It happens in all offices, and in all houses: there is always someone who is too cold, or too hot.
If you turn up the heat or air conditioning, someone will end up complaining. You can’t please everyone.
The Studio Elk design studio proposes a personalized solution: Stratum, a desk mat that warms or cools your hands as needed. It is a much cheaper solution than turning up the heating or air conditioning in a room.
It works on the principle of space aliesthesiain the same way that you feel more comfortable when you wrap your hands in a warm cup on a cold day, or run your wrists through cold water when you get too hot.
In other words, simply by heating or cooling the wrists, we extend this sensation to the whole body.
By locating the application of heating and cooling, Stratum can make users feel good in a wide range of temperatures in the office, using a fraction of the energy and without affecting those around them.
Stratum is designed so that users do not spend all day adjusting the temperature of the air conditioner. The desk mat self-regulates to maintain users’ desired temperature, taking only seconds to switch between heating, cooling and neutral presets.
Also it is completely portable. If you don’t need or want to use it elsewhere, simply roll it up to fit comfortably in a backpack, or in a small space.
We think it’s an interesting idea, but unfortunately the concept was created a long time ago, and it seems that they have not been able to sell the idea to a manufacturer, because we have not seen it in stores.
90% of the concepts created by design studios, they never leave the paper or the computer screen. A shame…