Beyond the metrics: The discrepancy between indoor air quality benchmarks, outdoor access, and occupant satisfaction in U.S. office buildings

Well-filtered air, biophilic design, and outdoor terraces are increasingly provided as workplace amenities intended to foster a connection to nature within the confines of urban infrastructure. Yet this mixed-methods study of four urban office spaces in the US Southeast and mid-Atlantic (Atlanta, Charlotte, Durham, and Washington, DC) reveals a persistent disconnect between design strategies and occupant experiences. Despite meeting or exceeding industry standards for ventilation, daylight, greenery, and access to outdoor space, study participants frequently expressed feeling “trapped,” “confined,” or “stuck in a cold box” during the workday, highlighting the gap between technical compliance and sensory satisfaction. Continuous air quality monitoring confirmed that average IAQ index values ranged from 34–50, CO₂ levels averaged 454–557 ppm, and PM₂.₅ concentrations rarely exceeded 15 μg/m³. Nevertheless, behavioral and perceptual data from surveys, interviews, and QR-based tracking revealed limited terrace use and a persistent desire for “fresh air,” environmental variability, and sensory richness. When terraces were used, they functioned primarily as recreational or social spaces rather than work environments, constrained by glare, noise, poor ergonomics, and a lack of supportive infrastructure. These findings demonstrate that technical benchmarks, while necessary, are insufficient to ensure well-being. Instead, more effective workplace strategies must therefore move beyond narrowly defined performance metrics to embrace environmental diversity, occupant perception, and cultivate more porous boundaries between the indoors and nature.