Comfort

Thermal comfort is one of the most critical elements to increase the satisfaction and thereby work performance of a person. Being able to control the environment in which a person works has been shown to directly affect the productivity of that person. Satisfied employees are more motivated and productive than disgruntled employees. Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) helps reduce hot-cold complaints by providing individuals with personal comfort controls in their workspace.

In a UFAD system, the space between the raised floor and slab is used to create a low pressure air delivery plenum without ducting—meaning that any diffuser placed in the floor has the capability of delivering a constant volume of conditioned air to the space. These diffusers can also be equipped with manual dampers that provide the individual with the ability to adjust the volume, and in many cases the direction, of air passing through the diffuser.

Similar to the dial on most car dashboards, this personal comfort control available with a UFAD system has a positive impact on indoor environmental quality and directly contributes to LEED EQ credit 6.2 Controllability of Systems.