SomePlace Like Home:
Unlocking the Science of Hominess in Open-Plan, Free-Address Environments.
When your seat isn’t yours and your space has no walls, how do you create a "home base" at the office?
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When your seat isn’t yours and your space has no walls, how do you create a "home base" at the office? 〰️
When your seat isn’t yours and your space has no walls, do you still have a “home base” at the office?
Open-plan seating has long been a polarizing fixture in U.S. offices, valued for its efficiency and flexibility while criticized for its negative impact on employee comfort and well-being. The recent surge in unassigned and free-address seating (where employees do not have a permanently assigned desk), accelerated by the shift to hybrid work and the desire to reduce office square footage, only amplifies these challenges. Without a private and permanent workspace, employees may experience increased stress, distractions, and burnout. In 2024, only 40 percent of offices in U.S., Canada, and Latin America had a 1:1 or lower employee-to-desk ratio, down from 56 percent in the previous year (CBRE Research, 2024).
Our team wants to tackle this challenge.
Perkins Eastman received a ONEder Grant to explore how workspaces can maintain the benefits of flexible design - like collaboration and choice - while reducing the cognitive strain on employees.
Rebecca Milne
Associate Principal | Director of Design Strategy
Perkins Eastman
Katherine Gluckselig
Associate | Senior Design Strategist
Perkins Eastman
Hanna Negami, Ph.D.
Associate | Data Strategist
Perkins Eastman
Robert Condia, FAIA
Professor Emeritus of Architecture
Kansas State University
Widya Ramadhani, Ph.D.
Associate | Design Researcher
Perkins Eastman
Charlotte Böhning
Associate | Design Strategist & Industrial Designer
Perkins Eastman
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Rise in Free-Address + Open-Plan Models
Increased Negative Mood by 25%
Decline in Satisfaction + Loss of the “Home Base”
So, how can we transform these spaces into “SomePlace Like Home?”
Paving the Way with the ‘Science of Hominess’
The study of the psychological and neurological factors that contribute to a person’s perception of a space as feeling “homey,” often involving research into design elements that influence feelings of comfort and belonging.
Our Approach
Through our work with organizations worldwide, our team at Perkins Eastman has seen these challenges firsthand. As many of our corporate clients have downsized their offices and moved to shared seating in recent years, we began to wonder: how does losing a “home base” impact the employee experience?
In our initial research, we conducted a survey and found that 86% of respondents considered it important to feel at home at work, with physical comfort being the top factor. With so-called agile workspaces on the rise, this insight felt more urgent than ever.
Next, we conducted a mixed-method study to explore the challenges of achieving hominess in free-address, open-plan office environments. Our research combined direct observations of behavior and workplace design, analysis of user ephemera collections for deeper insights into personal experiences, and survey feedback from knowledge workers to better understand what hominess means to them. Our field research spanned four sites: a tech company, an architecture firm, a co-working café, and a public library.
Research Question 1
What are the barriers to hominess in free-address, open-plan environments?
Research Question 2
How can behavior-driven design enhance hominess in free-address, open-plan environments?
Photograph by Andrew Rugge. © Perkins Eastman.
Key Insights
Through our observations we identified a number of tensions inherent to open-plan, free address work environments:
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While employees can choose to sit where they feel most comfortable or productive, behavioral norms and guidelines can limit personal expression and restrict feelings of autonomy.
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The freedom to select a spot is valuable, but the process of adjusting to a new space can be disruptive, hindering immediate productivity or comfort.
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Open-plan spaces are designed to foster collaboration, but the lack of physical barriers can make it hard for employees to engage in focused work. Solutions like acoustic treatments and reservable rooms can strike a balance.
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In free-address environments, employees can temporarily “claim” a space, but the time-dependent nature limits the ability to truly make it their own. The ability to personalize a space, even temporarily, often makes it feel like “home.”
Photograph by Andrew Rugge. © Perkins Eastman.
Our analysis found that satisfaction with one’s workspace was most strongly linked to physical comfort, privacy, and personal identity in the space—more so than the type of seating arrangement.
In fact, unassigned seating in a “homified” workspace can lead to higher satisfaction than working from home—provided workers feel reflected in their space, experience physical comfort, and maintain a sense of privacy. These insights suggest significant opportunities for targeted design and policy interventions to enhance workplace satisfaction.
Creating a “Homified” Workspace
We identified four key strategies to create a workspace that feels like home in open-plan, free-address environments.
These findings provide critical insight into the development of an affordable solution that prioritizes comfort, familiarity, trust, and ownership, helping workers to feel more at home in open-plan, free-address offices.
Familiarity
Incorporate biophilic elements, space to display photos or mementos, and textures with sensory appeal to create warmth and make the space feel more welcoming.
Photograph by Andrew Rugge. © Perkins Eastman.
Trust
Workers need to trust the space will meet their needs. This may be accomplished through features like intuitive wayfinding, dependable amenities, comfortable furnishings, and reliable technology—all of which promote a sense of stability and confidence.
Ownership
Even in free-address environments, employees should feel empowered to choose, claim, and personalize their workspace. This cultivates a sense of attachment and enhances their overall engagement with the space.
Comfort
Prioritize physical and environmental comfort with ergonomic furniture, appropriate lighting, and temperature control to help employees focus and feel at ease throughout the day.
Our findings suggest that free-address seating can succeed if it focuses on comfort, privacy, and ownership. By prioritizing these factors, organizations can create environments that foster connection and productivity in this new era of hybrid work.
What's Next?
What's Next?
Courtesy of Charlotte Böhning
One's personal human agency is revealed offered through a “Science of Hominess,” understood as "Comfort, Familiarity, Trust, and Ownership.” Building on these findings, we will work to develop a physical intervention for the modern office. This hands-on approach will allow us to translate our insights into tangible solutions to improve the workplace experience.
What cleverly designed set of artifacts lets you feel at home in the office?
Explore how our findings and solutions can ease the transition to free-address environments.
Explore our site to learn more about our research:
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