Kristin Barry

SHS Web of Conferences 233, 03002 (2026) Architecture as Projection: Empathy, Design Thinking, and the Exploration of Self * Ball State University, Department of Architecture, Muncie, Indiana, USA * Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fifty-one percent of working women in the U.S. report feeling stressed a lot of the day yesterday (vs. 39% of men). Additionally, 42% of working women say their job has had a somewhat or extremely negative impact on their mental health over the last six months (vs. 37% of men). The consequential ripples of women's wellbeing affect organizations as declines in wellbeing are associated with lower engagement, higher burnout and increased participation in job-seeking behaviors.

Why do people come to the office? And how can leaders make that time as meaningful and productive as possible? These questions are more urgent than ever with the majority of office workers now having some degree of hybrid flexibility. Today, 54% of remote-capable workers are working hybrid and finding themselves weighing the costs and benefits of the daily commute. In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the average one-way commute to work was 27.6 minutes.