What Science Says About Where You Work

We spend a lot of time thinking about what we need to get work done: a laptop, Wi-Fi, coffee, a good to-do list.

But what about where we work?

It turns out your surroundings may be doing more than setting the scene for your workday. Research suggests that your physical environment, the amount of noise around you, your access to other people, and even the ability to choose where and how you work can influence productivity, focus, engagement and overall well-being.

Here are a few things science has discovered about the places where we work.

1. Where You Work Can Affect Your Productivity

A 2025 study compared remote workers on days they worked from home with days they worked from a community-based coworking space. Researchers found that coworking was associated with higher reported productivity, work engagement and well-being.

The takeaway isn't necessarily that everyone needs to stop working from home. It's that flexibility may work best when we have more than one option.

Some days, home is perfect. Other days, getting dressed, leaving the house and walking into a space specifically designed for work can make a noticeable difference.

2. The People Around You Matter

You don't necessarily have to work with someone to benefit from working around someone.

Research into coworking spaces has found that social interactions and the coworking environment can positively influence perceived productivity. Other research has found that coworking environments can provide meaningful social support for independent professionals.

That quick conversation while grabbing coffee might seem insignificant, but human interaction can be an important part of the workday, especially for people who otherwise work independently.

Sometimes you need collaboration.

Sometimes you need conversation.

And sometimes it's simply nice to know you're not the only person working on a Tuesday afternoon.

3. Noise Really Can Distract You

If you've ever tried to finish something important while someone nearby is having a loud conversation, you probably don't need science to convince you.

But there is science.

In one office study, 99% of the 88 employees surveyed reported that components of office noise impaired their concentration, with background conversations and ringing phones among the biggest distractions.

More recent experimental research has also found measurable productivity effects from noise. A 2024 study found that a 7-decibel increase in workplace noise reduced productivity by about 3% in the setting studied and impaired cognitive function.

This is why a good workspace isn't just about looking nice. It needs different environments for different types of work: places to collaborate, places to take calls and places to concentrate.

4. Light Is More Important Than You Might Think

Lighting isn't just an aesthetic decision.

Research has connected daylight and nature-adapted lighting with factors including alertness, well-being and our circadian rhythms.

A 2025 controlled experiment went even further, comparing real windows, artificial windows designed to mimic natural light and views, and no windows. Researchers found differences in attention, short-term memory, creativity and perceived work efficiency depending on the environment.

In other words, the physical details of a workspace aren't necessarily just decoration. They can affect how it feels to spend hours working there.

5. One Workspace Doesn't Work for Every Task

Here's where things get particularly interesting.

The 2025 coworking study found that while coworking generally produced better outcomes than working from home among its participants, the effects of having other people nearby and collaborating with them varied depending on what the person was doing.

That makes sense.

The environment you want when you're answering emails isn't necessarily the environment you want for a confidential call, a brainstorming session or two hours of uninterrupted work.

A well-designed workspace gives you choices.

6. Coworking Is About More Than a Desk

A review of research on coworking spaces examined studies covering worker performance, mental health and physical health. Researchers identified both physical factors, such as layout, technology and location, and psychosocial factors, such as social interaction, community and knowledge sharing, as relevant to the coworking experience. Overall, the review found more positive than negative relationships between coworking environmental factors and worker outcomes, while also noting that thoughtful design matters.

And that's an important distinction.

A workspace isn't valuable simply because it contains desks and Wi-Fi.

It's the combination of the environment, the people, the flexibility and the ability to choose how you want to work that can make it valuable.

Maybe Your Workspace Deserves More Thought

We carefully choose our computers. We download productivity apps. We organize our calendars. We buy better headphones. We experiment with routines designed to help us get more done.

But sometimes we overlook one of the biggest things surrounding us all day: our environment.

At Folio, we didn't need research to tell us that environment matters, but it's nice when the science agrees.

Folio Offices was designed to give you options throughout your workday, from open seating and private offices to conference rooms and spaces for calls, along with the simple benefit of working around a community of people who are getting things done too.

Maybe the next productivity hack isn't another app.

Maybe it's finding the right place to work.