People-Centric Hybrid Workplace Design: Environmental Determinants, Occupant Behavior and Spatial Preferences in Co-Working Environments in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Hybrid work has shifted the workplace from a fixed destination toward a flexible resource expected to support focused work, collaboration, social interaction and recovery. This study examined how indoor environmental quality, spatial configuration and occupant control influence satisfaction, spatial choice and movement in co-working and hybrid workplaces in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria, and translated the findings into a people-centric design framework. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach combined a structured survey of 350 users, semi-structured interviews with 20 participants, behavioral observation and environmental assessment across five facilities. Airflow/ventilation and daylight were the most salient environmental dimensions: airflow quality (β = .341, p < .001) and daylight adequacy (β = .278, p < .001) were the strongest independent predictors of overall satisfaction, while airflow and daylight ranked first and second in spatial-choice priority. More than half of respondents (56.8%) reported changing seats at least once during a workday, commonly to improve concentration, airflow, acoustic conditions or lighting. Mechanical HVAC-only conditioning was reported by 62.3% of respondents, whereas mixed-mode ventilation was reported by 27.7%. Preferences concentrated on mixed hybrid environments (42.3%) and semi-private flexible workspaces (32.0%). The study proposes a seven-pillar people-centric framework integrating bioclimatic airflow, daylight and solar control, spatial and environmental diversity, occupant control, acoustic refuge, biophilic and cultural identity, and smart environmental feedback. The findings support climate-responsive adaptation of global workplace concepts to Nigerian urban contexts