Article

The Role of Interior Design in Enhancing Happiness and

Comfort at Educational Institutions in Saudi Arabia: A Case
Study of Girls’ College of Science and Arts in Mahayel Aseer,
at King Khalid University
Gidaa Alamry

College of Science and Arts in Mahayel Asir, King Khalid University, Al Murabba 63699, Saudi Arabia;
[email protected]; Tel.: +966-539022080

Abstract: The aim of this research was to evaluate how the quality interior design aspects of the staff
office spaces at the Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, affect
their happiness, comfort and performance of their duties, and also proposes a solution based on
the sciences of the relationship between happiness and interior design. The aim was achieved by
carrying out a survey on staff of the college. The participants were selected using a combination of
probabilistic and random sampling. The research found that a good number of staff at the college are
not happy with their work environments. Further analysis indicated that interior design deficiency is
a major cause of unhappiness of staff at the college. The results showed that this may be attributed
to three important aspects of quality interior space furniture: insufficiency of furniture and other
workspace items; lack of aesthetics, functionality, comfort, color and materials (low quality materials)
of furniture and other workspace items; and a lack of sufficient natural lighting being another major
Citation: Alamry, G. The Role of
issue affecting the quality of natural and artificial lighting in some offices at the college. Participants
Interior Design in Enhancing
Happiness and Comfort at
were also not comfortable with some materials used in the interior space. The study recommends that
Educational Institutions in Saudi office spaces should be redesigned to meet the following interior design criteria: appropriateness for
Arabia: A Case Study of Girls’ the workplace (size, lighting and materials); color and decorations (non-dark colors); and appropriate
College of Science and Arts in accessories and tools of work.
Mahayel Aseer, at King Khalid
University. J 2022, 5, 455–469. Keywords: interior design; happiness; comfort; theory of happiness; educational institutions
https://doi.org/10.3390/j5040031

Academic Editor: Derek

Clements-Croome
1. Introduction
Received: 19 August 2022
Happiness and comfort are natural human rights that everyone seeks to have. How-
Accepted: 23 October 2022
ever, the quality of human life (which is directly influenced by a person’s level of happiness
Published: 30 October 2022
and comfort) in educational institutions is significantly affected by the quality of study life
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral (for the students) and/or working life (for the tutors and other workers) [1–3]. Therefore,
with regard to jurisdictional claims in it is important that quality of life in these institutions is enhanced otherwise the level of
published maps and institutional affil- success by both the students and workers may be significantly hampered. This is the focus
iations. of the current research. The research aims to evaluate role of interior design quality in the
quality of workers’ work environment at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid
University, Saudi Arabia.
According to Abouelela [4], there are two types of happiness that a person can expe-
Copyright: © 2022 by the author.
rience, they are: experimental happiness and evaluative happiness. The author defines
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
experimental happiness as the present psychological condition of feeling or having positive
distributed under the terms and
emotions such as love, joy, hope and enthusiasm. In this context, therefore, happiness
conditions of the Creative Commons
means replacing negative feeling with positive feeling. Abouelela [4] further defines evalu-
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// ative happiness as thinking of happiest moments in one’s life. In other texts, happiness is
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ defined as a state of experiencing frequent positive attitude, sense of comfort and satisfac-
4.0/). tion with life as a whole [5–7]. Therefore, in accordance with Ching and Binggeli [8] and

J 2022, 5, 455–469. https://doi.org/10.3390/j5040031 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/j

J 2022, 5 456

Jones [9], happiness is composed of positive attitude, satisfaction and comfort. Happiness
is having a feeling or state of mind that entails satisfaction, comfort, joy, pleasure, and or
contentment. Happiness is further defined as a state of pleasure in one’s mind that has
come as a result of achieving what one considers good or successful [3,10–12].
The feeling of happiness in learning institutions (both the students and the work-
ers) is extremely important as people spend more of their active life (both childhood and
adulthood) in learning institutions as students or as workers (for those whose careers are
within the learning institutions) [3,11,13]. This means that work and schooling time take
up more time than time spent on families, hobbies and friends combined. It is, therefore,
important that happiness and comfort prevail in educational institutions [14,15]. Com-
fort and happiness in these institutions may enhance productivity, creativity, innovation,
flexibility, quality, and customer satisfaction [16]. Additionally, they can reduce work and
study related stress, and occupational diseases. Happy people can more readily solve the
problems they encounter. This is because happiness enhances a positive attitude which
is an essential characteristic in problem solving [5–7,17,18]. Happy individuals tend to
treat people around them and problems they face positively and will always accept what
they are facing, and these characteristics are essential in team building and problem solv-
ing [17,18]. Duari and Sia [19], Abu [20] and Abouelela [4] explained that job happiness is
often reflected in the worker’s daily activities by feeling calm, positive and comfortable
with every activity assigned to them.
Şahin, Yenel [21] and Abouelela [4] describe a work environment as happy when staff
have a positive feeling about the work they do and environment they work in. Abouelela [4]
related work happiness amongst employees in learning institutions and their performance.
The author stated that efficiency of administration at learning institutions such as uni-
versities, colleges and schools depend on the efficient staff and their ability to deliver
on activities assigned to them. With this ability, their performance and success are often
affected by their (employees’) happiness and comfort at their work stations.
Previous studies have shown that happy people (especially employees) are 12% more
productive and enjoy their work than dissatisfied individuals [4–6,17]. Studies also show
that happy employees can stay four times longer in an organization than dissatisfied individ-
uals [4,7,18]. Further according to Walsh, Boehm [7] and Oswald, Proto [17], happy staff tend
to be associated with high performance in job-related activities than unhappy employees.
There are a number of ways through which happiness and comfort in the workplace
can be enhanced. An example is optimum interior design. Research has shown that
interior design of the space can affect people’s feeling and perception about the space and
thus affecting their productivity at the workplace [22–24]. For instance, a cramped and
trapped interior space can affect the productivity and creativity. According to Bangwal
and Tiwari [25] and Hoendervanger, De Been [26] interior design aspects such as color,
lighting, materials, air and sound quality can affect health, happiness, wellness and comfort
of the occupier of the interior space. A high-ceiling interior space can improve creativity,
focus, enhance mood and air quality of the space. This means that the interior design
of an education setting cannot only influence the students, but it can also influence the
productivity of trainers and other staff using the interior space [27,28]. It is therefore
important that interior design associated with educational institutions can inspire teachers,
students and other staff.
Research has shown that meticulous interior design in an educational setting or other
work environments (including other spaces) can have a positive effect on the users of the
space [29–31]. This in turn improves overall mood inside the institution’s environment.
Such an interior design as explained by Alaqeel [32] and Bossaller, Oprean [33] is often
achieved by incorporating social, aesthetic and economic aspects within a space. As such
Caroline [31] state that the interior designers should create spaces that are safe, comfortable,
functional and healthy. By doing so, Celadyn [34], Montiel, Mayoral [35] and Rodríguez-
Ubinas [36] explain that interior designers appreciate the importance of quality of the work
environment for the trainers and other staff and the learning environment for the learners.
J 2022, 5 457

Due to the above benefits of interior design, interior designers should create spaces
whose design go beyond the technical requirements by putting emphasis on the provision
of quality space experience [36–39]. As such, the authors state that this can be achieved by
creating spaces that students and staff interact with, relish, and thrive in.
Rodríguez-Ubinas [36] and Ching and Binggeli [8] explained that interior design in
educational institutions should consider the following elements: air quality, visual appeal,
lighting, acoustics, ventilation, study friendly spaces, and thermal comfort. These are
discussed below.

1.1. Air Quality

Tkachenko and Mileikovskyi [40], Alaithan [29] and Ching and Binggeli [8] state that
because students, teachers and other staff spend a substantial amount of time in the indoors
(in the classes for the students and teachers, and in the office for the teachers and other
staff), the quality of indoor air can have a significant impact on their health. For instance,
poor indoor air quality can cause a wide range of health problems such as shortness of
breath, fatigue, cough, nose irritation, eye irritation, throat irritation, sinus congestion,
and headache [30,32,41]. With these effects, the comfort and productivity of the leaners,
teachers and other staff will be significantly affected [8,40,42,43].

1.2. Student and Staff Friendly Interior Spaces

Abouelela [4], Ching and Binggeli [8] and Bandyopadhyay and George [30] explain
that the quality of interior spaces such as visual appeal, lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort
and ventilation are extremely important in the success of students in the learning institu-
tions. As a result of this, Afacan [44] states that learning institutions should not only offer
aesthetic appeal but also be ergonomically suitable for the students and the staff. In terms of
visual appeal, Hamilton [45] explain that interior spaces such as classrooms and offices and
other places of work should naturally attract staff and the students. Such a space creates
a positive attitude which is very important for student success in their learning process
or performance of teachers and other staff while performing their activities [44,46,47]. In
terms of lighting, Hamilton [45] states that proper light of the interior spaces is essential
as the learners and staff spend most their time indoors. Triatmaja [48] further explained
that lighting of interior spaces helps to enhance the visual appeal. It is because of this
reason that Hussein [46] explained that artificial and natural lighting should be effectively
integrated. The author further stated that integration of the natural and artificial lighting in
a learning institution enhances the quality of activities being carried out the spaces within
the learning institutions. According to Afacan [44], the planning and design of the spaces in
the learning institution (such as classrooms and offices), should take advantage of natural
light. This is such that these spaces should reap the maximum benefit of the natural light
to lower the cost of power in these spaces [14]. By doing this, the author stated that the
sustainability of the spaces will be enhanced [14].
Other than lighting and visual appeal, another important aspect of interior spaces
in learning institutions is acoustics. Montiel and Mayoral [35] explained that an efficient
acoustic design in an institution is one that enhances good student-student communica-
tion, teacher-student communication, teacher-teacher communication, and communication
among other staff members. Such a space will eliminate the need for the students and
teachers to strain in order to be audible.
Ventilation is another important aspect of interior design that is important in educa-
tional institutions. Ventilation determines the quality of air in an interior space as it provides
sufficient air supply, inhibits spread of respiratory diseases, and controls odor [31,36]. It is
for this reason that interior spaces within educational institutions should be properly venti-
lated. Research has also shown that clean ventilated air within spaces improve people’s
alertness and health, thus enhancing their performance. It is for this reason that Afacan [44]
explains that ventilation ducts and openings should oriented and placed in such a manner
that natural flow of air inside the space is enhanced.
J 2022, 5 458

Thermal comfort is crucial element of interior design in educational institutions. The

aim is to ensure that the thermal environment within the spaces in educational institutions
are comfortable [31,36]. A comfortable thermal environment, according to Triatmaja [48],
improves productivity and well-being of the occupant of the space. Important aspects
of interior space thermal comfort are: ventilation, heating, air conditioning, and thermal
barrier [31,36].
From the above literature, it is clear that interior design plays an important role in
happiness, productivity, comfort and performance of both students and staff in educational
institutions. However, the situation at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid
University, Saudi Arabia is not well understood. Are the students and staff at Girls’
College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, really happy and
comfortable with their learning environment (students) and working environment (staff)?
What contribution has interior design of the spaces within the institution made towards
the current performance of employees and students? How can interior design of spaces be
used to enhance in happiness, productivity, comfort and performance of both students and
staff at the institution? The research intends to apply two principles (theoretical principles)
in attempting to improve happiness and comfort of students and staff at Girls’ College
of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, and other institutions around
the world having similar interior design deficiencies. The principles are the science of
happiness and the science of interior design. The principle of interior design defines that
the elements of interior space that can improve quality of internal environment and how
such an environment can enhance comfort and happiness at the educational institutions.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Method
The study aims to evaluate how the quality of interior design aspects of the staff office
spaces at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, affect
their happiness, comfort and performance of their duties at the workplace. The research
also proposes solution to the identified issues based on sciences of the relationship between
happiness and interior design. To achieve these objectives, a quantitative survey was
carried on the staff of King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia (especially those in the Girls’
College of Science and Arts). This involved recruiting 103 participants (n = 123) drawn from
different departments of the Girls’ College of Science and Arts. Both academic and non-
academic staff were involved in the survey provided they had an office which from which
they operated. The recruitment of the participants was carried out using a combination of
probabilistic and random sampling. Probabilistic sampling involved selecting the number
of participants depending on the size of each department (total number of staff in each
department). A weight was then assigned each department depending on the number
of staff (size of the department). This weight was then used to determine the number
of participants from each department. This technique ensured bigger departments had
largest number of participants. The participants from each department were then randomly
selected to participate in the survey as long as they had offices and/or working in an
interior space.
The survey was carried out through a questionnaire which was administered using:
emails, social media platforms, and face to face survey. Face-to-face survey involved
physical distribution of the questionnaires to the participants and giving the participants a
few days to complete the surveys. A follow-up using telephone calls and emails was used
to remind them to participate. Survey questions were also sent to participants via their
emails and social media accounts. Reminders were also sent to these participants.
The questions within the survey questionnaire were structured and were designed to
gather perceptions on the level of agreements with current state of effectiveness of interior
design in enhancing happiness at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire
consisted of 5 level Likert scale questions divided into main five parts depending on
the theme being investigated. Each part had a set of questions and statements that the
J 2022, 5 459

respondent was required to indicate the level of agreement with. Level 1 represented
strongly disagreeing with a statement and level 5 represented strongly agreeing with
a statement.
It is important to note that before the commencement of the survey, ethical approval
forms were obtained from the relevant authorities and distributed to the potential respon-
dents before the date the interview. The consent forms (ethical approval forms) were
distributed to the potential respondents (students and staff at Girls College of Arts at King
Khalid University, Saudi Arabia) via email and other online platforms. Additionally, a plot
study entailing a few friends and students was carried out to ensure that survey questions
are understood and will collect the intended information.
The data were then cleaned, decoded and values recorded in excel software. Outliers
and other data inconsistencies were then removed. Outliers were the responses that did
not answer the questions or the ones that deviated significantly from other responses.
Such responses were not included in the analysis. The data was then subjected to various
statistical analyses depending on theme being investigated. This involved the use of
inferential statistics such as regression analysis. The data was also analyzed by determining
ratios, proportions and percentages. The results are shown in the next section.

2.2. Data Quality Control, Validity and Reliability

In order to ensure that the survey data collected were valid and reliable a number
of control measures were applied. One such measure is detection and elimination of
flatline responses from the data. This involved detection and eliminations responses
from participants who selected the same multiple choice for all the questions. Another
measure involved checking the attention of the participants. Checking the attention of the
participants is critical in ensuring quality of data collected. Only attentive participants are
likely to provide honest answers. Attention checking was applied to eliminate responses
from non-attentive participants. This involved asking the participant to choose a specific
option from the provided multiple choices. Back validation was also applied to check if
participants provided host answers. This involved asking the same question twice.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Influence of Workplace Interior Design on Employees’ Performance
How workplace interior design affects the performance of the staff was examined
by two factors at the workplace: belief in relationship between workplace happiness and
workplace performance, and the relationship between happiness and interior design. These
are represented by questions 2 and 6 of the first part of the questionnaire (Table 1). The
results are shown in Table 1. The results of question 2 indicate that vast majority of the
respondents (58% = 40% + 18%) believe that their happiness at the workplace affects their
performance. A total of 19.2% (6.2% + 13%) of the respondents do not believe that interior
design of the workplace interior spaces affect their performance.
The research data further show that a number of staff (54% = 32% + 22%) at Girls’
College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, believe that design of
interior spaces within their work environment affect their happiness and hence their job
performance. However, 16% (6% + 10%) of the respondents do not believe that interior
design of the workplace interior spaces affects their happiness. A total of 30% of the
respondents chose to be neutral. These results indicate that staff at Girls’ College of Science
and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, believe that, indeed, interior design of
and happiness at the workplace do affect their performance. Therefore, the performance
of these employees can be enhanced by addressing interior design challenges they face.
Addressing these challenges will in turn result into improving the corporate productivity
of College.
J 2022, 5 460

Table 1. The current level of happiness of the staff at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid
University, Saudi Arabia.

The Current Level of Strongly Disagree Neutral Strongly Total

S/No Agree (3)
Happiness of the Staff Disagree (1) (2) (3) Agree (4) Percentage
I am happy with or in my
1 10% 26.50% 53% 6% 4% 100%
work environment
Feeling happy in the work
2 environment helps to 6.20% 13% 23% 40% 18% 100%
improve my productivity
Job happiness is taken
3 12.5% 18.50% 56% 5% 8% 100%
seriously at our office
I know what interior design
4 3% 6% 13% 67% 11% 100%
entails and what it means
Interior design of the work
5 environment matters a lot 4.60% 8% 22% 46% 19% 100%
to me
Interior design of the work
environment affects my
6 10% 6% 30% 32% 22% 100%
happiness while carrying
out duties assigned to me
Interior design of some
7 spaces do not meet my 8% 7% 20% 49% 16% 100%
expectations
Poor interior design is the
likely cause of my
8 6% 5% 40% 35% 14% 100%
unhappiness with my work
environment

These results are consistent with the results of a study that was carried out Abouelela [4]
who found that happiness in the workplace is related with creativity, employee perfor-
mance, positivity and problem solving. The results are also consistent with Oswald [17]
whose study found a positive relationship between workplace happiness and productivity.
Oswald [17] explained that productivity of employees in the workplace can be enhanced
by improving their happiness. These studies also indicated happy employees are 12% more
productive and enjoy their work than dissatisfied individuals.

3.2. Assessing the Level Happiness and Comfort with Space at King Khalid University
The level happiness and comfort of staff at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King
Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, was examined by three factors: happiness of the staff
at the college (question 1); the relationship between poor interior design unhappiness
(question 8); and how serious job happiness is taken at the College (by staff, administration
and students, question. Question 3). The results are shown in Table 1 (question 3). The
results show that a good number of staff at the Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King
Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, are not happy with or at their work environments (Table 1,
question 1). This is because 36.5% (10% + 26.5%) of the respondents do not believe that
they are happy with or at the workplaces. Only 10% (6% + 4%) indicated that they are
happy with their work environment. The results of analysis also show that Job happiness
is not taken very seriously at the Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University,
Saudi Arabia.
In order to determine if this unhappiness is caused by interior design and not some-
thing else, regression analysis was carried out between variable 1 (I am happy with or
in my work environment) as the objective function and Variable 8 (Poor interior design
is the likely cause of my unhappiness with my work environment) as the independent
variable. The results indicated that, indeed, interior design is a major cause of unhappiness
of staff at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The
coefficient, p-value and r-squared values of this relationship were −2.43, 0.043 and 0.34,
J 2022, 5 461

respectively, indicating a statistically significant negative relationship. This result indicates

that the current unhappiness problem felt by the staff, whereby majority of them feel
unhappy, can addressed by improving the interior design of the interior spaces of the staff
work environment.
Previous studies have also related employee happiness and comfort at their work-
places. Şahin, Yenel [21] and Abouelela [4] positively related employee happiness and
positive feeling about the work they do and environment they work in. Duari and Sia [19],
Abu [20] and Abouelela [4] found that job happiness is reflected in the worker’s daily
activities by feeling calm, positive and comfortable with every activity assigned to them.

3.3. Quality of Interior Space Furniture and Items

The quality of interior space furniture and items for staff at Girls’ College of Science
and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, was evaluated using the following: the size
of the interior space; sufficiency of the furniture and other work items and accessories in the
working space; the size of furniture and other work items and accessories in the working
space; aesthetics and functionality of furniture and other work items and accessories in
the working space; the comfort of furniture and other work items and accessories in the
working space (evaluates the ergonomics of the workplace furniture); and operation and
working of furniture and other workplace items and accessories. The results are shown in
Table 2.

Table 2. Results of assessment of the quality of interior space furniture and items.

Quality of Interior Space Strongly Disagree Neutral Strongly Total

S/No Agree (3)
Furniture and Items Disagree (1) (2) (3) Agree (4) Percentage
The interior space of my
work environment is big
1 10% 5% 20% 50% 15% 100%
enough for the type of work
I am doing
Enough furniture and other
workspace items and
2 16% 24% 40% 10% 10% 100%
accessories are available in
the work room
Furniture and other
workspace items and
3 5% 12% 33% 30% 20% 100%
accessories are of the right
size and design
The office furniture and
3 other office are aesthetically 12% 35% 27% 17% 9% 100%
and functionally pleasing
The design of the available
office furniture and other
4 18% 35% 30% 12% 5% 100%
work items make me feel
comfortable
The available furniture and
other workspace items and
5 5% 15% 20% 33% 27% 100%
accessories are in good
working order

The results indicate that most office spaces in Girls’ College of Science and Arts,
King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, lack three important aspects of quality interior
space furniture and tools, they are: sufficiency of furniture and other workspace items
and accessories; aesthetics and functionality of furniture and other workspace items and
accessories; and comfort of furniture and other workspace items and accessories. The
results show that 40% (16% + 24%) believe that their work environment does not have
enough furniture and accessories important to carry out their daily activities. A total of
40% of the participants decided to remain neutral, while 20% (20% + 20%) did believe that
J 2022, 5 462

their work environment have enough furniture and accessories essential to carry out their
tasks while at the workplace. This result indicates that a good number of interior spaces
(especially workspaces such offices) at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid
University do not have enough furniture as well as essential tools items (tools and items
that are needed for the day-to-day work activities). The deficiency of this important interior
design aspect hinders the happiness and performance of staff at Girls’ College of Science
and Arts, King Khalid University.
The results also show that 37% (12% + 35%) believe that furniture and other workplace
items in their offices are not aesthetically pleasing. Only 26% (17% + 9%) believe that
furniture and other workplace items in their offices meet their expectations in terms of
functionality and aesthetics. A total of 27% of the participants decided to remain neutral.
This result indicates aesthetics and functionality of furniture and other workplace items in
a good number of interior spaces (offices) at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid
University do not meet the expectations of the staff, therefore hindering their performance
and happiness at their workplaces.
The results also indicate that at least 53% (18% + 35%) do not believe that furniture
and other workplace items in their offices are comfortable. Only 17% (12% + 5%) believe
that furniture and other workplace items in their offices are comfortable. The remaining
30% of the respondents decided to be neutral. This result indicates most offices at Girls’
College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University do not have comfortable seats which
may hinder their performance at the workplace.
Quality of furniture plays important role in happiness and performance of employees
at the workplace. Therefore, a lack of quality furniture at the institution affects the employ-
ees’ happiness and performance. These results are consistent with Mahmoud [11] who
found that interior design elements such as furniture affect occupants’ psychology and
behavior including their happiness. The results are similar to the Kim [37] who explained
that interior design attributes such as furniture occupants’ positive emotions measured via
bio-signals.

3.4. The Quality of Natural and Artificial Lighting at the Interior Spaces
The quality of natural and artificial Lighting at the interior spaces (especially offices)
at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia was examined
based 6 factors, they are: availability of natural source lighting in the offices or workplace;
the sufficiency or adequateness of the natural light at the workplaces (interior spaces); the
appropriateness of current lighting (artificial and natural) in the office interior spaces; the
opaqueness of vertical partitions (walls) of the office; the privacy of the interior spaces
(offices); preference to work in an open-plan office with eye contact with colleagues. The
results of evaluating quality of natural and artificial lighting at the interior spaces (especially
offices) at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, are
shown in Table 3.
The research identified one of the major issues affecting the quality of natural and
artificial lighting in some offices at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid Uni-
versity, Saudi Arabia. The issue is a lack of sufficient natural lighting. The results indicate
that despite the fact that there are some natural lights in office spaces (supported by 50%
(19% + 31%)), a significant number of respondents believe that the amount of natural light
in their offices is still insufficient. This was supported by 57% (36% + 2%), as shown in
question 2 in Table 3.
J 2022, 5 463

Table 3. Assessment of the quality of natural and artificial lighting at the interior spaces.

The Quality of Natural

Strongly Disagree Neutral Strongly Total
S/No and Artificial Lighting at Agree (3)
Disagree (1) (2) (3) Agree (4) Percentage
the Interior Spaces
There is a source of natural
1 lighting in my office or 35% 6% 9% 19% 31% 100%
workplace
The natural light in my
2 36% 21% 11% 2% 32% 100%
office is sufficient
The current lighting in the
3 office is commensurate with 11% 7% 14% 32% 37% 100%
the interior space
I prefer vertical partitions
4 (walls) for the office to be 11% 11% 9% 25% 46% 100%
solid (opaque)
My office interior design
5 11% 7% 11% 23% 49% 100%
make me feel private
I prefer to working in an
6 open-plan office with eye 44% 16% 12% 16% 12% 100%
contact with colleagues

On the positive side, the results indicated that most of the offices at Girls’ College
of Science and Arts of King Khalid University enhance privacy of workers, and that
is one of the most important things to them. In this regard, 72% (23% + 49%) of the
participants believe that their offices make them feel private while undertaking their
activities. Additionally, 71% (25% + 46%) indicated that they prefer opaque (solid) vertical
partitions (walls) in their offices to enhance their privacy. A total of 60% (16% + 44%) do not
like working in an open-plan office with eye contact with colleagues. It may, therefore, be
said that privacy of offices at Girls’ College of Science and Arts of King Khalid University
has been enhanced by availability of many office spaces with private opaque (solid) vertical
partitions (walls) as opposed to open-plan office space. It is therefore recommended that
office spaces that are open (with eye contact amongst the employees) be modified by
installing vertical opaque walls to enhance privacy.
The results also indicated that the current lighting system in the office spaces is com-
mensurate with the interior space. This is supported by 69% (32 + 37%) of the respondents
who believed that the current lighting in their office commensurate with the interior space.
A total of 18% (11% + 7%) of the respondents did not believe that the current lighting in
their office commensurate with the interior space.
Research has shown that the quality of lighting of an interior space is important in
the performance of employees while carrying out their duties. Studies by Bangwal and
Tiwari [25], Hoendervanger and De Been [26] interior design found that lighting of an
interior space can affect health, happiness, wellness and comfort of the occupier of the
interior space. Afacan [44] explained that since workers and learners at learning institutions
spend most of their time indoors, the quality of light in interior spaces of buildings in these
institutions should be sufficient. Afacan [44] further explained that planning and design
of the spaces in the learning institution should take advantage of natural light in order to
enhance sustainability of the institutions.

3.5. Evaluation of the Quality Interior Office Space Materials and Color
The quality of colors associated with office spaces at Girls’ College of Science and Arts,
King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia was evaluated using the following criteria: how color
affects emotions of the occupant; the comfort of the occupant with the materials used in the
interior design elements (such as floors, walls, ceiling) of my office space; the comfort and
attitude of the occupant with colors interior design elements of my office or workspace; the
effect of the interior design elements color on the occupant in feeling lethargic and lazy.
J 2022, 5 464

The results of this evaluation are shown in Table 4. These results indicate that major
concern by the staff at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University with
regards to quality interior office space materials and color are: color of the office furniture,
and the color distribution in office elements (wall, floor and color) which most participants
believe makes them feel lethargic and lazy. From the results (Table 4), it is observed that
color used in the furniture and other items in the office does raise the emotions of the
occupant, making them feel disturbed and stressed. This is supported by 67% (25% + 42%)
of the respondents who believe that color used of the office furniture and other items in
the office does raise the emotions of the occupant making the feel disturbed and stressed.
A total of 20% (11% + 9%) of the participants do not believe that color used of the office
furniture and other items in the office may raise their emotions making the feel disturbed
and stressed. The rest of the participants preferred to remain neutral with the effect of the
office furniture color on their emotions.

Table 4. Assessment of the quality of interior space materials and colors.

Quality of Interior Space Strongly Disagree Neutral Strongly Total

S/No Agree (3)
Materials and Colors Disagree (1) (2) (3) Agree (4) Percentage
Colors used in the furniture
items raise my emotions
1 42% 25% 14% 9% 11% 100%
(makes me feel a little bit
disturbed)
I am comfortable with the
materials used in the
2 interior design elements 11% 14% 21% 37% 18% 100%
(such as floors, walls,
ceiling) of my office space
I am comfortable with and
positive about the colors
interior design elements
3 16% 16% 16% 39% 14% 100%
(such as floors, walls,
ceiling) of my office or
workspace
The colors in office make me
4 39% 19% 37% 7% 14% 100%
feel lethargic and lazy

It is also observed that 58% (39% + 19%) of the respondents believe that color distribu-
tion in office interior design elements such as walls, floor and ceiling at Girls’ College of
Science and Arts of King Khalid University make them feel lethargic and lazy. A total of
20% (11% + 9%) of the participants, on the other hand, do not believe in the same. The rest
of the participants 37% preferred not to take sides (either believing or not believing that
color distribution in office interior design elements make them feel lethargic and lazy.
Even though the research identified two major concerns with quality interior office
space materials and color (occupiers not being comfortable with the color of the office
furniture, and the color distribution in office elements (wall, floor and color), the staff
tended to be comfortable with the materials used in the interior design elements (such as
floors, walls, ceiling) of Girls’ College of Science and Arts of King Khalid University office
spaces. This is supported by 59% (3% + 18%) of the participants, who believed in the same,
while 25% did not believe in the same. The rest of the participants 21% preferred to be
neutral. This means that materials used in the walls, roofs, and ceiling of office spaces at
Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, are relatively high
quality and hence there is a high acceptance by the occupiers of these spaces.
From the above results, it is obvious that interior design attributes such as material
quality and color affects happiness of employees at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King
Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. These results consistent with Mahmoud [11] Kim [37].
Mahmoud [11] explained that interior design elements such as furniture affect occupants’
J 2022, 5 465

psychology and behavior, and hence their happiness. Kim [37] who explained that interior
design attributes such as furniture occupants’ positive emotions. Such positive emotions or
negative emotions can be portrayed by employees’ happiness at the workplace.

4. Suggested Solutions and Recommendation

4.1. Recommendations
The aim of this research was to evaluate how interior design aspects of the staff office
spaces at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, affect
their happiness, comfort and performance of their duties at the workplace proposing
solution based on sciences of the relationship between happiness and interior design.
This involved evaluation of the: influence of workplace interior design on employees’
performance from the point of view of staff of Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King
Khalid University, Saudi Arabia; the level happiness and comfort with space at King Khalid
University; the quality of interior space furniture and items; the quality of natural and
artificial lighting at the interior spaces; and the quality interior office space materials and
color. The research found that most of the staff at the Girls’ College of Science and Arts,
King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, do understand that workplace interior design may
affect employees’ performance. The study also has found that a good number of staff at the
Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, are not happy
with or at their work environments. It also found that interior design is one of the major
causes of unhappiness of staff at the college. The results also showed that most office
spaces in Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, lack
three important aspects of quality interior space furniture and tools, they are: sufficiency
of furniture and other workspace items and accessories; aesthetics and functionality of
furniture and other workspace items and accessories; and comfort of furniture and other
workspace items and accessories. The results of the study also identified lack of sufficient
natural lighting as one of the major issues affecting the quality of natural and artificial
lighting in some offices at Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi
Arabia. The study also identified two major concerns with quality interior office space
materials and color (occupiers not being comfortable with the color of the office furniture,
and the color distribution in office elements (wall, floor and color), the staff tended to be
comfortable with the materials used in the interior design elements (such as floors, walls,
ceiling) of Girls’ College of Science and Arts of King Khalid University office spaces.
To address the above identified concerns, and hence enhance the happiness and
comfort of staff at workplaces, the office spaces at Girls’ College of Science and Arts,
King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, should be redesigned to meet the following interior
design criteria:
• Appropriateness for the work: The interior space should appropriate for the nature of
work or activity to be carried it in the room. This should be in terms of its location, size,
type of furniture, ventilation, the number of occupants, and many other components.
An interior that is too small or too big for the type of work or number of occupants,
does not have appropriate furniture, is not well lit for the type of work, and is poorly
located (for instance in a noisy environment), is considered inappropriate for the
intended work;
• Adoption of designs that enhance natural lighting of interior space. One of the
major problems facing College’s interior spaces is lack of sufficient natural light. To
enhance natural light received by the spaces, it is recommended that designs that allow
maximum light such as big windows should be adopted. It is, however, important to
note that these windows should not face North-South direction as maximum radiation
is found in that direction. The windows should be located on the East-West direction
of the buildings where maximum shadow is experienced. This ensures that the large
windows do not let in sun’s radiation which may end up heating the spaces;
• Color and decorations: Another aspect of an interior space is the color and decorations
for the various parts of the space (floor, ceilings and walls). The color and decoration
J 2022, 5 466

should be suitable for intended occupants of the room. Aspects such as color tem-
perature and type enhance the comfort and happiness of the occupants of a space.
It is recommended that dull and dark colors be avoided in educational institutions.
Material used in the flooring should depend on the use and occupier of the space. For
instance, a manager’s office floor should be made of wooden floors or premium tiles
and materials, and quality carpets. Such aspects help enhance the importance of the
occupier in an organization. If the room is a classroom, then the floor should be made
of a long-lasting material and material that is resistance to inks, paints and scratches
and is difficult to break once installed. Such a material is ceramic tile. The color of
such tiles should not be dull nor dark. They should be bright yet easy to clean. The
color of walls should also be bright as dark ones affect the morale of the occupiers
(employees) which in turn affect their performance at the workspace;
• Accessories and tools of work: An interior space should have all the accessories and
tools the occupier needs to accomplish their work. For instance, it it’s a classroom,
it should have seats, projectors, white boards or projectors, power sockets and other
important accessories. If the interior space is an office, it should have portfolios,
office sets, artboards, office telephones, lampshades, vases curtains, desks, and other
important office accessories.
• The sense of space: One of problems identified by participants is lack of connection
between space and occupiers of the space. The participants felt that spaces are cramped
and noncomfortable despite being big. The sense of space of an interior design
especially at the learning institutions, according to Bangwal and Tiwari [25] and
Hoendervanger, De Been [26], can be enhanced through high ceilings. These high
ceilings make an interior space elegant, luxurious, fascinating and opens up the space
giving it sense of belonging and welcoming. According to Bangwal and Tiwari [25]
and Hoendervanger, De Been [26], these types of spaces improve creativity, focus,
enhance mood and air quality of the space. In warmer climates such as Saudi Arabia,
high ceilings also make interior spaces cooler, thus making them energy efficient.
Additionally, the sense of space created by high ceiling makes occupiers never feel
cramped or cooped as is the case of low ceiled spaces (especially if the room is small
in size). Further as discussed by Bangwal and Tiwari [25], a high ceiling gives interior
space versatility allowing for variety of interior décor ideas. For instance, one can
go traditional with pendant lights, add beams to give space a rustic look, go modern
or contemporary, install antique chandeliers to give the space a sense of old-world
(traditional) feel. Therefore, it is recommended that new buildings within Girls’
College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University especially those associated with
large spaces such as common lecturer rooms, assembly halls, social halls, entertainment
halls, and classes be equipped with high roof;
• Nature and biophilic design and view out: Another way through which interior spaces
can be enhanced at the college is by embracing nature as biophilic design in interior
spaces such as library and offices. Such a design is recommended to embrace large
facades made of transparent materials and large windows. This will allow people feel
part and parcel of nature as well as enhance space view out (the occupiers of space
will be able to enjoy external views while undertaking their office work). Additionally,
such facades should be designed in such a way that they enhance cooling of the
interior spaces. Visible exterior space should have representation of Saudi Arabia’s
natural features and/or properly landscaped to enhance natural feeling of the interior
space occupiers;
• Space management: Another way of enhancing interior space at the college is through
space management. This involves managing an organization’s space to so as to
enhance its optimal use. This is often carried out by a professional in interior design.
The importance of interior space management are as follows: first, it makes space
more functional. For instance, boardrooms, furniture and cafeteria must be functional.
Placing these facilities may affect the functionality of workplace and even make it
J 2022, 5 467

difficult to for employees to work effectively. Secondly, it makes interior space more
comfortable [48]. Interior space comfort is measured based on two needs or criteria:
psychological needs and physiological needs. The details about these needs are
summarized in Table 5. Professional interior designers make spaces more comfortable
by choosing the right future, walling materials, ceiling materials and other space
fixtures. Therefore, it is recommended that whenever any new building is being put
up at the college, the services of a professional interior design is sort after.

Table 5. The comfort criteria that interior space (office or classroom or any other space) needs to
meet [4].

S/No Psychological Needs Physiological Needs

1. Personal space Indoor air quality
2. Friendship Acoustic comfort
3. Telecommunications Ergonomics
4. Privacy Thermal comfort
5. Physical space Optical comfort

It is important to note that the methods and recommendations of this research are also
applicable to institutions around the world facing similar interior design problems and
happiness related issues.

4.2. Limitations and Recommendations for Further Studies

The main limitation of this research is the sample location. Even though different
departments were involved in the survey, the research was located at Girls’ College of
Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. This means that results of the study
are specific to the institution and cannot be used to generalize the entire Saudi Arabia’s
education sector or industrial sector. It is, therefore, recommended that future studies may
consider other institutions within the country. This will provide a true picture of the state
country’s education sector relation to happiness and interior design.

5. Conclusions
Interior design plays an important role in happiness, productivity, comfort and perfor-
mance of staff in educational institutions. However, the situation at Girls’ College of Science
and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, is not well understood. Are the staff at
Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, really happy and
comfortable with their learning environment (students) and working environment (staff)?
What contribution has interior design of the spaces within the institution made towards the
current performance of employees? How can interior design of spaces be used to enhance
in happiness, productivity, comfort and performance of both staff at the institution? The
results show that a good number of staff at the Girls’ College of Science and Arts, King
Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, are not happy with or at their work environments. Further
analysis indicated that interior design is one of the major causes of unhappiness of staff
at the college. The results also showed that most office spaces in Girls’ College of Science
and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, lack three important aspects of quality
interior space furniture and tools, they are: sufficiency of furniture and other workspace
items and accessories; aesthetics and functionality of furniture and other workspace items
and accessories; and comfort of furniture and other workspace items and accessories. The
study also found that also identified lack of sufficient natural lighting as one of the major
issues affecting the quality of natural and artificial lighting in some offices at Girls’ College
of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The study also identified two
major concerns with the quality interior office space materials and color (occupiers not
being comfortable with the color of the office furniture, and the color distribution in office
elements (wall, floor and color), the staff tended to be comfortable with the materials used
J 2022, 5 468

in the interior design elements (such as floors, walls, ceiling) of Girls’ College of Science
and Arts of King Khalid University office spaces.
The following recommendations are made to improve happiness through interior
design at the college: extra furniture should be acquired to fill up the gap. The ergonomics
of the existing furniture and other workplace equipment should be improved or new
ones should be ergonomically compliant. The aesthetics of these equipment should also
be improved. These office spaces should be redesigned to meet the following interior
design criteria: appropriateness for the workplace (size, lighting and materials); color and
decorations (non-dark colors; and appropriate accessories and tools of work (appropri-
ate furniture).

Funding: This research received no external funding.

Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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