Control room design

Unique, modular, space-saving and ergonomic control room designs for critical 24/7 processes in any industry, utility or public facility.

Our reference list is extensive and the designs can be applied to any integrated operation control center in marine, oil and gas, mining, any production control room in manufacturing plant, any power plant control room, utility asset control center, traffic control center or police, fire and ambulance command center.


The control room is the most important room in your facility - it's where daily decision-making affects corporate goals and return on plant assets. Integrative, individual and ergonomic control room design enables the operator to become a key part of the process.

Whether you need to remodel and optimize your current control room, consolidate operations or build a new control room we have the right solution for you. Even surprisingly small spaces are utilized to the full. 

A well designed control room solution, whether it's a new-build or upgrade, total or partial, is your assurance of safer, more alert operators, more attentive monitoring, quicker and more rational responses and higher productivity.

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Control room design benefits:

  • Improve operator alertness
  • Drive efficiency
  • Promote collaboration and teamwork
  • Cut total costs

Control room planning Design Studies

Every detail counts when investing in your control room

Involving ABB in a project ensures that the operator working environment is planned and furnished as a complete solution, avoiding many of the difficulties often associated with a new control room. Thanks to experiences from multiple industries and countries, ABB control room designs both drive efficiency and cuts total costs. 

A conceptual design study gives each project a unique visual understanding of your different opportunities. Our control room solutions are based on an iterative process, taking considerations from both users and management into the final design.

Create a control room environment that perfectly suits your needs an individual situation.
Early consultation pays handsome dividends
Involving ABB early avoids many common errors associated with the ergonomic design of control centers.

ABB control room Design Studies can be made with three involvement levels:

Option 1 - Essential
Option 2 - Standard
Option 3 - Extended

The following steps are included in "Essential":

  1. Analysis of the existing control room and information gathering on the current design.
  2. Procurement of outline documents and a questionnaire is conducted on the existing control room for a good understanding of the situation and needs.
  3. Conceptual design phase - different proposals and questionnaire documents are created.
  4. Presentation of the different proposals (conceptual designs) with agreement on which proposal will be arranged into a final 3D SketchUp layout model.
  5. Final delivery of the control room layout with adjacent areas includes a report with a 3D model, which can be exported to CAD.

The following steps are included in "Standard":

  1. Analysis of the existing control room and information gathering on the current design.
  2. Procurement of outline documents and a questionnaire is conducted on the existing control room for a good understanding of the situation and needs.
  3. On site visits in order to obtain a good understanding of the situation.
  4. Conceptual design phase - different proposals and questionnaire documents are created.
  5. Presentation of the different proposals (conceptual designs) with agreement on which proposal will be arranged into a final 3D SketchUp layout model.
  6. Final delivery of the control room layout with adjacent areas includes a report with a 3D model, which can be exported to CAD.

The following steps are included in "Extended":

  1. Analysis of the existing control room and information gathering on the current design.
  2. Procurement of outline documents and a questionnaire is conducted on the existing control room for a good understanding of the situation and needs.
  3. On site visits in order to obtain a good understanding of the situation.
  4. Conceptual design phase - different proposals and questionnaire documents are created.
  5. An extensive Human Factors Study highlighting the human role in the control process.
  6. Brand research for incorporating the control room design into your brand.
  7. Presentation of the different proposals (conceptual designs) with agreement on which proposal will be arranged into a final 3D SketchUp layout model.
  8. Final delivery of the control room layout with adjacent areas includes a report with a 3D model, which can be exported to CAD.

How Do We Work

  1. We start with Design Studies, where you can choose the level of complexity to suit your specific needs. This stage covers research such as site inspection and interviews with all relevant parties.

  2. Then we conduct an in-depth Analysis using tools including visual presentations to convey the essence of the design concept.

  3. That's followed by an Iterative Design process using labor-saving 3D modeling tools for efficient planning and selection of products and auxiliary equipment. We also offer virtual reality (VR) simulations as an extra service.

With our unique expertise we deliver outstanding spatial planning and optimized workstation configuration. We also understand that successful control room design involves the full scope of stakeholders – not only operators and managers, but also technicians working in the background. Providing the best space to work in can enhance the performance of all your personnel.

Most of all, we look forward to working with you.

Related control room furniture supplies

Control room consoles

High performance Extended Operator Workplace
Collaborative touchscreens

Collaboration Table - a new way of presenting information during KPI discussion, shift handover meetings
Control room desks

Solid desk system platforms to build upon and around
Auxiliary equipment

Control room chairs, lighting modules, multi-screens, room dividers, noise dampeners

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