A healthy indoor environment can eliminate several issues related to “sick-building syndrome” and this is where all residents, as well as real estate developers, building managers and building occupants, play a big part. Given that more than 90 per cent of our time is spent inside one built environment or the other, architects, interior designers, contractors, operators and occupants can influence the delivery of healthy indoor environments.
Different strategies need to be deployed at different phases of the building design, development and life cycle, wherein a different stakeholder can ensure the relevant phase delivers healthy indoor environments. Abu Dhabi’s Estidama green building rating system and Dubai’s green building code assist greatly in achieving these goals.
Healthy indoor environments can be particularly challenging in centrally air-conditioned buildings and buildings with ducted air-conditioning systems. The first step is to ensure adequate fresh air is delivered after treatment for dust and particulates, temperature and humidity. Assuming the municipality’s design and construction guidelines help achieve these, the onus then shifts to the building managers and the occupants to ensure that the indoor environment remains healthy.
Maintenance teams must carry out periodic duct cleaning to eliminate mold and microbes, and not just limit themselves to cursory cleaning of the supply and return grills. Some of the simplest measures have the biggest positive impact. Specifically for commercial buildings, municipality-enforced no-smoking regulations and, for certified green buildings, locating smoking zones at least 25 ft away from building entrances or designing indoor smoking areas with dedicated and independent ventilation system, prevents the single deadliest contaminant in a built environment.
This is a challenge for residential buildings as occupants are free to smoke in their homes. Healthcare practitioners are currently lobbying to ban smoking inside residential buildings.
When painting walls, ceilings and woodwork, use zero or low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, which are typified by the absence of smell and are easily available locally. Low VOC paints have also almost become the norm in the interiors industry. Environmentally friendly liquid cleaners, detergents and dish soaps are available off the shelf in the UAE. These are devoid of harmful chemicals, do a wonderful job of cleaning and leave no impact on the occupants.
Not always associated with indoor environment, daylighting (without sunlight), is an easy way to boost occupant productivity, at zero operating cost. An adequate number of appropriately located thermostats and light switches allow occupants to control their immediate environment, such that they do not fall ill due to temperature fluctuations.
Today the biggest challenge is that building occupants are not aware of the quality of the indoor air that they inhale. Today’s technology allows monitoring of basic, yet vital, parameters like temperature, humidity, air quality, etc., using sensors that are inexpensive, can be installed within minutes and can be linked to smartphones. This enables occupants to be alerted in case of air quality deterioration, so preventive and reactive remedial actions can be taken immediately.
