting studies with the aim of bringing credibility and transparency to materials. A good example is Perkins & Will’s Transparency page, where construction materials are catalogued and information is provided about their toxicity. Another source of information is the database of toxic and hazardous substances developed by the Spanish government called risctox, which details all harmful implications both for people and for the planet.

Another health problem linked to the conductivity of materials rather than their VOCs is the concept of sick building syndrome, which stems from the design of large office buildings without operable windows, where all interior finishes are plastic materials. As a result, a strong static electricity builds up, seriously affecting workers’ health. In home design for remote work, we must take into account the possibility of excessively high electrostatic charges, which can be generated when we work with synthetic furniture and many electronic or electrical elements that do not discharge properly through an earth connection.

Acoustics

Acoustics are essential for certain jobs that require a high level of concentration or a need for communication. We must be aware of how, through home design for remote work, we can influence factors such as the ability to concentrate, reduced distractions, error rate and stress.

Likewise, in certain situations it may also be beneficial to facilitate communication, as in the case of a meeting, which, following the expansion of online meetings, requires better environmental quality at an acoustic level, and for which we can use other types of architectural strategies.

The first factor to consider is the concept of reverberation time, which is the period it takes for sound to die out as it bounces off objects in its path. Thus, if finishes have a high absorption capacity, reverberation time is reduced.

This is an effect we experience especially when entering a completely empty flat, where we realise that when we speak our words echo a lot. Absorption capacity is provided by porous materials, a characteristic that natural materials tend to offer more than artificial ones and which, as we mentioned earlier, is closely related to their hygroscopic capacities. A good example of a natural, highly absorbent finish is cork, widely used in educational spaces.

Beyond simple finishes, there are so-called acoustic panels, which are installed offset from the surfaces to reinforce this acoustic absorption and can even be hung from the ceiling, placed between work tables or even behind books on shelves.

This strategy, in addition to reducing reverberation time, also reduces ambient noise—a constant sound level measured in decibels. In turn, this noise is closely related to the acoustic insulation of walls and ceilings, which isolates us from two types of noise: airborne sound and impact sound.

Airborne sound—sound transmitted through the air, such as a person speaking on the other side of a wall—is minimised thanks to the performance of the acoustic insulation within the wall, or panels we may add for this purpose.

Impact sound, on the other hand, is related to finishes, especially on floors, since carpet or wooden flooring will minimise the impact on the upper floor and the transmission of its vibration through our ceiling.

Studies analysing the relationship between ambient noise intensity and the psychological effects it can have on a person exposed to it for long periods conclude that constant ambient noise should be below 50 dBA, considered a low sound level. From 60 dBA, blood pressure can increase and reaction and concentration capacity decrease, while levels above 120 dBA can cause narrowing of the visual field and reduced colour perception.

Furniture

Furniture in home design for remote work is essential for two reasons: its ergonomic capacity, since we will spend a long time supported by its forms, and the materials and finishes it is made of. The latter must prevent cold-to-the-touch contact that reduces our environmental comfort, as well as the generation of static electricity from plastic materials or the release of toxins into the air.

Typically, the material par excellence for furniture is wood, and it is important to avoid varnishes or paints to prevent toxic emissions and also to ensure proper hygroscopic performance.

Another important health factor, beyond toxins, has to do with ergonomics. This is a branch of physiology, i.e., adapting buildings to human needs to promote health, which originally focused on the workplace.

Ergonomics consists of adapting work and the workstation (movement, work process, devices, machines, space, etc.) to the person, aiming to match their anatomical and psychological characteristics. One of the office elements that requires the most attention is the chair, responsible for maintaining good posture and preventing future back pain. In fact, in Spain, 50% of people say they have suffered back pain at least at some point in their lives, and there are increasing spinal deformities in children and young people.

The Scandinavian company Varier offers alternative chair models inspired by movement, noting that the biggest problem stems from excessive stiffening of the back when it remains static for so many hours in conventional chairs.

For this reason, it is advisable to alternate between muscle tension and relaxation while seated, i.e., to sit dynamically. Studies recommend working on the well-known yoga balls, which allow the hips and spine to move, facilitating the flow of so-called cerebrospinal fluid, which is found in the intervertebral discs and serves to cushion and protect us from back injuries.

Varier, whose aim is to challenge our sedentary lifestyle, is based on this scientific knowledge and produces two different models recognised for their positive effects on health: the rocking model and the well-known kneeling chairs. In the case of kneeling chairs, the idea is to counteract, in particular, pelvic tilt, which above all causes deformation and contraction of the lumbar area.

Although the kneeling chair encourages correct back posture, it has not prevailed. It has been observed that most users unconsciously shift an excessive part of their weight onto their knees and bend them too much. If this posture is maintained for too long, knee injuries and blood circulation problems can occur.

The rocking model, for its part, facilitates movement that has a positive effect on the pumping and absorption mechanism of the intervertebral discs. Gentle rocking calms and increases concentration, and stimulates the brain, making the left and right hemispheres work together more harmoniously—i.e., allowing creative and logical thinking to interact better.

Other factors to consider are the height of the chair in relation to the desk, which on average should differ by around 27–30 cm, and ideally should allow us to rest our feet on the floor forming a right angle with our legs, as well as to support our forearms at the same angle. Seat height should be between 42 and 56 cm depending on the person’s height, its depth between 38 and 44 cm, and its width between 40 and 48 cm.

IT equipment, meanwhile, has become an essential element that, until now, was not designed to support long working days. The ideal screen position is below the horizontal visual axis and should be at least an arm’s length away. The reason is that if the screen is too close or at an incorrect height, body posture tends to stiffen.

Contact with nature

There are fairly undeniable abstract statements, such as recognising that green is good for us. It is an awareness we all have, and we know it is true, but not many rigorous studies have yet been carried out to prove it.

However, the pandemic has revalued this concept, highlighting the ‘outdoor extensions’ of homes, transitional spaces or semi-outdoor spaces. All of this responds to the contact with the climate that we advocated at the beginning of the article, which makes us aware of what time of year it is and what time of day it is, allowing us to connect with our own nature and the nature around us.

In addition, some of these spaces, such as conservatories, respond to climatic strategies that manage to warm the air to take advantage of it at night, thus creating alternative climates to the purely interior that adapt better to the user, offering a greater capacity for concentration.

The presence of plants, which also regulate humidity, brings us serenity and peace, as well as the possibility of establishing a visual relationship with the nature outside.

Lighting

Another essential feature in home design for remote work is the lighting of spaces. The lighting in the work area must be of a certain quality because, as researchers in the field point out, 80% of the information that reaches the brain is visual in origin.

The principles of passive architecture tell us to make the most of resources, so in general the goal will be to minimise the use of artificial lighting. The problem is that daylight is more difficult to control, so we must be very aware of what light we have and what tools we can use to filter it and avoid direct radiation.

When we talk about natural lighting, we cannot ignore the orientation of spaces. North light is the best for working, as it does not create as much chiaroscuro or shadows that obscure the work we are doing. In addition, it is much more constant throughout the day and does not involve direct radiation. When working with a computer, it is important that the screen is positioned with its back to the sun’s incidence, so that contrast works in our favour and light does not reflect on the screen.

Similarly to acoustic conditions, poor visual conditions affect workers’ sense of wellbeing, reduce productivity and increase the incidence of errors and accidents.

Thus, in the absence of natural light, artificial lighting must compensate for the situation up to an average level of 500 lux. This is an average, not a minimum, because excessive lighting can cause glare.

For this reason, the consistency of this added light is essential, since different eyes may require different luminance levels in the same space. For example, it is estimated that an older person may require up to 60% more lighting than the same person in earlier stages of life, and they are also more prone to glare.

Luminaires are characterised, in addition to their amount of light and dimming capability, by their apparent colour, i.e., colour temperature, which is classified as warm, neutral and cool. Warm colours tend to feel more welcoming. However, care must be taken that they are not so warm that they reduce colour rendering, which is the ability of this light to faithfully reproduce the colours of illuminated objects, and is measured by the colour rendering index (CRI).

At present, the technology most widely used for lighting is LED, which, although it can feel somewhat cool, has a good CRI and allows significant cost savings as it is very energy-efficient and has a very long service life.

Remote Work and Teamwork

Undoubtedly, when we approach the design of homes for remote work, we must address the issue of socialization and teamwork.

In this regard, Nicholas Bloom, Professor of Economics at Stanford, researches remote work as a new form of production and discusses its implications for innovation and productivity. According to him, if the necessary conditions are created to provide a welcoming environment—free from the demands of childcare, with powerful Wi-Fi and suitable computer equipment—productivity is destined to increase.

However, innovation will decrease due to the lack of encounters between interdisciplinary workers who engage in informal conversation that fosters creativity and creative disruption. This reflection explains the proliferation of coworking spaces in recent years, as many people have realized the synergies generated by this social dimension of work.

In fact, there are articles providing data on how significantly fewer technical papers were produced during the lockdown period; firstly, because a large number of scientists were overwhelmed by the burden of balancing childcare with work, and secondly, due to this lack of innovation and knowledge sharing through social relationships.

For all these reasons, we must strive to minimize this impact by designing homes for remote work through the personalization of space, transforming our impersonal office into a human and welcoming environment. Furthermore, on certain occasions, it can be difficult to set aside a workspace for ourselves alone, so we must attempt to apply Bloom’s reflection to these shared domestic workspaces and reap the benefits of working in company.