Effective workspace design: imperative in resolving problem of increasing fluidity of knowledge-based academic activities in universities
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Abstract
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Academic workspace is globally witnessing paradigm shift in designs
in the contemporary time. This is as a result of the increasing fluidity of
academic work in recent time and the requests emanating from industries for
commercialisation of research findings. This has prompted the global attempts
to standardize workspace designs particularly in knowledge-based work that
contained many different activities. Benefits outlined in this new designs
underline activity based work environments with outlined space utilisation and
effectiveness. This paper expressed the fact that effectiveness of workers in
universities depends on the adequacy and effectiveness of workspace provided.
Against this background is this compares of the National University
Commission (NUC) workspace standard in Nigeria with the International
standards. This is with a view to improving the existing designs of Nigerian
academic workspace. Data gathered from literature were used as International
Benchmark to compare with the National University Commission (NUC)
Benchmark. These data were analysed using tables. Findings showed that
design of academic workspace in Nigerian universities is both environmentally
and technologically below the contemporary time international requirements.
This paper concludes that the situation of academic workspace design in
Nigerian universities still leaves gap for improvement to meet international
benchmark. It recommends that Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) should
encourage the adoption of minimum standard of academic workspace facilities
that will compare favourably with international standard for better effective
international research collaboration and job performance in universities.
Managers, authorities of universities, academia, facilities managers, real
estate managers, planners, designers, developers and investors in academic
facilities to synergise and develop user-friendly workspace that can flow with
the fluidity of knowledge work in academia.
Keywords
AS Academies and learned societies (General), TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering