Lighting conditions in home office and occupant’s perception: An international study

The global pandemic and physical distancing restrictions are forcing us to rethink how residential buildings are used regarding the visual environment. This paper describes home office lighting conditions within different countries and continents. The aim is to define the current limitations of home offices in providing a resilient visual environment. The work was developed by a team of international experts working together on Subtask A: User perspective and requirements, in International Energy Agency IEA SHC Task 61/EBC Annex 77 “Integrated Solutions for Daylighting and Electric Lighting”. The method included an international online survey in 6 countries in South America, Europe and East Asia containing 37 questions about general data, physical characteristics of the home office and occupant’s perception, behaviour and needs regarding the visual environments, and photos taken by the occupants. Descriptive statistics, inspection of the photos, and qualitative analysis from the open-ended question were performed. In total, 694 responses and 453 photos were analysed, making it possible to identify the occupants’ perceptions about the lighting and visual environment in the home offices both for professionals and students. The results indicate cultural differences in styles of residential buildings and interiors, in the custom of using lighting, and between continents and occupational categories. Possible improvements are suggested.