The First Century of Air Conditioning. Article 7: The Evolution of Modern Office Buildings and Air Conditioning

This is the seventh article in our special series to commemorate a century of innovation in the HVAC&R arts and sciences.

Air conditioning as we know it, providing thermal comfort by mechanical methods, first appeared in buildings about a hundred years ago. The ability to control temperature, humidity and air purity made urban development possible in the most inhospitable of locations. Together with electric lighiting, air conditioining also elimnated restrictions on plan form and fenestration that architects had been constrained to work under since antiquity. But how did architects and engineers respond to these opportunities? What effect did this have on buildings? And, were the occupants anymore comfortable? These questions will be addressed in two articles reviewing the evolution of modern office building design ahd the impact of air conditioning.