Simply put – employees want to be comfortable. Many new cars have dual temperature control for both front-seat passengers, and separate controls for the rear. Office employees simply want the same ability to customize their climate and control their environment – from their personal devices.
From Bisnow:
New research conducted by Purdue University’s Center for High Performance Buildings shows that people who were able to easily control temperature and lighting from their computer were more actively engaged during the day than those who had to get up and use a traditional wall-mounted control…The former also showed higher levels of productivity and had better cognitive test results than the group that did not have direct control over their surroundings.
“By giving people the choice to use more daylight and feel more connected to the outdoor environment, you can optimize productivity and use less energy,” CHPB researcher and associate professor Panagiota Karava said in a statement.