Achieving a comfortable indoor temperature in an office environment shared by different individuals with their own preferences is quite the task! You can also add to that challenge Melbourne’s famous ‘four seasons in a day’ type of weather and our still-quite-common poorly insulated buildings.
Nevertheless, it’s well accepted that providing comfortable indoor temperatures will not only enhance business productivity, but it also falls under the general duty of care that employers have in terms of compliance with the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004). According to the Act, an employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for employees a working environment that is safe and without risks to health.
While air conditioning is the obvious solution for climate control, elements of the office design and fit-out can also play a role in delivering a pleasant indoor temperature and will help your business grow.
Air Conditioning and Desk Position
The most efficient way to climate control any indoor environment is reverse-cycle air conditioning. Luckily, these days, it’s unusual to see an office without air con! Whether it’s a ducted air conditioning system or single split units installed in different areas, modern air conditioning allows you to set the desired temperature, but also to turn on/off individual vents (in the case of ducted AC) or individual units (in the case of split systems). The way desks are positioned in relation to air outlets can make a big difference to making the most of your cooling/heating appliance.
Clean dust filters and ventilation ducts
Just as important as installing air conditioning units is to keep their dust filters and ventilation ducts clean. Regular professional cleaning and maintenance goes a long way to extend the life of the air conditioning, but will also contribute to it running more efficiently with better air quality.
Blinds and Curtains
Blinds and (thermal) curtains can be your best friend and can help you with cooling and heating. Blinds and (some types of) curtains can keep the sun’s UV rays (and the heat that comes with them) out of the room in summer. Likewise, it can keep the cool breeze out in winter. By shutting and opening them at key moments of the day/night, they can help keep the office a lot more comfortable.
Gap Sealing
In an ideal world, we would like all offices to be located in well-insulated and thermally efficient buildings. Often, that’s not the case. But there are a few things we can do to improve insulation. The first one is to fix any gaps between floorboards and around window frames and doors. This will stop cold breezes from getting inside in winter and, will also help air conditioning do its job in summer by not letting the cool air go out.
Flooring
Still insulation-related, flooring can also make a big difference in terms of providing an extra layer of insulation to the office environment. While roof and wall insulation is usually something that office tenants must leave untouched, with flooring there’s often a certain degree of flexibility. Rugs in key areas of the building can add warmth and removing them in summer will contribute to the coolness.
Plants
Keeping indoor plants have many benefits such as improving your mental health and the air quality. When plants are placed near a window, they can help block the heat and provide extra shade to your workspace.
If you would like to discuss how a commercial fitout can help your business grow while keeping your employees and clients happy, give us a call at QTC Build.
