Researchers are inviting people working in the architecture industry to participate in a survey about the impact of work cultures on their wellbeing.
The survey is part of a longitudinal study undertaken by Monash University academics Naomi Stead, Julie Wolfram Cox, Maryam Gusheh and Brian Cooper, and Kirsten Orr, Registrar of the NSW Architects Registration Board.
The group received funding from the Australian Research Council in May 2020 to investigate the work-related wellbeing of architects and architecture students.
It is the first major study to use interdisciplinary, qualitative and quantitative methods to address the question of how workplace cultures and professional identity affect subjective wellbeing in architecture.
“For some years, there has been a strong shared perception, and growing anecdotal evidence, of a challenging work environment and high levels of stress and anxiety among architectural practitioners and students alike,” wrote Naomi Stead and Maryam Gusheh in an essay published in Architecture Australia.
“Individuals at every level of the profession, from recent graduates to senior leaders and academics, have their own stories to tell: of practitioners and students pushed to the brink, with mental health challenges becoming more common, more complex and more serious, far exceeding ‘normal’ (even beneficial) levels of everyday stress.
“Many believe that the mental health challenges we face originate from within architectural culture – the workplace practices, norms and attitudes that prevail within the profession and its education.”
The survey seeks to generate a detailed understanding of work-related wellbeing among the architecture profession. It is open to anyone working in the Australian architecture industry. A separate survey of architecture students will be conducted in the future.
Participants will be asked about their social, physical and emotional wellbeing in relation to their work, their professional identity, and their perceptions of support and the impact of workplace culture and practices on their wellbeing. Responses will be anonymous and confidential.
Researchers hope to generate 1,000 responses to the survey, which will be used to create tailored resources to support workplaces, and professional and educational organizations in architecture.
To participate in the survey, click here.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
