This article highlights the urgent need for modern control rooms as our built environment becomes ever more connected. With renewable energy sources integrating into the grid, autonomous industrial vehicles on the move, and smart city advancements reshaping urban life, control rooms must evolve. Many existing control rooms suffer from cramped layouts, poor lighting, disorganised desks, and ineffective communication, while the trend towards virtual control rooms introduces challenges such as connectivity issues, latency, fragmented team dynamics, and increased cybersecurity risks. Instead, organisations must invest in dynamic, physical control centres designed for efficiency, resilience, and optimal human ...