Enhancing the experience of visitors in the office can make a positive impression and create a welcoming environment.
Here are 6 ways to improve the experience of your windowless office:
1. Have a desk plant
Bringing in some greenery can help make your office feel more natural and less sterile. Desk plants help to make your work space look more vibrant. Not only that, some desk plants (eg snake plants or english ivy) also have purifying properties. These plants can help purify the air by absorbing toxins through the leaves and producing pure oxygen.
2. Picture of nature
Sometimes during work, it is nice to look out of the window every now and then to rest our eyes. However, if your office does not have any windows, having a picture of nature on your desk can be the focal point for you to rest your eyes on whenever you need a break from your computer screen. It can also create a sense of inspiration and creativity, especially when you choose artwork that speaks to you and reflects your personality.
3. Bright Lighting
If you find that your windowless office space is affecting your mood, perhaps it could be because you are not getting enough sunlight (which is essential for human health and well-being.).
The right lighting can make a big difference in how your office feels. Try to use bright, white lights to mimic natural light as much as possible. You can also use task lighting to help create a warm, inviting atmosphere. You can also consider getting a circadian light, as studies have shown that circadian light emit out the same benefits as actual sunlight.
When it comes to lighting for your windowless space, it is actually quite simple to calculate – all you need to do is to determine the amount of foot candles, lumens and wattage you need for your space.
Do ‘Foot candles’, ‘Lumens’ and ‘Wattage’ sound foreign? If you are seeing these words for the first time, it is highly likely thats you will find these terms foreign.
Foot Candles: For the Krowme office, the first step that we did to determine the amount of lighting required for our space was to identify the amount of foot candles for each space. There is no practical physical way to calculate foot candles but as a rule of thumb, foot candles are based on the light intensity you want for your space. For example, a study room or work area will require more lumens than a bedroom or even a living room.
The table below shows how we planned the foot candles for each zone in the Krowme Office:
| Room | Foot Candles Required |
| Meeting Room | 50 |
| Sales Room | 50 |
| Pantry | 40 |
| Entrance 2 | 45 |
| Entrance 1 (at door) | 40 |
| Passageway outside toilet | 50 |
| Toilet | 60 |
| Boss room | 50 |
| Main Passageway | 40 |
| Main Staff Area 3 (4 strip lights) | 50 |
| Main Staff Area 3 (4 strip lights) | 50 |
| Main Staff Area 1 (2 strip lights) | 50 |
| Main Staff Area 1 (2 strip lights) | 50 |
| Main Staff Area 2 (2 strip lights) | 50 |
| Server Room | 70 |
| Main Staff Area 4 (3 pendant lights outside server room) | 50 |
| Main Staff Area 5 (2 pendant lights outside boss room) | 50 |
Lumens: In simple terms, Lumens (denoted by lm) are a measure of the total amount of visible light (to the human eye) from a lamp or light source. Once you have identified the amount of foot candles for each space AND also measured out the dimensions for each space, you can now easily calculate the amount of lumens required for each space.
Here is a table that shows how we calculated the amount of lumens required for the various zones in the Krowme office.
| Room | Room Size | Room Size (rounded up in feet) | Room size in sqft | Foot Candles Required | Lumens required (for 2.4m ceiling height) |
| Meeting Room | 2377.0624*3333.0128mm | 7.799*10.935 feet | 85.282065 | 50 | 4264.10325 |
| Sales Room | 5402.5*3410.89mm | 17.725*11.19 feet | 198.34275 | 50 | 9917.1375 |
| Pantry | 2977.8173*2620.8235mm | 9.769*8.598 feet | 83.993862 | 40 | 3359.75448 |
| Entrance 2 | 2675*2682.1913mm | 8.612*8.8 feet | 75.7856 | 45 | 3410.352 |
| Entrance 1 (at door) | 1180*950mm | 8.776*3.1158 feet | 12.0612618 | 40 | 482.450472 |
| Passageway outside toilet | 1104.4947*2899.5624mm | 3.623*9.513 feet | 34.465599 | 50 | 1723.27995 |
| Toilet | 1416.3089*2800.2083mm | 4.647*9.187 feet | 42.691989 | 60 | 2561.51934 |
| Boss room | 2652.2mm*2102.24+(1794*1993)/2 | 8.7*6.897+5.886*6.54/2 | 79.25112 | 50 | 3962.556 |
| Main Passageway | 3286.9658*1379.9938mm | 10.784*4.527 | 48.819168 | 40 | 1952.76672 |
| Main Staff Area 3 (4 strip lights) | 2069.6965*6979.1848mm | 6.79*22.897 feet | 155.47063 | 50 | 7773.5315 |
| Main Staff Area 3 (4 strip lights) | 1664.6965*6979.1848mm | 5.4616*22.897 feet | 125.0542552 | 50 | 6252.71276 |
| Main Staff Area 1 (2 strip lights) | 4215.3035*1500mm | 12.5*4.92feet | 61.5 | 50 | 3075 |
| Main Staff Area 1 (2 strip lights) | 4215.3035*2000mm | 12.5*11.19feet | 139.875 | 50 | 6993.75 |
| Main Staff Area 2 (2 strip lights) | 4215.3035*2000mm | 12.5*11.19feet | 139.875 | 50 | 6993.75 |
| Server Room | 1272*1455mm | 4.17*4.77 feet | 19.8909 | 70 | 1392.363 |
| Main Staff Area 4 (3 pendant lights outside server room) | (870.1726*2549.7873mm)+(2563.2221*2549.7873)/2 | 2.8549*8.365+8.409*8.365/2 | 59.051881 | 50 | 2952.59405 |
| Main Staff Area 5 (2 pendant lights outside boss room) | (2197.6379*1930.6005)/2+(887.0127*1285.777)/2+1310.6252*1285.777 | (7.21*6.334)/2+(2.91*4.218)/2+(4.3*4.218) | 47.10866 | 50 | 2355.433 |
Now that we have identified the amount of lumens required for each zone, it is time to determine the amount of wattage required. In simple terms, Wattage refers to the amount of electricity used by a light bulb to release the lumens required. LED light bulbs and incandescent light bulbs are some of the most common types of light bulbs out there. LEDs are generally about 7 times more efficient at producing light than incandescent bulbs. A LED bulb uses only 2.5 watts to produce a light output of 115 lumen. As for incandescent bulbs, the amount of wattage used is estimated to be 7 times more than a LED light bulb to produce the same amount of lumens. Incandescent light bulbs are also known to get hotter much faster as compared to LED light bulbs. Therefore, I highly recommend that you get LED light bulbs if you want something more cost efficient and durable.
The following table shows how we calculated the amount of LED Wattage required based on this calculation: Total Lumens/115 Lumens* 2.5 Watts (As mentioned in the above paragraph, a LED bulb uses only 2.5 watts to produce a light output of 115 lumen)
| Room | Room Size | Room Size (rounded up in feet) | Room size in sqft | Foot Candles Required | Lumens required (for 2.4 ceiling height) | Room Size (rounded up in feet) |
| Meeting Room | 2377.0624*3333.0128mm | 7.799*10.935 feet | 85.282065 | 50 | 4264.10325 | 92.69789674 |
| Sales Room | 5402.5*3410.89mm | 17.725*11.19 feet | 198.34275 | 50 | 9917.1375 | 215.5899457 |
| Pantry | 2977.8173*2620.8235mm | 9.769*8.598 feet | 83.993862 | 40 | 3359.75448 | 73.03814087 |
| Entrance 2 | 2675*2682.1913mm | 8.612*8.8 feet | 75.7856 | 45 | 3410.352 | 74.13808696 |
| Entrance 1 (at door) | 1180*950mm | 8.776*3.1158 feet | 12.0612618 | 40 | 482.450472 | 10.48805374 |
| Passageway outside toilet | 1104.4947*2899.5624mm | 3.623*9.513 feet | 34.465599 | 50 | 1723.27995 | 37.46260761 |
| Toilet | 1416.3089*2800.2083mm | 4.647*9.187 feet | 42.691989 | 60 | 2561.51934 | 55.68520304 |
| Boss room | 2652.2mm*2102.24+(1794*1993)/2 | 8.7*6.897+5.886*6.54/2 | 79.25112 | 50 | 3962.556 | 86.14252174 |
| Main Passageway | 3286.9658*1379.9938mm | 10.784*4.527 | 48.819168 | 40 | 1952.76672 | 42.45145043 |
| Main Staff Area 3 (4 strip lights) | 2069.6965*6979.1848mm | 6.79*22.897 feet | 155.47063 | 50 | 7773.5315 | 168.9898152 |
| Main Staff Area 3 (4 strip lights) | 1664.6965*6979.1848mm | 5.4616*22.897 feet | 125.0542552 | 50 | 6252.71276 | 135.9285383 |
| Main Staff Area 1 (2 strip lights) | 4215.3035*1500mm | 12.5*4.92feet | 61.5 | 50 | 3075 | 66.84782609 |
| Main Staff Area 1 (2 strip lights) | 4215.3035*2000mm | 12.5*11.19feet | 139.875 | 50 | 6993.75 | 152.0380435 |
| Main Staff Area 2 (2 strip lights) | 4215.3035*2000mm | 12.5*11.19feet | 139.875 | 50 | 6993.75 | 152.0380435 |
| Server Room | 1272*1455mm | 4.17*4.77 feet | 19.8909 | 70 | 1392.363 | 30.26876087 |
| Main Staff Area 4 (3 pendant lights outside server room) | (870.1726*2549.7873mm)+(2563.2221*2549.7873)/2 | 2.8549*8.365+8.409*8.365/2 | 59.051881 | 50 | 2952.59405 | 64.18682717 |
| Main Staff Area 5 (2 pendant lights outside boss room) | (2197.6379*1930.6005)/2+(887.0127*1285.777)/2+1310.6252*1285.777 | (7.21*6.334)/2+(2.91*4.218)/2+(4.3*4.218) | 47.10866 | 50 | 2355.433 | 51.20506522 |
I hope that this has been useful in helping you determine that sort of lightbulbs to get for your space! If the amount of light in your office is less than ideal, you can consider getting a desk lamp or even a circadian light to ensure that you have enough lighting in your space.
4. Listen to music
When you are feeling too unfocused, bored, or uninspired during a work day, play some music to lift your spirits up. Feeling uninspired? Spend 10 minutes or so listening to music that makes you feel pumped. Feeling unfocused? Play classical music as you work. Studies have shown that listening to classical music can help boost concentration and self-discipline.
5. Have a tidy desk
It can be easy to get even more overwhelmed or distracted if you have too many things on your desk. When you declutter your space, you also declutter your mind. Having a clean, tidy desk keeps you focused on your tasks and reduces distraction + procrastination.
6. Choose the right colors
The colors around you in your workspace can have an impact on your mood and productivity. In a windowless office, pick warm, neutral colours that can make you feel alert, give you better focus but are yet not too overwhelming. Consider painting the walls a cheerful color, like yellow or green. Bright colors can help boost your mood and create a more welcoming environment.
In addition to the 6 points mentioned above, If possible, take breaks outside during the day. Getting some fresh air and sunlight can help improve your mood and energy levels.
Overall, making a windowless office less depressing requires some creativity and effort, but implementing these tips can make a significant difference in your work environment.
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