Investigation of work performance in open-plan office with soundscape variation using virtual reality

Abstract

In this study, the relationship between soundscape elements in an open-plan office (OPO) and work performance was investigated. Experiment 1 was conducted in a real environment; subsequently, evaluation was conducted in a virtual reality environment for the diversity of the evaluation places. For the visual factors, the arrangement of the office equipment and the view through the window were different in the OPO, and the background noise was reproduced variously as an auditory factor. HRTF and head movement were applied to consider the worker's mobility within the VR environment. Consequently, it was found that the work performance improved when the natural elements were increased in the VR environment.