Civil Engineering and Architecture Vol. 9(3), pp. 915 - 931
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2021.090334
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Saudi Residences' Adaptability: How Employees Worked from Home during COVID-19 Lockdowns

Jamil Hijazi ¹, Douha Attiah ^2,*
1 College of Architecture and Planning, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
² College of Human Sciences and Design, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most employees in Saudi Arabia were asked to work from home. This study investigated the extent to which the indoor spaces of Saudi homes were adaptable to the concept of 'working from home' and how employees managed to work productively. A questionnaire survey was conducted among Saudi employees to gather data on their normal workplaces, home workspace designs, and work productivity. The results show that 42% of participants work in the living room, only 42% used an office desk and chair, 38% did not use any specific furniture, and 46% used mood enhancers (the addition of personalised elements to their work setup) to help them adapt better to working from home. Altogether, 63% of the participants indicated that they were satisfied with their productivity levels. Based on cross-sectional trends identified in our analyses, this paper makes recommendations for how employees who have to work from home can adapt quicker to the new situation. This includes recommendations for minor changes to existing home designs rather than rezoning or restructuring the home layout.

KEYWORDS
Pandemic, Lockdown, Working from Home, Home Design, Work Furniture, Work Productivity

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Jamil Hijazi , Douha Attiah , "Saudi Residences' Adaptability: How Employees Worked from Home during COVID-19 Lockdowns," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 915 - 931, 2021. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2021.090334.

(b). APA Format:
Jamil Hijazi , Douha Attiah (2021). Saudi Residences' Adaptability: How Employees Worked from Home during COVID-19 Lockdowns. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 9(3), 915 - 931. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2021.090334.