With the cities of the world grappling with the ever-increasing challenge of land
scarcity, sustainable solutions such as Underground Workplaces (UW) have been getting
renewed interest. However, considering the hefty investments that will go into building
UW and since the success of this solution relies on the wellbeing of the people who
are to occupy it, there is a need to examine existing UW from a human factor point
of view. In this paper, we present an analysis of how design factors in UW affect
the attitudes and social behavior of employees and how these perceptions and attitudes
towards the workplace vary across different work types. According to our analysis
organic elements, art, architecture and lighting affect social behavior and attitudes.
These factors can be manipulated according to the type of work and environment in
a way that is in line with company values. The paper also attempts to create a framework
for how the significance of the work environment varies with the type of work and
workplaces.
