Beyond 72 Degrees and Sunny Inside: Optimizing the Indoor Work Environment
Posted on July 19, 2017
Written by Dan Diehl
The conversation about indoor environments is changing as tenants leverage new technologies to support employee productivity.
OVER THE LAST decade, a slow and steady evolution has been taking place in the commercial built environment. Building owners, architects, engineers and various service providers are moving to incorporate new technology that optimizes worker productivity, space utilization and the operational efficiency of a building over its useful life. They are also seeking to create workplaces that help companies recruit and retain talent.
Many commercial buildings now include features such as operable windows, dynamic glass, smart metering, prefab construction and chilled beam HVAC systems, all of which aim to optimize the indoor working environment for productivity, health and overall well-being. While a number of these technologies and approaches have been available for quite a while, many are now moving from being the exception to the norm.
Developers, building owners and occupants alike are beginning to realize that these innovations improve productivity, creativity and the recruitment and retention of key talent. Many of these technologies also collect data. Property managers and others can analyze this data to develop a life cycle approach to optimizing efficiency over the life of the building.