The changing of the seasons, particularly in April or May, can be a thermal shock to many of us – a very cold morning is followed by a hot afternoon. You can best feel the temperature differences when you are outside because in air-conditioned offices you will have the same conditions throughout the whole year. However, we need to be aware that the precise, automatic temperature control ensured by air-conditioning systems may often appear insufficient. 

Rules on workplace temperatures

According to the rules on indoor workplace temperatures, the minimum temperature in the office should be 18 degrees Celsius. The temperature should never exceed 30 degrees Celsius. The optimal temperature is in the range of 21-24 degrees Celsius. And this is the parameter set in heating or cooling systems in the office.

Modern technologies …

In many offices there are ventilation and air conditioning installations or at least air conditioners. The advanced level of automation of these devices, a possibility to program temperature changes or divide the air-conditioned area into specific zones as well as professional and regular maintenance and reasonable setting may keep office users thermally comfortable.

 … and their weaknesses 

Unfortunately, even with the most advanced and well-designed installations it’s difficult to evenly distribute warm or cold air. It’s particularly true in case of open-plan offices. There are, of course, solutions that reduce the airflow from the air vents towards just one point, but these solutions may not always bring the expected results. That can happen on hot days when the whole system is engaged in cooling the air inside large areas. We should also keep in mind that the air from the air-conditioning will always be much cooler than the temperature set. That’s why, staying in close proximity to AC units, especially when sitting sill at a desk for several hours, may have dire consequences.

Unfortunately, such air-conditioning problems usually appear in the office when it’s too late to introduce any modifications to the existing installations or it’s too troublesome to make any changes to the interior design.

 Do you come from Venus or Mars? Different views on comfort temperature

What’s more, office workers usually perceive comfort temperatures differently. These differences are due to the physiological functions of the body. Women usually prefer a little higher temperatures, whereas men like lower temperatures. The way you view temperature may also depend on your body size and weight. The differences how the temperature is perceived by a short, slightly-built woman and a big, overweight man will be significant. How  should these contradictory preferences be reconciled? 

Temperature in the office

To remedy the situation, it may be useful to change the philosophy of work, which we often recommend. It turns out that thanks to a greater flexibility of interior design, a possibility to temporarily change the arrangement of particular furniture pieces and the work in motion, some problems caused by either too high or too low air temperature can be solved.

Modern offices are no longer a collection of individual workplaces in which employees used to spend all day long. Instead, modern offices become a working space – providing places needed for concentration and focus, teamwork, or to hold calls and video calls there. As users are in constant motion in the office they can rearrange and adapt furniture or office equipment to their current needs like in case of Balma PLUS furniture system. Thanks to that system, they can easily find a spot which will still perform its role, but which will also be comfortable in terms of its temperature.

Within the very same big office you will find zones which people even with totally different temperature expectations will find comfortable to work in. Soft and upholstered seats of poufs and sofas (thanks to their additional side walls) feel warm and they are ideal for those who suffer from cold intolerance. And vice versa –  smooth, hard chairs and tables give the impression of coolness. The colours used are also important as they can enhance the feelings of warmth or coolness.

Mobile elements will work as an effective (and easily removable) barrier against gusts of cold air circulating in the room. The materials which the furniture is made from also play an important role. The great numbers of upholstered elements, while being the best insulators, will make high temperatures more bearable.

The right temperature at work will not only contribute to our well-being and health, but it will also increase our efficiency and productivity. We ought to remember that a comfortable office (including the thermal comfort) isn’t an expense. It’s an investment.