ABSTRACT
Having engaged with microclimatic opportunities and key environmental conflicts with regard to the comfort and well-being of occupants, this chapter looks further into the interface between the intended and actual control of the indoor environment. The participatory role of the user/client gains further emphasis, but of course with the means and adaptability of control still constrained or enabled by what the designers have provided. What has to be recognized at the outset is that expectations of performance are rarely met, and the main reason for this is that designers are not realistically predicting or addressing the actions of lay users. Also, although most if not all their interference can in theory be designed out by smart technology, even in this circumstance professional experts are quite capable of setting the main parameters of electronic control inappropriately. However, the agenda here continues to be on projects where there is significant scope for intervention by the individuals who live in buildings or use them, rather than institutional or corporate owners or managers.
