ABSTRACT
Heating, ventilation, lighting and air-conditioning systems all require controls so that the spaces they service enjoy the environmental conditions demanded. Controls are often, and perhaps should be, almost unnoticed by the building user, and automatic control can be a contentious issue. In a modern building it is expected that appropriate conditions will be provided without the need for intervention but the solution is not to simply force automatic controls on every situation; occupants like to feel they have some say in the conditions in their workplace, and productivity and satisfaction drop considerably when all control is taken out of occupants’ hands. It has been found that building users who are able to have some control over their environment tend to adapt better to more extreme conditions; the design conditions for naturally ventilated or mixed-mode buildings with user control are thus often less rigid than for those that are fully air-conditioned. This can be the cause of conflict, and the optimum solution is often some form of automatic control, but with manual override facilities to suit the user’s needs. The problem for shared working environments is to maintain comfort for the majority of people while still catering for individual needs.
