Office XR
We spend a third of our lives at work, and our physical work environment significantly affects our performance and well-being.
Research shows that over 60 per cent of employees are unhappy with their workplace environment and that this can reduce productivity by over 20 per cent, costing organisations millions of dollars a year.
The workplace design can significantly affect our brain function, stress levels, moods, how we connect with others, and our performance.
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Project aims
Testing workplace designs
We use immersive virtual reality to simulate and test workplace designs to identify optimal environments for our thinking, emotions, connection with others, and performance.
As we explore different settings and designs, we will measure the effects on users' cognitive, affective and physiological responses using objective and subjective measures.
Gaining insight
We can gain insight into the real-time effects of workplace designs on their users by using traditional self-report measures and objective measures of brain activity, stress levels via cortisol, heart rate and galvanic skin response, eye-tracking, and emotion recognition facial software,
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We spend a third of our lives at work and our physical work environment significantly affects our performance and well-being.
Research shows more than 60 per cent of employees are unhappy with their workplace environment and that this can reduce productivity by more than 20 per cent, costing organisations millions of dollars a year.
Workplace design can significantly affect our brain function, stress levels, moods, how we connect with others, and our performance.
In the OfficeXR research lab, we are using virtual reality (VR) to simulate and test workplace designs to identify optimal environments for our thinking, emotions, connection with others and performance.
Surprisingly, when it comes to workplace research, we don’t know a lot about the effect the whole environment has on the users.
Research has looked at many individual aspects such as lighting, privacy or plants — but at the moment those designing workplaces are guessing as to what might be most important.
It is currently often a one-size-fits-all approach.
We need to go much further to really understand the effects of the different types of environments and dimensions to know what the immersive user experience actually is.
OfficeXR allows us to test different workplace designs and assess the impacts on our brains, bodies and our performance.
The Unreal engine will allow us to create and modify detailed real-life workplace simulations that organisations can use to tailor workplace environments that suit their unique culture and employee experience.
This will allow organisations to save tremendous costs and achieve greater efficiency in designing and delivering workplaces that achieve positive outcomes for employers and employees.
VR is a great tool to not only design better workplaces but also understand the effects of those workplaces.
Currently, it is very costly to design labs to test these effects or to access workplaces to conduct field studies.
Further developing our program in the Unreal engine will allow us to create and modify different simulated workplace environments easily, and to scientifically measure the effects of these environments.
The end programs will allow employers, facilities managers and designers to try out different designs and different ways of working allowing their employees to have real-time input into workplace design.
Project plans
Office space simulation
The OfficeXR project will use the Unreal engine in virtual reality (VR) applications to simulate and test multiple different dimensions and designs in workplace environments in ways that simply would not be feasible in experimental laboratories or real-life workplace settings.
We plan to use the Unreal engine to develop an office space simulator to enable rapid workflow testing of simulated office space environments. The simulator will employ modular development methodology including 3D models, NPC agents, sound assets and simulation code in C++. We see the Unreal engine as integral in this development process given its capacity to design rapid development workflows, output to multiple virtual reality device HMDs and integration of existing psychophysiological recording devices such as EEG, EKG through native plugins and libraries.
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The project draws together our current research and existing publications and utilises leading-edge design methodologies. The team of Libby, James and Oliver represent a truly multi-disciplinary research team with expertise across XR, VR, the future of work, organisational design and behaviour, psychology and neuroscience.
In one project we used the Unreal Engine In a series of experiments to assess the effects of daylight infiltration, openness, and naturalness within rooms on mood and cognition (alertness, sustained attention, working memory and creativity).
The results of this study demonstrated that a view of greenery outside a window, even in VR, can positively impact performance and mental wellbeing.
Cognitive neuroscientist Dr Oliver Baumann uses a combination of human behavioural testing and functional neuroimaging in his research. In a series of pioneering studies, he identified several key regions and mechanisms underlying spatial navigation in humans, which have previously been explored almost exclusively in rodents.
Project outcomes
Assisting employers
Once our research project is complete, we will make the simulation tools available for free.
As organisations become increasingly focused on winning the best talent, they want to give their employees unique and personalised experiences that enhance their culture and brand.
We want to assist in that goal and in democratising the design of the workplace, providing tools that anyone can use to design a better workplace, wherever that workplace may be.
Current industry partnership
Why this project?
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Spaces can make us better
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How spaces can make us better versions of ourselves | Libby Sander | TEDxStHildasSchool Workspaces that are poorly designed affect how we feel, the way we collaborate and what we achieve.
Libby’s TEDx talk discusses the role of space in our work and lives.
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It's time to rethink our workplaces
Libby’s research on open-plan offices on ABC TV’s Catalyst
ABC TV’s CatalystThe monotonous two-by-two cubicles of the open-plan office have been with us since the middle of last century. But new research suggests it may be time to rethink our workplaces.
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Exploring hardware interfaces
Not simply technology acceptance but rather the core of how and why these hardware interfaces assist
View onlineStudies by Dr Birt and The Mixed Reality Research Lab have focused on the pedagogical aspects of immersive virtual reality using both desktop and mobile solutions to assist in education and communication.
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Learning affordances
Learning affordances and spatial retention of knowledge gained are important aspects of these hardware-based solutions
WatchThis is important for OfficeXR as we are moving beyond the simple use of technology to why technology assists in the design understanding within human-scale spatial environments, especially for stakeholders who are not experts in design, spatial construction or immersive virtual reality approaches.
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Workspaces that are poorly designed affect how we feel, the way we collaborate and what we achieve.
Libby’s TEDx talk discusses the role of space in our work and lives.
Libby’s research on open-plan offices on ABC TV’s Catalyst
The monotonous two-by-two cubicles of the open-plan office have been with us since the middle of last century. But new research suggests it may be time to rethink our workplaces.
Not simply technology acceptance but rather the core of how and why these hardware interfaces assist
Studies by Dr Birt and The Mixed Reality Research Lab have focused on the pedagogical aspects of immersive virtual reality using both desktop and mobile solutions to assist in education and communication.
Learning affordances and spatial retention of knowledge gained are important aspects of these hardware-based solutions
This is important for OfficeXR as we are moving beyond the simple use of technology to why technology assists in the design understanding within human-scale spatial environments, especially for stakeholders who are not experts in design, spatial construction or immersive virtual reality approaches.
Education and employment opportunities
Supporting industry is a primary goal of this project.
But equally important are the educational opportunities for the community, and employment of young industry professionals afforded by the project outcomes.
This project will align with the greater goals of Bond University in assisting screen and creative industries within the Queensland employment sector through the Screen Queensland Creative Hub.
Our goal is to employ research assistants and developers from the local Gold Coast community to tap into the incredible talent of current and recent graduates from the region.
Meet the team
Dr James Birt
Dr James Birt is an Associate Professor of Interactive Media and Design in the Faculty of Society and Design.
Faculty of Society & Design
Accepting PhD studentsContact details
View profileAssociate Prof Oliver Baumann
Dr Oliver Baumann is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Faculty of Society and Design.
Faculty of Society & Design
Accepting PhD studentsContact details
View profileDr Libby Sander
Dr Libby Sander is an Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour, teaching at Bond Business School.
Bond Business School
Accepting PhD students