Larry Dykstra, PE, LEED AP; and Raj Gupta, PE, LEED AP Environmental Systems Design Inc., Chicago

The Battle for Comfort

View the full story, including all images and figures, in our monthly digital edition Rows and rows of high-performance equipment fill a dense trading environment to the rim. Heat generated from the exhaust of multiple computers in a single station roasts the trader, while the cool air flooding the space leaves other spots chilly in its attempt to meet the demands of the large load. None of the occupants is comfortable, and the equipment isn't getting the relief it needs either. The shift to 24/7/365 electronic trading has moved more of today's financial services firms from open outcry exchange floors to private office suites, stoking a battle for comfort between the equipment and the occupants.