Meeting rooms are an essential part of most commercial offices, but they can also be some of the most difficult spaces to keep at a comfortable temperature.

One moment, a meeting room may be sitting empty. A few minutes later, it could be occupied by ten or more people, with laptops, screens and other equipment all generating additional heat.

These rapid changes in occupancy can create very different demands compared with the main office environment, making effective air conditioning and HVAC design particularly important.

Occupancy Can Change Very Quickly

Open-plan offices tend to have relatively predictable occupancy throughout the working day. Meeting rooms are different.

A room could remain empty for several hours before suddenly filling for a meeting. Each additional person contributes heat to the space, meaning the temperature can begin to rise surprisingly quickly.

If the HVAC system isn’t designed to respond effectively to these changes, occupants may soon find the room becoming warm and uncomfortable.

Technology Adds to the Heat

People aren’t the only source of heat within a modern meeting room.

Large displays, video conferencing equipment, laptops and other electronic devices can all contribute to the heat generated within the space.

With hybrid meetings now commonplace, meeting rooms can contain considerably more technology than they once did. This needs to be considered when assessing the cooling requirements of the room.

Glazing Can Make a Significant Difference

Meeting rooms positioned around the perimeter of a building may also have large windows or glazed walls.

Depending on the orientation of the building and the time of day, solar gain can increase temperatures considerably.

A meeting room that feels perfectly comfortable first thing in the morning may therefore become noticeably warmer later in the day.

Understanding these factors is an important part of designing an HVAC solution that works effectively throughout normal operating conditions.

Meeting Rooms Have Different Requirements to Open-Plan Offices

It can be tempting to treat a meeting room as simply another part of the office, but its HVAC requirements may be very different.

The number of occupants, size of the room, amount of glazing, equipment being used and frequency of meetings can all influence its heating, cooling and ventilation requirements.

This is why commercial HVAC systems should be designed around how individual areas of a building are actually used rather than applying the same approach everywhere.

Comfort Can Affect the Meeting Itself

An uncomfortable meeting room isn’t just inconvenient.

Whether a room becomes too warm, stuffy or uncomfortably cold, poor temperature control can make it harder for people to concentrate and create an unpleasant environment for employees, clients and visitors.

Maintaining a consistent, comfortable temperature throughout the year helps ensure meeting spaces remain welcoming, productive and suitable for use throughout the working day.

Getting the HVAC Design Right

Effective commercial HVAC design starts with understanding the building and how its different spaces are used.

At Oasis, we assess factors including room size, occupancy, existing equipment, glazing and the wider HVAC installation before recommending a suitable solution.

Whether you’re fitting out a new office, creating additional meeting rooms or experiencing comfort issues within an existing workspace, our experienced team can help identify the right approach.

If you have a HVAC project in mind call: +44 (0)121 733 7788 to speak to the team.

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