As summer temperatures rise, many offices become uncomfortable places to work. Overheating, glare from windows and poor airflow can leave staff feeling tired, distracted and less productive. Though we don’t recommend pouring water and ice over yourself to cool down!
While air conditioning can help, it isn’t the only solution. A few practical changes to your office layout, furniture, window treatments and working practices can make a noticeable difference to comfort throughout the warmer months.
So, what can office managers, facilities teams and business owners do about it?
Well, with our experience in designing office layouts and providing furniture, blinds and flooring for over 55-years, we believe that with a few smart design choices, you can easily create a workspace that stays cool, comfortable, and productive all summer long.
Understand How Heat Impacts Productivity
Research continues to demonstrate the relationship between temperature and workplace performance. A 2026 review published in Building and Environment analysed 30 separate studies and found that workplace performance declined significantly when temperatures rose above 25°C.
Most people have experienced it. As offices become warmer, concentration drops, small mistakes become more common, and tasks often take longer than they should. While occasional hot days are unavoidable, prolonged periods of discomfort can affect both productivity and employee wellbeing.
In offices, staff often complain about:
- Overheated desks near windows
- Glare on screens making work difficult
- Stuffy air in windowless meeting rooms
Meeting rooms are often the first spaces to become uncomfortable during hot weather because they combine people, laptops and limited airflow in a relatively small area.
Addressing these issues often starts with understanding how your office space is used on a day-to-day basis.
Change Your Office Layout for Better Airflow
Improving airflow doesn’t always require major changes:
- Provide more space around office desks so that heat can circulate and not be trapped
- Make sure there’s nothing around windows and vents that will prevent airflow – such as files on window sills
Even small layout adjustments can improve airflow and create a more balanced environment.
Consider Flexible Desk Layouts
Offices often evolve over time, with additional desks, storage units and equipment being added wherever space allows. Unfortunately, this can restrict natural airflow and create pockets of trapped heat.
Reviewing desk layouts can improve circulation throughout the office whilst also creating a more comfortable and collaborative working environment. Moving storage units to the edge of a room rather than having them block airflow in the centre of a room will help as well.
Reduce Heat and Glare from Sunlight
Commercial office blinds are one of the most effective ways to manage solar gain and reduce screen glare. Properly specified blinds allow natural daylight into the office while limiting excessive heat build-up during the warmest parts of the day.
- Install window blinds to control glare and ensure these are drawn before the sun moves round to shine through that space
- Sometimes you can install canopies outside an office window
- Look at how different areas receive light throughout the day and adjust blinds and curtains to different levels as the day moves on
The aim is to maintain bright, comfortable workspaces without excessive glare or unwanted heat gain.
Modern office blinds are available in a wide range of styles and fabrics, allowing businesses to improve comfort without compromising the appearance of the workspace.
Incorporate Materials That Help Regulate Temperature
Whether on furniture or floors, materials used in your office can really influence how much heat is absorbed and retained.
- Take a tip from cricket players, lighter colours reflect heat rather than absorbing it making life more comfortable
- Natural breathable fabrics rather than synthetic fabrics improve comfort for seating
- Live plants in your office can absorb heat and help regulate the temperature – put somebody in charge of ‘Plant Maintenance’ to ensure they are properly fed and watered.
Encourage Smarter Summer Working Routines
Design is only part of the solution, how staff use the office space matters too.
- The first person in the office should be in charge of opening windows early in the day to let in cooler air
- Close blinds when the sun is shining more brightly around lunchtime hours
- Encourage regular breaks to drink water or move to cooler parts of the office
- Let staff arrive earlier so they can enjoy cooler temperatures
- The last person to leave the office should close all windows and blinds
These small changes can support a more comfortable office environment.
Could Your Office Benefit from a Summer Refresh?
Many businesses use the quieter summer months, when staff are taking annual leave and offices are less occupied, to make improvements to their workplace. Whether it’s reconfiguring desk layouts, replacing outdated blinds, upgrading flooring or planning a wider office refurbishment, small changes now can have a lasting impact on employee comfort and productivity.
Create a Workspace That Works Year-Round
Summer can expose weaknesses in office layouts that go unnoticed during cooler months. Poor airflow, excessive glare, overcrowded workstations and inadequate window shading can all affect employee comfort and productivity.
At Creed-Miles, we help businesses throughout London, Surrey and Middlesex create workplaces that perform well throughout the year through intelligent office design, refurbishment, furniture, flooring and workplace solutions.
If you’re considering changes to your office environment, we’d be happy to discuss practical improvements that could make your workplace more comfortable, efficient and productive – this summer and beyond.
