The administration building in Kurdistan Al-Iraq: The administration building in Kurdistan Al Iraq (Human Factors) Architecture is a application art create product characteristic cultural and humanitarian , achieve function with beauty, all project produce by architect designer who considered as a main factor in design process, this designer reflecting his character ,charisma, knowledge, art style, spirituality of the era and society, as well as the social dimension has important effect on the architect designer to get a unique building, the building which can be performing the new needs and spirituality principle that related to the life of group of people, building suitable for cultural effect and climate issues.

1. The Impact of Open and Close plans on
The Performance of Administrative
Officers
case study
(The administration building in Kurdistan al Iraq )
Mahmood Albrifkany
Human Factors

2. Introduction
Architecture is a application art create product characteristic cultural and
humanitarian , achieve function with beauty, all project produce by architect designer
who considered as a main factor in design process, this designer reflecting his
character ,charisma, knowledge, art style, spirituality of the era and society, as well as
the social dimension has important effect on the architect designer to get a unique
building, the building which can be performing the new needs and spirituality principle
that related to the life of group of people, building suitable for cultural effect and
climate issues.
In addition, the client decision is main factors which forcing entry in design process.
So , office buildings lacking to these types of research that analyzing and credit and
make recommendation which led to impact positively on the psychological, socio-
cultural, thus rising the productive efficiency of workers .
The case study selected in iraq/ Kurdistan reigion / duhok, because it is one of the
private community , and the socio factors are like rules in this society.

3. This research focusing on the (administration building ) building as a case study and
trying to outcomes recommendations that provide employees of the administrative
buildings with friendly environment that affects positively their efficiency and
products, and it will be useful for further offices buildings.
This study will done depending on :
General concepts
Architects and their opinions
Analytical case study (administration building)
Conclusion

4. General concepts
Function
In general, It is axioms thing, benefit element is a essential condition should be
interpolation in all aspects of human, also in appropriating form for function which are
one of the basics in architecture. Good buildings providing benefits condition ,
economic, beauty, durability, and human needs like physical, psychological, spiral,
individual, group of people.
Physical function(bodily):
It is related to body requirements (dimensions, measurements ) , design a suitable
space for human moves, If the functional term (are dealing with shape ,measure ,
composition of human body with relationship to the space that containing activity , so
that led to say what Corbusier said : buildings is a machine to live in it ).
The function of building to protect human from environment , all that for serving
human body .

5. The second type of function representing in space type which allow to performing
activity inside the building, and it is the major point in architecture.
Social function:
In spite of the importance of functional physical , but the social and humanitarian
issues are criteria in architecture, because the architecture is the cultural product
reflecting community issues , in knowing that traditional issues impact on architecture.
So therefore the design is a complex process, It is imperative to design by architect
who have perception and cognition of society issues , era.
The social functional dimension
One of the main factors that effect on design process , then producing building, as
well as there are other factors effecting the architect through design process , as
follow :
Political and economic effects.
General effects : cultural, social , religion.
Historical, geographical, building methods, material, etc.
Finally, design is an attempt to change environment , also to create something have
meaning , the meaning which related to group of human needs,
The physical functional and psychological functional are related to each other .

6. Open plan:
This type of plan appeared after the industrial revolution specially which produced the
steel structure , thus it is make spans of buildings wider, then the open plan forming ,
as a result they just separating the spaces by partitions (thin walls) .
In projects of the Architect frank lowed right , we can find , he didn't use construction
walls (bearing wall and partitions ) in the spaces that aren't need privacy , like
entrance, halls, sitting bedrooms, dinning, offices, in the way to add all of it in one
space (common space) for sending a message of (edifice, welcoming, etc) , the plan
will be more flexible in using.
Corbusier used open type of plan with columns system instead of bearing walls
system which gave the plan many characteristics that represented through the
flexibility in plan and flexibility of arranging furniture.
As a result, It is clarified that the open plan is not contained any walls (started from
ground to ceiling) , instead of that , they use partitions to allows daylight and natural
ventilation to enter as much as possible.

7. Architects
Architects supporting the open plans that achieve natural daylight:
There are many architects who prefer this type of plan , and agree with Le Corbusier and
frank right, they are:
Mies Van Der Rohe in
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Rogers
Norman Foster
Social privacy before natural light (architects against to open plans)
Firstly: Louis Kahn
According to his vision , he think that concrete reinforcement is a real material and it is
suitable for edifices buildings, while steel is for building airplanes, ships, cars.
He said ( If the distance between two columns are more than 30m , so the space will be
inhuman ), because the sense of enclosure will be lost and disappeared , his projects
were characteristics that are powerful with using nature materials.
Alvar Aalto:
His projects confirmed on privacy principle and achieve it all spaces.

8. Positives with negatives of open and close plans
There were contrast of architects opinions in determining the good type:
Positives of open plan: clarity , respecting psychological and social dimensions for
people, make the distance between staff very close to each other, which has benefits
,like receiving and sending data , information quickly, shaping a democratic environment
, as well as , breaking the solidity in social and professional relationships, so no dark
space, all space are seen and seem like a one space or small spaces in space, the open
plan allow the nature light to enter and extended to most of offices.
While the negatives of open plan are concentrate on nature light with visual
communication instead of the privacy of staff, as well as other noises that come from
their works.
In other hand, positives of the close plan can be limited on privacy only where achieved
for staff with quiet environment ,
But the negatives of close plan exceed the positives of it, and contrasting with the
positives totally .

9. Finally, we conclude that social relationships impacted negatively by the close
plan (spaces determined by solid walls continue to ceiling), then this point
effect negatively on their efficiency and products. While open plan achieve
social communication between staff , then eliminate inequality and levels
between them with achieving equality which led to increasing their
confidence and pertinence for rising positive performance( efficiency and
products).

10. Analysis case study ( In kurdistan Al Iraq/ Duhok)
depending on literature review which include the architects opinions who
agree and disagree to using the open plan, as well as according to research
hypothesis that base on social relationships impacted negatively by office
pattern where is a close plan, this negative point effect on staff and their
efficiencies.
so it is important to focusing on this hypothesis to measure it on (),
the purpose of concentrate on this building (before this building they were in
another building ) , because it is a new construction , but some members of
the staff complain from social communication, while other prefer this close
plan which achieve their needs (privacy, and insisting that there weren't any
problem of lighting or ventilation).
From these points, questionnaire form designed which include two group of
questions, firstly, questionnaire about close plan which appear and
represented in ground plan, secondly, questionnaire about their opinions if the
plan will change to open plan, (especially they spent a long time in open
offices ).
the questionnaires distributed on staff in the building (online and from
Reliable source).

11. Methodology
To achieving the aim of study, the methodology that use are:
1-) process observing and collect documentation , as follow :
General information about the building (research problem, architectural
description), through using plans. distributing questionnaires on all staff (online).
2- collecting and analyzing the information.
3- conclusions.
4- Recommendations

12. 1-) design problem
the designer create a unique form , that appears in the 3d dimension from
the Spherical form and the linear form , as well as the distribution of spaces
is good way, but he using a close plan type between offices.
Architectural description
the plan is very rigid, although, that the form is very dynamic , but this
dynamic didn't reflected in the interior, the structure outlines define all
spaces, the designer using solid walls, there are one entrance with two
axes.
components of building
accounts and meetings halls
restaurant, cafeteria and offices
director, planning, media , international relations, etc.
multi use, gallery
exhibition

17. Analyzing data
show the percentage to degree of staff agreement with Questionnaire items
(which related to the main problems that facing the users) close plan
designing the close offices weakens social relationships between staffs of the
same department
designing the close offices weakens social relationships between staffs of
the same department 74%
the flexibility are achieved between offices 56%
designing close offices make you feeling negatively 68%
ventilation and natural light is good 58%
close plan make the space more clear 62 %
close plan mean there are inequality in social levels 68%
close plan make staff wasting their time and performance 62%

18. show the percentage to degree of staff agreement with Questionnaire items
(which related to the main problems that facing the users) open plan
open plan is suitable for social culture 73 %
open plan minimizing privacy and concentrate in work 77%
open plan make the communication more easy 69%
open plan create a intimacy environment between staff that increasing their
performing and efficiency 67%
open plan make staff spend more time on offices 73%
open plan eliminate the social levels 72%
open plan forming a dynamic environment 72%
open plan assist to create positive relationships with staff 70%

19. Conclusion
close plan weaken social relationships between members of the same
department (section), and create inequality feelings, spend time to sending
data, information.
open plan agree with social culture , intimacy environment, easy
communication,
impact positively on their efficiency and products., staying in the office for a
long. time.

20. Recommendations
The research proposing to create a mix type which combine between close
and open plans, to produce a semi open or semi close system.
the height partitions must be a suitable (not very height and low), create
privacy and entering natural light, ventilation.
It is necessary to achieve (semi open or semi close) to create positive social
relationships between staff, intimacy space, dynamic space, increasing staff
efficiency and products.

21. Summary
-The theoretical side:
Administrative buildings need the social dimension and considered in design
process.
-Analytical study
transforming some solid walls to void wall ( transparency) , decreasing height
of partitions.
merge some offices with each other.

22. References
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