Why might 26 C feel acceptable in a breezy naturally ventilated summer building but too warm in a sealed winter office?

Answer: Expectations and control shift

Core temperature resets — Core temperature is tightly regulated and does not reset by several degrees just because a building has open windows. People adapt mainly through behavior, expectations, clothing, air movement, and recent thermal history. The body may acclimatize over time, but office comfort does not require changing 37 C biology. That is why the same core temperature can coexist with different preferred room temperatures.

Expectations and control shift ✓ — Correct. Adaptive comfort research found that naturally ventilated buildings have comfort temperatures more strongly linked to outdoor conditions, and occupants accept a wider range. Open windows, breezes, lighter clothing, and a sense of control all change what feels reasonable. The surprising part is psychological and behavioral adaptation becoming a measurable engineering input, not just a mood.

Outdoor weather is irrelevant — Outdoor weather can still matter indoors through expectation, clothing, recent thermal history, and whether people can open windows or use breezes. A sealed winter office may feel too warm at 26 C partly because people are dressed and primed for a different season. Adaptive comfort does not say outdoor air magically controls the room; it says people judge the same indoor number through recent climate and control.