Longevity by Design · Topic

Office Interior Architecture in Ankara: Workplaces Designed for Focus, Air and Quiet

Published: July 2026 · Updated: October 2026

Office interior architecture in Ankara, as practised by Sabina Malikova Design Office, means designing a workplace to measurable conditions for focus and health. The studio is headquartered at NeXT Level, Çankaya, and has completed an office design in Ankara. Offices prioritise daytime alertness and lower distraction, so the brief centres on four targets. Daytime lighting runs 4000–5000 K. Continuous sound stays under 55 dB (WHO Europe, 2018). PM2.5 is held below 5 µg/m³ (WHO, 2021) with HEPA-13 filtration and MVHR. Each workspace carries at least three natural elements. Every target is measured before design and verified at handover. This page covers what those targets mean for a working day and how an office commission runs. The framework is described at https://sabinamalikova.com/methodology.

Office Interior Architecture in Ankara: Workplaces Designed for Focus, Air and Quiet

Daytime light for alertness, not just illumination

People spend roughly 90% of their time indoors (Klepeis et al., 2001), and much of the working share is spent under artificial light. The studio specifies 4000–5000 K lighting during working hours, with glare control and desks placed where morning daylight arrives. The evidence is workplace-specific. Viola and colleagues (2008) found blue-enriched white light in an office improved self-reported alertness, performance and sleep quality. Figueiro and colleagues (2017) linked daytime light exposure in office workers to better sleep and mood. Tunable-white luminaires can automate the spectrum shift across the day. Break and recovery areas can drop toward 2200–2700 K, so staff who finish late are not sent home with an evening of cool light behind them.

Acoustics: the 55 dB line and speech privacy

Noise is a physiological stressor, not a comfort preference. Unwanted sound raises cortisol, heart rate and blood pressure, and chronic exposure is linked to cardiovascular risk (WHO Europe, 2018; van Kempen et al., 2018). In an office it also breaks concentration and leaks conversations. The studio holds continuous indoor sound under 55 dB. Meeting rooms and focus rooms get glazing, seals and wall mass sized to the task. Open areas use absorbent surfaces; acoustic panels, rugs and upholstered pieces can cut perceived noise by roughly 10–20 dB. HVAC is specified for low background sound. Mechanical rooms are kept away from desks. Each measure is checked with a meter at handover, not judged by ear.

Air, temperature and materials across a working day

A sealed office with many occupants needs mechanical ventilation. The studio pairs HEPA-13 filtration with MVHR and targets PM2.5 below the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³. Air is monitored continuously after handover where the operator agrees. Thermal comfort follows ASHRAE 55 and ISO 7730, aiming for a PMV between −0.5 and +0.5; for most people a workspace sits around 20–22 °C. Materials are chosen on four criteria: documented low chemical emissions, natural or verifiably recycled content, acoustic performance data and durability. Timber, stone and natural fibre also count toward the biophilic target of three natural elements per space. Hunter and colleagues (2019) measured cortisol falling about 21% per hour of nature contact, a mechanism a planted, daylit office can borrow.

How an office commission in Ankara runs

Work starts with a scoping conversation about headcount, working patterns and the problems staff report. The studio then measures a baseline in the existing or planned space: light levels and colour temperature, PM2.5, and sound at desk positions. Targets are written against those numbers. Concept, specification and technical drawings follow, coordinated with the mechanical and electrical contractors. Delivery runs with scheduled site visits, and the finished office is measured against the original targets. The studio has a completed office design in Ankara and delivers across Türkiye from the Çankaya headquarters. Portfolio pages are at https://sabinamalikova.com/projects. Offices outside Ankara run on the remote-plus-site-visit model used for LR Rooms Frankfurt.

The four pillars at a glance

CLCI — circadian lighting: 4000–5000 K by day, 2200–2700 K in the evening
BCS — at least three natural elements in every occupied space
IAQM — fine-particle levels held below the WHO 2021 limit of 5 µg/m³
AHR — continuous indoor sound kept under 55 dB

Evidence & standards

Ofis İç Mimarı Ankara work follows published health thresholds. Acoustic detailing tracks the WHO Europe 2018 environmental noise guidelines. Air filtration follows the WHO 2021 global air quality guidelines. Each specification in this field is verified against its targets at handover.

Frequently asked questions

Has the studio completed an office project in Ankara?

Yes. An office design in Ankara is part of the completed portfolio, alongside a coffee corner and residential work in the city. Each was built to the four Longevity by Design targets for light, biophilia, air and acoustics. Project pages are listed at https://sabinamalikova.com/projects.

What lighting does the studio specify for offices?

4000–5000 K during working hours, with glare control and desks positioned for morning daylight. Workplace studies support this: blue-enriched white light improved alertness, performance and sleep quality in office workers (Viola et al., 2008), and daytime light exposure was linked to better sleep and mood (Figueiro et al., 2017).

How quiet should an office be?

The studio's target is continuous indoor sound under 55 dB, in line with WHO Europe 2018 guidance. Focus and meeting rooms are detailed for speech privacy with glazing, seals and wall mass. Open areas rely on absorbent finishes and low-noise HVAC. Levels are measured with a meter at handover.

Can an existing office be upgraded without closing it?

Often, yes, because lighting, filtration and acoustic finishes can be installed in phases. The studio starts with a baseline measurement, then prioritises the interventions that move the numbers most. Scope and phasing are discussed in the scoping conversation that follows an inquiry at https://sabinamalikova.com/inquiry.

Message the studio on WhatsApp or submit a project inquiry (https://sabinamalikova.com/inquiry) with your office floor plan and headcount to scope a baseline measurement. Contact: [email protected] · The Longevity by Design methodology · Evidence & references · Documented outcomes (press release)