How to reinforce and reorient one’s place while WFH

Alok Hada, Director ATPL, explains why the amount of light, color temperature, lux intensity, sound and insulation are all important factors when you decide to work from home on a continuous basis in these troubled times.

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc globally, several companies and practices have opted or in some cases, forced to operate out of their homes. Many sectors and businesses are being affected by the disruptions in the manufacturing operations and a stop on trade due to the pandemic. With the sudden shift to remote work, home office is the new trend for working professionals across the globe, and could potentially be a permanent fixture for many, even after the fallout of the pandemic has been taken into account.

For a lot of people, there already exists a dedicated workspace at home. Very few people can say that they have never worked at home. So, either they have a laptop or a desktop in some corner of the house. The difference today is that this practice of working remotely will have an extended time frame and would probably be the only means of work possible as cities go into lock down and people cannot travel to office.

Hence, the ideal reorientation of a workspace requires…
1) Removal of Clutter from the space. Since this is going to be the full-time workspace -prioritizing what is needed on an immediate basis is important.
2) Creating a workspace with optimized illumination and insulation strategies.
3) Access to fast and reliable Internet connections.
4) Optimizing the workspace for video conferencing/conferencing platforms such as Skype for business or Zoom.

Every residence of a working professional usually has a dedicated space or area for work. The ideal workspace isn’t classified by the space, but how optimized the illumination, insulation and sound strategies are for the user. The lighting plays a key role in determining the energy and focus levels of the user, helping one concentrate and reducing the sleep-inducing hormones. After all, there isn’t any other medium that has as big an influence on our bodies and minds, as light does. Natural and artificial light play a key role in our health and wellbeing.

Increasingly, people face the question of how they can improve their well-being and create a dynamic, creative and motivating environment while integrating all the functionality necessary in a workspace. The ideal solution for this is a balanced mix of task, ambient and general lighting where the space has an uneven, layered look across the space, mimicking the way natural light bounces off surfaces and creates an interesting scene for the viewer.

Typically for office use both the amount of light and the color temperature of light is kept in mind. It is normal to have a lux intensity of about 300-350 lux on your working table and the color temperature is generally a cool white of 4500 degrees K or above. The sound and insulation within a space optimizes it for video and voice platforms which will become the norm in these times of contagion. For individuals who require sound reduction within their space, there are wall panels that absorb or diffuse sound which are high on functional and aesthetic value.

There are several acoustic panels and noise insulators available on the market that help to accentuate the telephonic communication within a room. It’s important for working professionals to have the space properly insulated or at least have no elements that can cause background noise. Typical sound level measured with a SPL meter would be around 35-40 dB in a quiet environment.