If you’re managing a place of business, you’ll need no introduction to the climate and environmental problems- Hot, stuffy and oppressive or a sort of mix of conditions which always seem to create some sort of issue. These are “heirloom” problems from old building designs and the wonder is that anyone in previous 
generations survived them. Now, relief is easy to get- The new generation of screens, roller blinds, retractable awnings and exterior screens are changing the face, quite literally of the office of the future.
The issues for building managers, defined
The old offices had one major defect- Light and heat management. Light could get in and make an office a glaring wasteland. Heat could make working conditions barely tolerable. Unless the air conditioning was on full blast, the workplace could be a very uncomfortable place to be.
The result for building manager was understandable:
- High turnover of tenants.
- Absenteeism.
- High maintenance on air conditioning.
- Constant complaints. (Some of the air conditioning systems weren’t up to the job, and often needed replacement, a major cost factor.)
- Getting stuck as a result with a lot of vacant floor space.
The result was predictable, although incredibly, a lot of these very basic problems got diagnosed as “Sick Building Syndrome” and not a single, very manageable problem. It’s not quite an overstatement that for building owners, these situations turned assets into liabilities, with costs increasing over time and eating into returns. Not good business, and expensive in terms in the amount of basic maintenance required.
The new solution- Simple, quick and efficient
In the late 90s, people began to wake up to the issues. Natural light became an architectural issue, and the new CAD designs could factor that in to designs much more effectively. New building designs and better climate management were part of the answer, but the real solutions, obvious as they are with hindsight, was also discovered at about the same time- Sunscreen blinds, retractable awnings, and external blinds.
These are the solutions. They block heat, as well as light, and they can block up to 90% of both, using some fabrics. This means the heat buildup in big office buildings, which can be massive, literally heating the entire cubic space, just doesn’t happen. That takes an enormous amount of strain off the air con, to start with, and drastically improves lighting management options.
Better yet, the new blinds are customizable. They can be designed and installed into any building quite easily. That means that even old buildings can get a “thermal makeover” which makes them much nicer places to work.
Whatever sort of business premises you manage; these are the quick options for some major improvements:
- Retractable awnings
- Window awnings
- Window blinds
- Roman blinds
- External blinds
All these options can be tailor made to deal with individual building faces and specific local conditions. If you’re looking for a simple fix to an annoying problem or a solution to a major problem, check out what’s possible for your building. You’ll be surprised.