Role of office layout typology in saving time and distance spent by users: Case of office buildings in Erbil city

Space organization and space layout in buildings are complex issues in architectural design. People spend most of their lives in offices, yet office buildings still get little attention. This paper examines the potential role of office space typologies in saving distance and time spent by users communicating between these spaces. The study adopts multiple methodologies to scrutinize users' paths and track their movement. Diversity in methodologies provides a deep understanding of how spatial configurations of these spaces affect users' movement. Three office buildings were selected in Erbil city to represent three different office space typologies. The study revealed the effective role of office space typologies in influencing the level of user satisfaction and comfort, concluding that the most influential factors in providing distances and time are circulation patterns, entry and exit locations that require considering function, organizational and administrative structure of building spaces, and balancing between horizontal and vertical accessibility.