If you’ve been leading critical infrastructure for a while, you’re no stranger to control rooms. You’ve seen your fair share—some meticulously designed for efficiency, others falling short of expectations. You know the ones: cramped spaces with lighting that’s either too harsh or too dim, screens that clash with the ambience, desks haphazardly arranged, a corner reluctantly repurposed as a managers office, and, of course, the infamous chair graveyard lurking in the far corner.

Expanding our Connected World

More and more technology now drives our built environment—from the electricity grid that powers people’s homes and businesses, to transport networks that support population movement, and even the waterways that ensure clean, safe drinking water. The landscape is evolving rapidly too, especially as renewable energy generation increasingly connects to our grids, autonomous industrial vehicles take to the roads, and smart city advancements redefine urban living. The advances of our connected world and its technological complexity has heightened the need for systems that are not only carefully controlled but also physically safe for society.

Virtual Control Rooms: A Cautionary Tale

In the drive towards digital transformation, some organisations are tempted by the allure of virtual or remote control rooms. However, this approach comes with significant caveats. Even with advanced technology, remote setups can struggle with connectivity and latency issues—minor delays in a remote connection can critically impair real-time decision-making. Moreover, the inherent isolation of virtual environments risks fragmenting team dynamics, diluting the spontaneous collaboration and unified spirit that physical spaces naturally nurture. Expanded cybersecurity risks and a dependence on external network infrastructure only add to these challenges, potentially leading to cascading failures that a purpose-built, physical control room is far better equipped to mitigate.

Designing Our Next Generation Control Rooms

Now, imagine a control room that transcends a mere collection of monitors—a dynamic command room engineered for efficiency, resilience, and optimal human performance. In today’s high-stakes critical infrastructure landscape, the design of your control room is not just about technology; it’s about creating an environment that enables swift responses and prevents cascading failures.

Creating the Ideal Environment

At the heart of this vision lies a commitment to an ideal operational environment. It begins with rethinking the workspace: integrating height-adjustable desks, multi-screen configurations, and seamless telephony systems alongside ergonomic seating that supports operators during marathon shifts. This ergonomic mastery is more than a nod to comfort—it’s a strategic investment in ensuring that every team member is primed to excel during long hours of critical decision-making.

But performance isn’t solely built on physical comfort. The acoustic design of a control centre is equally vital. Much like a finely tuned orchestra, the space must maintain a delicate balance: too much noise can be distracting, while too little might silence important alerts. Incorporating strategic sound design that accounts for ambient noise and uses headsets for workstations and conferencing solutions for breakout spaces, can make all the difference to operational responses.

Lighting, too, plays a crucial role. While mainstream discussions often focus on the adverse effects of excessive blue light from our devices, control rooms frequently suffer from insufficient or poorly angled lighting. Specialist, adjustable lighting solutions are not mere luxuries—they are indispensable tools for sustaining alertness and minimising fatigue during long, high-stakes operations.

Crisis Breakout Rooms and Alternative Sites

A truly holistic control room design also recognises the human element in moments of crisis. High-pressure situations demand not only efficient operation but also resilience. Modern control rooms are evolving away from having a bed in a corner of the next room to include dedicated zones for recharging and refuelling. These spaces offer nutritious food options and comfortable break areas that transform short pauses into strategic moments of recuperation. Equally important are adaptable crisis and collaboration hubs—areas that can shift seamlessly from quiet zones for routine monitoring to vibrant command rooms during emergencies, ensuring rapid, cohesive responses when every second counts.

Resilience also means planning for the unexpected. Relying solely on a single facility is a risk no organisation can afford. Fully functional disaster recovery sites act as a critical lifeline—a ready-to-activate alternate control room that guarantees operational continuity even when circumstances turn dire.

Using Technology to Drive Efficiency

Fine-tuning alert systems to manage alarm notifications prevents information overload, allowing teams to focus on what truly matters. Moreover, designing workspaces that facilitate proactive equipment maintenance ensures that when a component fails, repairs are swift and operations continue with minimal disruption.

Non-Negotiable Safety & Security

Safety of staff must be the priority and if there was a site or building emergencies, every second counts, so we must make sure there’s well-marked and efficient exit routes to reduce the potential for risk. While cybersecurity and robust physical access controls are now more than ever mandatory to protect physical assets and public safety.

Delivering Great Control Rooms for Our Connected World

Ultimately, a control room is the command hub of critical infrastructure—a space where every design choice can be the difference between operational success and failure. Whether it’s through ergonomic workstations, finely tuned acoustics, adaptive lighting, or resilient technical and safety protocols, every element must be optimised to ensure rapid response and uncompromised performance.

As our connected world rapidly comes online, let’s make sure we design control rooms that are efficient, effective and ensure success; our society depends on it.