Maintaining productivity at work is one of the UK workforce’s biggest challenge. Whilst there’s a number of factors that can affect one’s engagement in the task at hand, air quality and thermal comfort in the office plays a big part in this.
I’m sure we’ve all been there; a feeling of tiredness as the meeting room becomes stuffier; getting distracted from your responsibilities by the temperature of the office, or more to the point constant distractions of people commenting on how warm or cold it is. With our concentration levels affected, our mood feeling strained, and general discomfort kicking in, the optimal workplace experience is far from being had.
Using effective HVAC systems, can help to avoid meeting rooms and offices becoming either too hot and stuffy, or too cold, enabling people using those spaces to maintain concentration and feel engaged in their work. Improved ventilation also helps to prevent the spread of coughs and colds which can be extremely costly with members of the teams on sick leave, and it’s particularly pertinent given the pandemic.
When considering the investment to your office fit- out, don’t be caught out with a poor HVAC system as they’re costly to rectify. Quite often buildings with ineffective HVAC systems have cheaper rents but cost more in the fit-out to correct.
Not only can the battle between team members opening and closing the windows be disruptive to their working day, but opening windows to provide natural ventilation is again costly, as it lets the heat out in the winter and lets the heat in during the summer. So generally, windows stay shut as much as possible which limits the fresh air supply – back to the stuffy slump situation! Trickle vents only provide minimum ventilation. If an inefficient building need lots of energy to maintain thermal comfort, then this will be a cost to your business in energy bills directly from higher service charges. A better ventilation system helps to reduce energy costs and is more sustainable, creating a better solution for your people, your business, and the planet.
Our team are here to help regarding any air and thermal comfort advice as part of our turnkey workplace design and build solutions, so please get in touch on 0117 231 0077 to discuss how to create a working environment that your team want to be in.