1 London Assembly
Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the London Assembly
This building has not been a great success. Because there's so much glass it gets very hot in summer and cold in winter. But it's also that you can't open any windows. Part of people being happy where they work is that they can control their environment, but you can't do that at all. And because it gets so hot and people shut their blinds, we have a problem with there not being enough light. The view is great but we miss out on it a lot because we have to use the blinds so much. The other problem with this building is the almost constant window-washing operation. The double-glazed panes were designed with a little vent to prevent humidity, but in fact the dirt gets between the two panes of glass. So to clean the windows they have to have their outer pane taken off, which is crazy.
2 Media Centre, Lords cricket ground
Wendy Wimbush, press box scorer for international cricket matches
We do get very, very hot if it's sunny. Basically the building's at the wrong end of the ground, but you can't have the pavilion and the press box at the same end. They tried putting some kind of film on the inside this summer, but it didn't improve it - it just made it rather difficult to look out. The nozzles for the air conditioning are situated on your desk. When the air conditioning is on high, it nearly blows things off the table. But they say they can't do anything about that.
3 Urbis, Manchester
Pollyanna Clayton-Stamm, deputy creative director
I find it inspiring to work in a building like this. It has a massive sense of space which is ideal to work in, especially in the art world. A lot of people are usually crammed into really stuffy offices, which is not conducive to working. The light's just fantastic.
But it does get incredibly hot in summer - it's like being in a greenhouse - and I guess that's one drawback. And while so much light is good, it's also a little frustrating because you can't always see your screen when you're working. But we've put really thin vinyl over the glass. It doesn't prevent you from looking out, but it puts a sort of a dullness on the window.
It gets a bit cold in winter but it ensures that you're always alert and concentrating, rather than sitting in a really radiated office, where you get too hot and stuffy.
It's a wonderful place to move around in and therefore working feels easier, in some way.
4 National Glass Centre, Sunderland
Steve Cowie, operations manager
Certainly people like to be by the riverside with views of the river, with the sun percolating through. As part of the structure of the building we've got external metal grilles which act as solar shading. It doesn't always work but essentially it's a nice part of the restaurant.
Sometimes architects forget in buildings like ours that the windows have to be kept clean. They are not hard to keep clean, but it's expensive. In certain places, window cleaning has to be done by an abseil system. And we're on the coast, so we get a lot of pigeons and gulls.
5 The Idea Store, east London
Simeon Brookstone, administrative assistant
This is a wooden and steel structure, but the exterior is mostly glass. It has an intelligent lighting system, which detects how much sunlight is coming in and adjusts the level of artificial light inside. We also have an automated blind system that reacts to how bright it is outside.
Glass buildings can be a bit claustrophobic at times. In a normal building you can just open the window if it gets too hot, but you have to rely on the automated systems here.
I have a really nice view. I can see right down Whitechapel market and I can also see the helipad on top of the Royal London hospital. It can be good to look out and see the helicopters close up. You feel connected to the outside and it's a good reminder to take screen breaks. The customers like the building. Lots of children go up to the fourth floor to take pictures of the London skyline on their camera phones.
6 Willis Faber and Dumas, Ipswich
David Worne, human resources director
I have worked here since the building opened in 1976. There's a feeling of openness. It's non-claustrophobic. It's not only open to the outside, it's open plan on the inside too. People ask, what it's like working in a goldfish bowl, but it's not like that at all - we can see out but people can't see in.
Environmentally, it's good to be able to see what the weather is like and to see the sun. The glare can be problematic though, and can play havoc with the temperature inside. I don't think productivity is reduced by people looking outside: the building is moulded around the roundabout and roadways outside, so the view isn't great. The Our London office is a beautiful building, but it can feel quite claustrophobic and enclosed. The light and brightness here make it a better environment.
7 One Canada Square, London
Juan Bromberg, works for an investment bank in the tower
I'm on the 46th floor, so there's a long ride in the lift. It is a very busy building. You're working high up and are surrounded by glass. My back is to the window but as you walk around you get a glimpse of the views. The lighting is monotonous during the day, it is very controlled; the temperature doesn't vary much. I'm 15 metres away from the nearest window, but if I turn my head to the left, I can see City airport. The last time everyone gathered around the windows was for bonfire night - we were actually above the fireworks. The views are wonderful from up here. On a clear day, you can see really far out - Crystal Palace, St Paul's and the river.
· Interviews: Aida Edemariam, Lucy Clouting and Esther Addley.
