Air

Indoor Air Quality

Air pollution is one of the most prevalent environmental killers, especially in developing countries, with approximately 7 million deaths annually worldwide. New Designs have the opportunity to design for good indoor air quality, but many older buildings would also need to improve the indoor environment. We spend the majority of our time indoors, making it worth the effort and investment to ensure the very air we breathe is not causing us harm. Outdoor sources that pollute the air include: traffic and industrial pollution. Indoor sources of air pollution are generated from things like cooking, tobacco smoke, cleaning products, personal care, and printers. Building materials and furnishings include pollution from elements like plywood, paint, furniture, and floor or wall coverings. There are many ways that designers can manage the quality of air in a built environment. The following are some of the strategies we can use.

mechanical ventilation system: either automatic or manual detectors may be utilized to determine when ventilation is needed in a space. Automated systems can be set to a timer or programmed to detect pollutants levels, such as CO2, and are the most efficient option.

natural ventilation: which eliminates costly mechanical equipment and ductwork from a project while also providing lower running costs. Building inhabitants enjoy the psychological benefits of contact with nature. By nature, however, natural ventilation is not controlled and therefore may not always be sufficient.

Incorporate of both natural and mechanical ventilation: considered hybrid systems. Today’s sustainability certification programs recognize the importance of IAQ and fresh air and have incorporated it into their specifications.

Systems like these hint at the directions that architects and designers can take to provide buildings with healthy air. The encompassing strategy and best practice to improve indoor air quality is to reduce pollution at its source while also improving ventilation and purifying the air. A solid starting point is to carefully specify non-polluting materials and equipment to eliminate VOCs as much as possible, yet various mitigating factors can make this impractical or even unfeasible.

Incorporate plants into a building design: through a green wall or indoor planting area. Plants not only filter carbon dioxide and possibly some harmful chemicals out of the air, but the principles of biophilia posit that for humans to be in contact with nature increases mental and physical well-being. Plants alone, however, cannot solve a building’s air quality problems.