The NEBB Professional 2026 - Quarter 3

Low Visibility, High Impact: An HVAC decision that improves occupant comfort

By Marc Mascarello

Facility managers are responsible for a lot at once: en ergy efficiency, maintenance costs, code compliance, occupant comfort and the daily realities of keeping a building running. But at the center of all of that is a simple truth: the spaces FM teams manage are meant to support the people inside them. When those spaces quietly work against occupants, everything else suffers too. That is why indoor air quality (IAQ) deserves close attention. It directly affects how people feel, work and move through a space, yet it is often considered only at the system level. HVAC equipment, filtration and ductwork tend to get the most focus. The diffus er, however, is often treated as an afterthought, even though it is the point where conditioned air actually enters the room. Most commercial office buildings are sealed environ ments. Occupants have no ability to self-regulate their air — no window to crack and no way to introduce fresh airflow independently. That places the full re sponsibility for IAQ on the building's mechanical sys tems, and by extension, on the FM teams who specify and maintain them. As occupancy rises throughout the day, CO2 accumulates, and cognitive performance measurably declines, which directly affects concentra tion, decision-making, and energy in ways occupants often cannot articulate but consistently feel.

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The NEBB Professional | Quarter 3 | 2026