History

The Institute was established in 1963 following the gift of a sophisticated environmental chamber from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Today, the Institute occupies 6,500 square feet of laboratory and office space on the Kansas State University campus. Eight computer controlled environmental chambers are now available for use. Essentially any indoor thermal condition can be simulated (e.g., radiant heating, fluctuating temperatures, etc.). Extreme thermal environmental conditions can also be simulated with possibilities ranging from arctic to desert to tropical conditions. These chambers are supported by instruments for measuring and recording thermal-environmental parameters and human physiological responses to the thermal environment.