Offices can oftentimes turn into a real life Goldilocks tale. One worker may be too hot, while another one is too cold. Meanwhile, a third employee is, you guessed it, just right. It is a question as old as the concept of the office itself: What is the most efficient way to manage the temperature of an office so everyone is comfortable? Like trying to determine if the universe actually is infinite or whether the chicken or the egg came first, it seems to be a problem without an attainable solution. Or is it?
As one startup is asking, what if we have been focused on heating and cooling the wrong thing? After all, it isn’t the room that necessarily needs temperature adjustment, but the bodies within the room. That’s where Personal Comfort Systems' Hyperchair comes into play. It may sound like something an astronaut gets strapped into as part of their training, but for the most part, the Hyperchair looks just like a regular office chair, with one major difference: it can actively heat or cool the person sitting in it.
Developed by researchers at the Center for Built Environment at UC Berkeley, the Hyperchair uses heating tape that is woven into the fabric of the chair to warm the occupant much in the same way a heated car seat works. And for anyone who finds himself or herself running a bit warm on a daily basis, tactically placed fans can be used to wick body heat away like a cool, lakefront breeze. The temperature of the chair can be adjusted either by using the onboard control panel on the side of the seat or by using a smartphone app. The back and the seat of the chair can be adjusted separately, which allows for one to be set on heat while the other is set on cool, just in case you ever find yourself wearing shorts and a parka on the same day.
Photo Courtesy of Personal Comfort Systems
This technology comes at a cost, however, as the chairs range from $1,000 to $1,500 each, depending on the size of the order. And while that is certainly expensive for a chair, the company says this money will be made back in energy savings. In the winter the heat can be turned down a few degrees and the same goes for the air conditioning in the summer.
"If you relax it a couple of degrees, what you're going to find is a 5% to 10% energy savings on the heating and cooling system," Peter Rumsey, Founder and CEO of Personal Comfort Systems, said in an interview with Co. Exist.
The chairs will also be rigged with Wi-Fi and temperature sensors allowing them to communicate with the building regarding various temperature related issues. Additionally, in some climates or in mild seasons such as spring or fall, offices may be able to turn off their thermostats completely and use just the chairs for temperature regulation. With 30% of global carbon emissions coming from building energy consumption, not only can the chairs help with utility costs, but they can also be considered environmentally friendly.
For the time being, the startup is only offering the Hyperchair to large companies, but the hope is that it will eventually be made available for individual orders. The Hyperchair looks to solve a problem that has existed for years while providing everyone with a bit of the Goldilocks treatment of enjoying things that are just right... you know, without all of that breaking and entering business.
Photo Courtesy of Personal Comfort Systems
Photo Courtesy of Personal Comfort Systems
Photo Courtesy of Personal Comfort Systems
Photo Courtesy of Personal Comfort Systems
Related Stories
Mass Timber | Aug 30, 2022
Mass timber construction in 2022: From fringe to mainstream
Two Timberlab executives discuss the market for mass timber construction and their company's marketing and manufacturing strategies. Sam Dicke, Business Development Manager, and Erica Spiritos, Director of Preconstruction, Timberlab, speak with BD+C's John Caulfield.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Aug 24, 2022
Solutions for cladding performance and supply issues
This course covers design considerations and cladding assembly choices for creating high-performance building envelopes — a crucial element in healthy, energy-efficient buildings.
Green | Jul 26, 2022
Climate tech startup BlocPower looks to electrify, decarbonize the nation's buildings
The New York-based climate technology company electrifies and decarbonizes buildings—more than 1,200 of them so far.
Smart Buildings | Jun 1, 2022
Taking full advantage of smart building technology
Drew Deatherage of Crux Solutions discusses where owners and AEC firms could do better at optimizing smart technology in building design and operations.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 10, 2022
Designing smarter places of learning
This course explains the how structural steel building systems are suited to construction of education facilities.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 3, 2022
For glass openings, how big is too big?
Advances in glazing materials and glass building systems offer a seemingly unlimited horizon for not only glass performance, but also for the size and extent of these light, transparent forms. Both for enclosures and for indoor environments, novel products and assemblies allow for more glass and less opaque structure—often in places that previously limited their use.
Architects | May 3, 2022
A U.K.-based design firm flaunts industrialized construction as it expands into U.S.
Bryden Wood wants to set up a network for manufactured components for repeatable building types.
Concrete Technology | Apr 19, 2022
SGH’s Applied Science & Research Center achieves ISO 17025 accreditation for concrete testing procedures
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger’s (SGH) Applied Science & Research Center recently received ISO/IEC17025 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) for several concrete testing methods.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Apr 19, 2022
Multi-story building systems and selection criteria
This course outlines the attributes, functions, benefits, limits, and acoustic qualities of composite deck slabs. It reviews the three primary types of composite systems that represent the full range of long-span composite floor systems and examines the criteria for their selection, design, and engineering.
Wood | Apr 13, 2022
Mass timber: Multifamily’s next big building system
Mass timber construction experts offer advice on how to use prefabricated wood systems to help you reach for the heights with your next apartment or condominium project.