title: 'The End of Sitting': An Empirical Study on Working in an Office of the Future.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inspired by recent findings that prolonged sitting has detrimental health effects, Rietveld Architecture Art Affordances (RAAAF) and visual artist Barbara Visser designed a working environment without chairs and desks. This environment, which they called The End of Sitting, is a sculpture whose surfaces afford working in several non-sitting postures (e.g. lying, standing, leaning).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, it was tested how people use and experience The End of Sitting. Eighteen participants were to work in this environment and in a conventional office with chairs and desks, and the participants' activities, postures, and locations in each working environment were monitored. In addition, participants' experiences with working in the offices were measured with a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that 83 % of participants worked in more than one non-sitting posture in The End of Sitting. All these participants also changed location in this working environment. On the other hand, in the conventional office all but one participant sat on a chair at a desk during the entire work session. On average, participants reported that The End of Sitting supported their well-being more than the conventional office. Participants also felt more energetic after working in The End of Sitting. No differences between the working environments were found in reported concentration levels and satisfaction with the created product.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The End of Sitting is a potential alternative working environment that deserves to be examined in more detail.
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 196, 9700 AD, Groningen, The Netherlands. r.g.withagen@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Withagen
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 196, 9700 AD, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Simone R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Caljouw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004779:Environment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult