Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity
... Sick building syndrome can lead to decreases in performance and productivity through symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, muddled thinking, mental fatigue, and drowsiness [1]. Healthy buildings that incorporate sustainable design principles and materials tend to have a positive effect on occupants' well-being, satisfaction, and productivity [2]. To that extent, microalgae facades as a design solution address environmental concerns as well as occupants' health and well-being. ...
... Creativity in ideation is a prerequisite for innovation [43]. As architects, it is essential to understand the impact that built spaces have on occupant health, safety, and happiness [2]. Designing for sustainability requires innovation beyond traditional design approaches [44]. ...
... In addition to evaluating their technical performance, it is important to understand their impact on humans occupying these spaces. Indoor spaces have a significant influence on our psychology and experiences [2]. Implementing novel sustainable architectural elements, such as microalgae facades, is a way to move forward and improve our living spaces. ...
The influence of nature on occupant well-being and performance has been proved in office, hospital, and educational settings. There is evidence that plants and green colors affect creative and psychological responses. The microalgae facade in the study integrated spirulina, blue-green microalgae, which were cultivated using natural daylight and room air. While a good body of research explores nature’s impact on people, research on microalgae systems has not been linked to creative performance. This pilot study, therefore, focused on how the microalgae facade influences occupant mood and creativity. Forty architecture students were randomly assigned to the control and experimental rooms. The control group was surveyed in a room with a traditional window, whereas the experimental group was surveyed in a room with a biochromic window. Research design for the two conditions remained the same under IEQ-controlled environments except for the inclusion of the microalgae facade. Forty architecture students completed two creativity tasks—alternative use test (AUT) and remote association test (RAT)—and brainstorming for sustainable design in control and experimental settings. Our preliminary findings indicate that the microalgae facade did not affect divergent ideas and convergent thinking during tasks, but participants in the microalgae façade developed more design solutions that included greenery than students in the control space. This research is a preliminary investigation into the human impact of a microalgae façade and represents a new focus for scientific research. More work is needed to better grasp to what extent implementing a microalgae façade will impact human behavior in space.
... In many cases, we can use buildings to learn about history and civilisations (e.g., Refs. [22,[24][25][26][27][28]). At present, about 90% of our time is spent indoors [29,30]; therefore, buildings have recently become more significant than ever. The building industry affects the materials flow, the need for products, job markets, etc., on a massive scale. ...
... [70,77,78]), schools (e.g., Refs. [30,68,79,80]), etc. By classifying the literature from a different perspective, housing-sector-related research on WB also incorporates categories such as humidity balance, thermal insulation and comfort, air circulation and ventilation, lighting and view, energy usage and optimisation, etc. (e.g., Refs. ...
... Thus, for the housing sector, WB is extraordinarily essential, by which the industry, especially designers and planners as well as authorities, can invisibly improve the health of society. Designers of buildings, public and private spaces, and districts and urban areas build up the contexts and patterns of people's lives, which influence society to the extent that they cause certain patterns and behaviours [30,[100][101][102][103][104]. ...
The health of humans and the planet are the most vital contemporary issues and essential components of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Scientists and professionals strive for integrated, evolving, healthy, and sustainable solutions encompassing biodiversity and industrial ecology, while offering viable economic attainments. The building industry, especially construction, is an extensive economic counterpart that largely influences health on various levels. On a practical scale, most direct or indirect impacts on health are related to conventional construction systems (CCSs), particularly their materialisations and implementation methods. Therefore, from a global perspective, emerging technologies or remodelled methods to accomplish sustainable use, reuse, and recycling, and improving the planet’s health to ensure the wellbeing of its inhabitants, are crucial. The current research is part of a broader study on “programmable construction systems” (PCSs), concentrating on “programmable construction materials” (PCMs) for health. Therefore, issues are reviewed, relevancies are addressed, and health-oriented concepts are discussed. Example concepts of formulation and the simplified toolkit creations follow the problems’ sources in a case study, providing insight into the resulting multiscale impacts on real-life practices. The results prove the method’s potential and validate its simplicity and applicability through an abstract examination of a newly built case study. Finally, the summarised outcomes of other extensive studies on societal preferences also confirm the feasibility of the hypothesis (i.e., the healthy materialisation) also from a social perspective.
... Healthy building initiatives encourage active designs to support physical activity, promote health, and limit chronic disease. 11,12,14,15 This concept has been described in several publications, 11,12,14,15 and was recently expanded in a published report "The 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building". 14,15 The healthy building determinants described in this report by Allen et al 14,15 are: air quality, ventilation, dust and pests, lighting and views, moisture, noise, safety and security, thermal health, and water quality. ...
... Healthy building initiatives encourage active designs to support physical activity, promote health, and limit chronic disease. 11,12,14,15 This concept has been described in several publications, 11,12,14,15 and was recently expanded in a published report "The 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building". 14,15 The healthy building determinants described in this report by Allen et al 14,15 are: air quality, ventilation, dust and pests, lighting and views, moisture, noise, safety and security, thermal health, and water quality. ...
... 11,12,14,15 This concept has been described in several publications, 11,12,14,15 and was recently expanded in a published report "The 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building". 14,15 The healthy building determinants described in this report by Allen et al 14,15 are: air quality, ventilation, dust and pests, lighting and views, moisture, noise, safety and security, thermal health, and water quality. While no gold standard exists for defining healthy building determinants, this report offers a structured attempt at describing some of the important healthy building determinants and provides a general framework from which to expand. ...
Objective
Back pain and neck pain are very common, costly, and disabling. Healthy building determinants within the built environment have not been adequately assessed as contributors to these conditions. The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature on the relationship of healthy building determinants with back and neck pain.
Data Source
PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and PEDRo. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Studies were included if they met the following criteria: Adults, comparison of healthy building determinants (air quality, ventilation, dust and pests, lighting and views, moisture, noise, safety/security, thermal health, water quality) with back and neck pain, original research, English. Studies were excluded if full text articles were unavailable and if the focus was patient and materials handling or ergonomics.
Data Extraction
Data extraction and other review procedures were elaborated according to PRISMA guidelines. Data Synthesis: Data were synthesized with an approach adapted from Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and American Physical Therapy Association.
Results
37 articles enrolling 46,223 participants were eligible. Most articles were cross-sectional (31/37) and fair quality (28/37). None were interventional. Evidence was found to generally support a relationship indicating that as healthy building determinants worsen, the risk of back and neck pain increases.
Conclusion
Although the available evidence precludes interpretations about causality, the study's findings are starting points to guide future research, knowledge creation, and health promotion initiatives about the relationships of the built environment with back and neck pain.
... However, a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Energy cites "Technology Enhancements for Current Systems" as one of four high priority interventions for reducing energy usage, with the topranked technology, "Advanced HVAC Sensors", projected to cut current annual commercial energy use by 3.5 percent [1]. Given that Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, increasing HVAC efficiency while providing high indoor air quality (IAQ) is paramount [2]. Intensive HVAC operation maintains high IAQ, but at a significant energy cost. ...
... Particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in width is classified as PM 2.5 , which is generated from vehicle exhaust, burning fossil fuels, cooking, and chemical reactions in the atmosphere [9]. PM 2.5 can be filtered from building air streams using HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) or high MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) filters, yet buildings that lack these technologies can have elevated indoor PM 2.5 levels, leading to negative health effects [2]. The EPA maintains a 24-hour maximum PM 2.5 exposure standard of 12 µg/m 3 [10]. ...
... Notably, the economic impact of this productivity decrease also demonstrated that regaining that 2% productivity increase yields a 9% increase in net revenue for a company working within that environment. (Allen and Macomber 2020) Another study conducted in New York City identified that schools with an internal temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit saw a 14% higher likelihood of failing an exam than if that same space was controlled to 75 degrees (Allen and Macomber 2020). ...
... Notably, the economic impact of this productivity decrease also demonstrated that regaining that 2% productivity increase yields a 9% increase in net revenue for a company working within that environment. (Allen and Macomber 2020) Another study conducted in New York City identified that schools with an internal temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit saw a 14% higher likelihood of failing an exam than if that same space was controlled to 75 degrees (Allen and Macomber 2020). ...
An efficient building should be able to control its internal temperature in a manner that considers both the building’s energy efficiency and the comfort level of its occupants. Thermostats help to control the temperature within a building by providing real-time data on the temperature inside that space to determine whether it is within the acceptable range of that building’s control system, and proper thermostat placement helps to better control a building’s temperature. More thermostats can provide better control of a building, as well as a better understanding of the building’s temperature distribution. In order to determine the minimum number of thermostats required to accurately measure and control the internal temperature distribution of a building, it is necessary to find the locations that show similar environmental conditions. In this paper, we analyzed high resolution temperature measurements from a commercial building using wireless sensors to assess the performance and health of the building’s HVAC zoning and controls system. Then we conducted two cluster analyses to evaluate the efficiency of the existing zoning structure and to find the optimal number of clusters. K-means and time series clustering were used to identify the temperature clusters per building floor. Based on statistical assessments, we observed that time series clustering showed better results than k-means clustering.
... Specifically in workplaces, researchers have shown that IEQ significantly affects workers' well-being, health, and productivity (Al horr et al., 2016;Alker et al., 2014;Clements-Croome, 2006;Humphreys & Nicol, 2007). Considering that people's salaries and benefits represent the largest part of the expenses linked to the life cycle of a commercial building (with the other expenses associated with utilities and rent), an improvement of the IEQ of the workplace could result in significant economic benefits for an organization due to the resulting increased productivity and health (Allen & Macomber, 2020). Additionally, such improvements have been shown to have a positive influence on workers even after they leave the office, including improved sleep quality (Aries et al., 2010). ...
... In addition, these studies analyzed online reviews referring to the hospitality sector (Airbnb and hotels) Villeneuve & O'Brien, 2020), and not to the workplace. The Glassdoor website has been highlighted as a potential source of information about the IEQ of different workplaces (Allen & Macomber, 2020). However, to date, Glassdoor reviews have only been analyzed from a management perspective (Dabirian et al., 2017;Moro et al., 2020). ...
The analysis of occupants’ perception can improve building indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Going beyond conventional surveys, this study presents an innovative analysis of occupants’ feedback about the IEQ of different workplaces based on web-scraping and text-mining of online job reviews. A total of 1,158,706 job reviews posted on Glassdoor about 257 large organizations (with more than 10,000 employees) are scraped and analyzed. Within these reviews, 10,593 include complaints about at least one IEQ aspect. The analysis of this large number of feedbacks referring to several workplaces is the first of its kind and leads to two main results: (1) IEQ complaints mostly arise in workplaces that are not office buildings, especially regarding poor thermal and indoor air quality conditions in warehouses, stores, kitchens, and trucks; (2) reviews containing IEQ complaints are more negative than reviews without IEQ complaints. The first result highlights the need for IEQ investigations beyond office buildings. The second result strengthens the potential detrimental effect that uncomfortable IEQ conditions can have on job satisfaction. This study demonstrates the potential of User-Generated Content and text-mining techniques to analyze the IEQ of workplaces as an alternative to conventional surveys, for scientific and practical purposes.
... Finally, the current pandemic caused by COVID-19 has revived the debate on the impact of the built environment on health and disease transmission, going beyond strictly health aspects and analysing the relationship between architecture and people's individual and collective way of life [33]. This debate can influence urban and architectural aspects, and offers the opportunity to reconcile the necessary architectural response to the pandemic with healthier and more sustainable development linked to climate change, linking energy efficiency, comfort, air quality and health [34]. An architecture capable of providing a compatible response balanced between health, social transformations, economic interests and environmental sustainability [35]. ...
This paper looks at the energy efficiency of the Cité Frugès in Pessac, designed in 1924 by Le Corbusier. Many of the innovations introduced by the Modern movement, such as flat roofs, large windows and solar protection elements, are still evident in the way architecture is carried out today. Most of these contributions were implemented in the Cité Frugès. The aim is to evaluate the architectural design criteria that most influenced the energy performance of Le Corbusier’s works, and to analyse the improvement that could be achieved by energy rehabilitation. The methodology used consisted of a systematised study of the five dwellings designed by Le Corbusier. For the modelling and calculation of their energy performance the “Líder–Calener unified tool” was used for evaluation, under the standards of compliance with European regulations for nearly zero energy consumption buildings. Energy parameters, such as thermal transmittance, solar gains and overall annual energy demand, were tested. The results obtained provide information on energy performance and allow for the analysis of possible energy refurbishment alternatives. The analysis of the results makes it possible to identify and qualitatively and quantitatively assess the limitations of the most relevant architectural and construction aspects in relation to energy efficiency and to draw up an energy map of the Cité Frugès in Pessac.
... Our study was strengthened by use of the same classrooms over a two-week period in the same elementary school. The classrooms were of approximately equal size (area: 140 m 2 and 152 m 2 ; volume: 427 m 3 and 463 m 3 ) and layout, and there was a consistent number of students (14)(15)(16) in each classroom over the sampling period (S1 Fig). This limited potential ...
Given the increased use of air cleaners as a prevention measure in classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aimed to investigate the effects of portable air cleaners with HEPA filters and window A/C fans on real-time (1 minute) concentrations of PM less than 2.5 microns (PM 2.5 ) or less than 1 microns (PM 1.0 ) in two classrooms in a non-urban elementary school in Rhode Island. For half of each school day, settings were randomized to “high” or “low” for the air cleaner and “on” or “off” for the fan. Descriptive statistics and linear mixed models were used to evaluate the impacts of each set of conditions on PM 2.5 and PM 1.0 concentrations. The mean half-day concentrations ranged from 3.4–4.1 μg/m ³ for PM 2.5 and 3.4–3.9 μg/m ³ for PM 1.0 . On average, use of the fan when the air cleaner was on the low setting decreased PM 2.5 by 0.53 μg/m ³ [95% CI: -0.64, -0.42] and use of the filter on high (compared to low) when the fan was off decreased PM 2.5 by 0.10 μg/m ³ [95% CI: -0.20, 0.005]. For PM 1.0 , use of the fan when the air cleaner was on low decreased concentrations by 0.18 μg/m ³ [95% CI: -0.36, -0.01] and use of the filter on high (compared to low) when the fan was off decreased concentrations by 0.38 μg/m ³ [95% CI: -0.55, -0.21]. In general, simultaneous use of the fan and filter on high did not result in additional decreases in PM concentrations compared to the simple addition of each appliance’s individual effect estimates. Our study suggests that concurrent or separate use of an A/C fan and air cleaner in non-urban classrooms with low background PM may reduce classroom PM concentrations.
... Students typically spend 15,600 h in classrooms by the time they graduate from high school. The amount of time spent in classes is second only to the amount of time spent at home [1,2]. A significant relationship exists between indoor environment quality (IEQ) of classrooms and student's learning abilities, psycho-social development, problem-solving abilities and health [3]. ...
Children differ from adults in their physiology and cognitive ability. Thus, they are extremely vulnerable to classroom thermal comfort. However, very few reviews on the thermal comfort of primary school students are available. Further, children-focused surveys have not reviewed the state-of-the-art in thermal comfort prediction using machine learning (AI/ML). Consequently, there is a need for discussion on children-specific challenges in AI/ML-based prediction. This article bridges these research gaps. It presents a comprehensive review of thermal comfort studies in primary school classrooms since 1962. It considers both conventional (non-ML) studies and the recent AI/ML studies performed for children, classrooms, and primary students. It also underscores the importance of AI/ML prediction by analyzing adaptive opportunities for children/students in classrooms. Thereafter, a review of AI/ML-based prediction studies is presented. Through an AI/ML case-study, it demonstrates that model performance for children and adults differs markedly. Performance of classification models trained on ASHRAE-II database and a recent primary students’ dataset shows a 29% difference in thermal sensation and 86% difference in thermal preference, between adults and children. It then highlights three major children-specific AI/ML challenges, viz., “illogical votes”, “multiple comfort metrics”, and “extreme class imbalance”. Finally, it offers several technical solutions and discusses open problems.
... People spend about 90% of their time indoors, so it is extremely important that they feel comfortable there [1]. In addition to general well-being, thermal comfort influences the effectiveness of learning and work performance [2,3]. ...
Thermal comfort affects not only the well-being of the occupants of a building but also the effectiveness of their learning and work efficiency. It can be disturbed if the ventilation airflow is increased when improving indoor air quality. When natural ventilation is used in the fall and winter period, the supply air temperature is low, resulting in a lack of thermal comfort. In existing buildings, there is often no place for mechanical ventilation; hence, decentralised façade ventilation units are increasingly used. The article presents an analysis of thermal comfort in rooms with this type of unit equipped with heat recovery exchangers of different efficiencies. Studies have shown that the alternating supply/exhaust airflow and the related unevenness of air streams flowing through the heat accumulator cause an inflow of low-temperature air, resulting in thermal discomfort. The highest value of the PMV index was −1.6, and the lowest was −4.1, which means that 54.8 to 100% of the occupants are dissatisfied with their thermal comfort. This means there is a need to change the construction of inlet/exhaust vents so that the stream of supply air is not directly parallel to the floor. In addition, the use of an air heater should be considered.
... Bacterial and fungal growth rates (CFU per ml or area of mycelium) at EC window (both clear and tinted) were compared with Blinds individually. Percentage of growth rate reduction was calculated using Equation 1. Results are summarized in Table 1. ...
Built environments play a key role in the transmission of infectious diseases. Ventilation rates, air temperature, and humidity affect airborne transmission while cleaning protocols, material properties and light exposure can influence viability of pathogens on surfaces. We investigated how indoor daylight intensity and spectrum through electrochromic (EC) windows can impact the growth rate and viability of indoor pathogens on different surface materials (polyvinyl chloride [PVC] fabric, polystyrene, and glass) compared to traditional blinds. Results showed that tinted EC windows let in higher energy, shorter wavelength daylight than those with clear window and blind. The growth rates of pathogenic bacteria and fungi were significantly lower in spaces with EC windows compared to blinds: nearly 100% growth rate reduction was observed when EC windows were in their clear state followed by 41%–100% reduction in bacterial growth rate and 26%–42% reduction in fungal growth rate when EC windows were in their darkest tint. Moreover, bacterial viabilities were significantly lower on PVC fabric when they were exposed to indoor light at EC‐tinted window. These findings are deemed fundamental to the design of healthy modern buildings, especially those that encompass sick and vulnerable individuals.
... Environmental psychology is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the interplay between individuals and their surroundings. It examines the way in which natural and built environments can unwittingly shape people's perceptions, attitudes, or behaviors (Allen & MacComber, 2020;Donohoe, 2014;Goldhagen, 2017). We recently published two thorough reviews of environmental factors related to haunt and poltergeist episodes, which revealed an urgent need for additional research due to the paucity of highly relevant studies Jawer et al., 2020). ...
The idea of ‘life after death’ transcends philosophy or religion, as science can test predictions from claims by both its advocates and skeptics. This study therefore featured two researchers with opposite views, who jointly gathered hundreds of research studies to evaluate the maximum average percentage effect that seemingly supports (i.e., anomalous effects) or refutes (i.e., known confounds) the survival hypothesis. The mathematical analysis found that known confounds did not account for 39% of survival-related phenomena that appear to attest directly to human consciousness continuing in some form after bodily death. Thus, we concluded that popular skeptical explanations are presently insufficient to explain a sizable portion of the purported evidence in favor of survival. People with documented experiences under conditions that overcome the known confounds thus arguably meet the legal requirements for expert witness testimony. The equation that led to our verdict can also purposefully guide future research, which one day might finally resolve this enduring question scientifically.
Keywords: anomalous experience, empiricism, paranormal belief, probability, survival
... Environmental psychology is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the interplay between individuals and their surroundings. It examines the way in which natural and built environments can unwittingly shape people's perceptions, attitudes, or behaviors (Allen & MacComber, 2020;Donohoe, 2014;Goldhagen, 2017). We recently published two thorough reviews of environmental factors related to haunt and poltergeist episodes, which revealed an urgent need for additional research due to the paucity of highly relevant studies Jawer et al., 2020). ...
... Protects employee safety and security. When we don't feel safe and secure, our wellbeing is dramatically degraded (Allen and Macomber, 2020). ...
... In addition to the professional groups surveyed here, other needs analyses (e.g., policymakers, building owners, tenants) are necessary to establish moisture safety in buildings. Furthermore, factors such as climate change, evolving building uses [17], economic status [11], and potentially increased respiratory illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic [7] should not be neglected. ...
We conducted comparative surveys of design consultants in three countries to determine current knowledge and experienced moisture problems. The study is part of the CIB W040 research roadmap needs analyses for realigning research efforts with stakeholder requirements for moisture safety. Survey results show that a third of construction projects in the last five years were affected by moisture problems, even though practitioners applied multiple preventative measures at least some of the time. Water installations caused approximately 20 % of the moisture damage. In each country, preventing moisture damage was necessary; the means to address problems varied, with no one dominating solution. Design and construction guidelines were more helpful than the building code requirements. Information is available, but designers need dedicated time and budget for implementing better moisture safety. A quantitative goal is to increase the frequency of moisture safety measures while increasing the availability of tools. The usefulness of selected measures and instruments is strongly case-specific. Subtopic analysis such as causes of moisture damage due to leaky water installations needs more detailed investigation. Further research is needed building upon the online survey results to develop intelligent tools preventing moisture damage in the design, construction, and building occupancy phases.
... The analysis of online reviews has been used in the hospitality sector to study the IEQ of hotels and Airbnb locations [4,5]. The website Glassdoor has recently been highlighted as a a potential source of information about the IEQ of different workplaces worldwide [6]. ...
Text-mining allows analyzing a large amount of non-structured data, such as online reviews, to gain insights about previously unknown information. Online job reviews contain a variety of information, ranging from salary estimations to interview experiences. Among this information, the text posted online can report an evaluation of the workplace’s indoor environmental quality (IEQ), describing both its positive and negative aspects. When referring to negative characteristics, online reviews can be considered to report IEQ complaints. Such complaints can be categorized according to the four IEQ aspects (i.e., thermal, visual, acoustic, and indoor air quality) and their combination. This paper exploits text-mining techniques to investigate the geographical distribution of the sources of IEQ complaints according to the location in which the job review is posted. The analysis is performed in terms of climate (according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification), country, and population (to consider the distribution between high-density and low-density areas). The results show that the distribution of the source of IEQ complaints varies according to the climate and the country, even though thermal aspects are always the largest source of discomfort in all countries and climatic zones. The more significant rates of thermal complaints are observed in the U.S. and India. They could be associated with the extensive use of HVAC systems and the restrictive operating temperatures adopted in these countries. The results also show that acoustic, indoor air quality and visual complaints are more numerous in large cities than in rural areas, where thermal complaints prevail. This paper provides a picture of the current IEQ discomfort across several geographical regions and highlights the great potential of User-Generated-Content to study various aspects of the IEQ, in this case, their geographic distribution.
... Several authors have provided systematic reviews of the IEQ performance in green-certified buildings (Lee & Kim 2008;Fowler et al. 2011;Todd et al. 2013;CBE 2014;Zuo & Zhao 2014;Allen et al. 2015;Cedeño Laurent et al. 2018;Khoshbakht et al. 2018;Geng et al. 2019;Allen & Macomber 2020;McArthur & Powell 2020;Worden et al. 2020;Ascione et al. 2022). However, less attention has been given to specific, actionable, guidance for the improvement of rating systems. ...
Although indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and human health have been on the agenda of the green building industry, a new emphasis is being placed on building features that explicitly promote the experience of occupants. However, evidence of the performance of green-certified buildings from the occupant perspective remains inconsistent, with numerous questions on how to effectively design, assess and promote ‘healthy buildings’. Focusing on the key IEQ categories of indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting and acoustics, this paper synthesises emerging knowledge related to IEQ and health; identifies research and practical challenges that may impede the performance of green-rated buildings; sets the foundations for researchers and green rating system developers to capture immediate and long-term opportunities; and proposes a new framework for green-certified buildings. The envisioned future of green buildings will need to be based on a thorough knowledge of the building and its users, their inter- and intra-individual variability, their spatiotemporal localisation, their activities, their history of exposures, together with a capacity of anticipation of the likelihood of future events and preparedness for them. A balanced, integrated, consideration of these factors can provide the basis for more effective green building certification systems. 'Practice relevance' The Covid-19 pandemic has focused attention on the importance of IEQ and highlighted the limitations of prevailing practice for promoting human experience, health and wellbeing. Most critically, the good intentions of project planning are often not reflected in real-world conditions, and establishedbest practiceshave not kept pace with advances in research. This paper provides a critical synthesis of the literature on the effectiveness of green building ratings systems for human experience. It identifies limitations and practical opportunities for improvement in the design and application of rating tools. These observations present specific, actionable, opportunities to improve the design and operation of green building rating systems. Rating system developers and practitioners can use this information to better align design intentions with outcomes. Explicit consideration is needed for differences in individual preferences, spatial and temporal variabilities of IEQ factors, occupant exposure history, and other factors impacting IEQ.
... IEQ can create numerous benefits for building occupants and the broader economy, as modern humans tend to spend more than 90% of their time indoors (Klepeis et al. 2001). The physical, social, and economic characteristics of the buildings where we live, work, and play in can be predominant predictors of our health outcomes (Allen and Macomber 2020). In this sense, healthy buildings may be also a solution to combat the urgent sustainability challenges that face our society, such as prolonged high levels of outdoor air pollution, recent cross-generational demographic trends surrounding health and wellbeing, and high carbon emissions from the building sector . ...
Our paper aims to examine the healthy building adoption patterns by first asking two critical questions that are relevant to the market conditions: What are healthy buildings? What is their financial value for tenants and owners? We then synthesize the existing academic and industry literature. We find some early evidence of a real estate price premium for specific indoor environment quality (IEQ) and design features. In terms of health-focused building certification systems (BCSs), no empirical and quantitative research has been done on the financial performance of healthy buildings, except for theoretical models. We then proceed to conduct interviews with executives of 15 real estate corporations across the globe to understand the perspectives of real estate owner operators and their strategies for this emerging market. The interviews results confirm that the scarcity of empirical evidence that links healthy building attributes to financial returns inhibits the adoption of healthy buildings in mainstream designs. Moreover, differences in the adoption patterns of healthy buildings are due to the building ownership structure at the firm level, tenants, end-users and building conditions. The strategies of firms in pursuing a healthy building range from risk mitigation to proactive pursuit of new growth opportunities. Private equity funds and real estate investment trust (REIT) firms tend to focus on risk mitigation, while direct real estate investment firms are more likely to carry out the latter to position themselves as a leader within the real estate industry.
... The analysis of online reviews has been used in the hospitality sector to study the IEQ of hotels and Airbnb locations [4,5]. The website Glassdoor has recently been highlighted as a a potential source of information about the IEQ of different workplaces worldwide [6]. ...
Text-mining allows analyzing a large amount of non-structured data, such as online reviews, to gain insights about previously unknown information. Online job reviews contain a variety of information, ranging from salary estimations to interview experiences. Among this information, the text posted online can report an evaluation of the workplace's indoor environmental quality (IEQ), describing both its positive and negative aspects. When referring to negative characteristics, online reviews can be considered to report IEQ complaints. Such complaints can be categorized according to the four IEQ aspects (i.e., thermal, visual, acoustic, and indoor air quality) and their combination. This paper exploits text-mining techniques to investigate the geographical distribution of the sources of IEQ complaints according to the location in which the job review is posted. The analysis is performed in terms of climate (according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification), country, and population (to consider the distribution between high-density and low-density areas). The results show that the distribution of the source of IEQ complaints varies according to the climate and the country, even though thermal aspects are always the largest source of discomfort in all countries and climatic zones. The more significant rates of thermal complaints are observed in the U.S. and India. They could be associated with the extensive use of HVAC systems and the restrictive operating temperatures adopted in these countries. The results also show that acoustic, indoor air quality and visual complaints are more numerous in large cities than in rural areas, where thermal complaints prevail. This paper provides a picture of the current IEQ discomfort across several geographical regions and highlights the great potential of User-Generated-Content to study various aspects of the IEQ, in this case, their geographic distribution.
... The approach was developed following the practice of evidence-based medicine that integrates individual clinical expertise with the best available evidence from systematic research (Sackett et al., 1996). It also relates to a more extensive research field that examines the connection between architectural design and health (Allen & Macomber, 2020;Peters, 2017). While developed primarily for healthcare design, EBD is a universal approach relevant to the design of all building types (Hamilton & Watkins, 2009;C. ...
Objective
The study examines the integration of the Evidence-based Design (EBD) approach in healthcare architecture education in the context of an academic design studio.
Background
Previous research addressed the gap between scientific research and architectural practice and the lack of research on the use of the EBD approach in architectural education.
Methods
The research examines an undergraduate architectural studio to design a Maggie’s Centre for cancer care in Israel and evaluates the impact of the EBD approach on the design process and design outcomes. The research investigates the impact of the integration of three predesign tasks: (1) literature review of healing architecture research, (2) analysis and comparison of existing Maggie’s Centres, and (3) analysis of the context of the design project.
Results
The literature review of scientific research supported the conceptual design and development of the projects. The analysis of existing Maggie’s centers, which demonstrated the interpretation of the evidence by different architects, developed the students’ ability to evaluate EBD in practice critically, and the study of the projects’ local context led the students to define the relevance of the evidence to support their vision for the project.
Conclusions
The research demonstrates the advantages of practicing EBD at an early stage in healthcare architectural education to enhance awareness of the impact of architectural design on the users’ health and well-being and the potential to support creativity and innovative design. More studies in design studios are needed to assess the full impact of integrating EBD in architectural education.
... A recent review of building standards reports that WELL and Fitwel have been applied in 51 and 36 countries, respectively (McArthur and Powell 2020). These standards have ridden a wave of interest in health, comfort, well-being, and productivity in buildings across practitioners and scholars, and they have benefitted from explicit links to the green building agenda (Allen et al. 2015, Cedeño-Laurent et al. 2018, Allen and Macomber 2020. Recent research seeks to unpick the health impact of urban regeneration, with significant focus on structural inequities linked to the environment (see Schnake-Mahl et al. 2020). ...
Healthy urban development, in the form of buildings and infrastructure, is necessary to reduce disease and injury internationally. The urban development process is complex, characterised by a plurality of actors, decisions, delays, and competing priorities that affect the integration of health and wellbeing. Despite clear shifts in the built environment sector towards considering health, there is a lack of research about how the principles of healthy design are put into practice in development projects. We explored this topic via semi-structured interviews with 31 built environment and public health professionals involved in such projects in Australia, China, England, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States. We used thematic analysis and three themes emerged from our hybrid deductive and inductive approach, encompassing challenges and potential solutions for integrating health in development. Managing risk, responsibility and economic constraints were paramount to persuade developers to adopt healthy design measures. Participants could push business-as-usual practices towards healthy urbanism by showing economic benefits or piloting new approaches. Finally, participants had contrasting views on whether increasing professional knowledge is required, with several arguing that financial barriers are more problematic than knowledge gaps. This exploratory study contributes insights into an under-research topic and outlines priorities for further investigation.
... The protocol is based on the concept of the 'Hierarchy of Controls' framework originally proposed to deal with occupational hazards [16]. An adaptation of this for building operation during times of high risk is presented in fig. 2 [17]. The actions noted here fall mostly in the third and fourth category from the bottom -engineering controls in spaces and administrative controls. ...
This document discusses a back to work framework for responding to the disruption caused by SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 in 2020. Nothing contained in this document should be regarded as medical advice. This document does not contain the results of primary medical, epidemiological, or pathogen research. It is only intended to summarise information from professional societies and reliable experts in epidemiology, health, and building engineering. Following the recommendations of this document does not reduce the risk of disease transmission in your facility to zero. This document should not be used as part of a submission to fulfil a legal obligation. The authors have cited sources in good faith and as-is, meaning we assume that the reported results are correct unless proved otherwise.
... To uncover a more compelling value proposition, we use the SCC as a shortcut to combining the environmental and social benefits into one value representing a ton of CO 2 emissions. There is a great epiphany in finding that human health and productivity impacts on investments in more sustainable, high-performance building options can be 10 times higher than a single bottom line, traditional payback (Allen & Macomber, 2020a, 2020bSroufe et al., 2019). Students independently learn about, apply, and reflect on proven models and methodologies while honing their skills as researchers, analysts, writers, speakers, and change agents pushing back on traditional business practices while demonstrating an integrated value proposition for sustainability. ...
The buildings in which we teach management and decision analysis are ideal labs for advancing sustainability in management education, experiential learning, and integrated performance measurement. Utilizing building-based learning and design competition, student teams can learn about aspects of sustainability while proposing investments into the spaces we spend over 90% of our time inside of buildings. Buildings on university campuses provide an opportunity to design and deliver hands-on assignments showing how the actions taken on an existing building can improve the overall health and performance of that building and its owners and occupants. Contributions of this study include a primer on how to develop and deliver building-based learning and demonstrating ways in which to integrate a social cost of carbon in investments with a proven approach to assess and measure the return on integration of financial, environmental, and human health and productivity in a return on integration, integrated rate of return, and integrated future value. Insights and the lessons learned provide linkages to learning outcomes and assessment so that learning objectives are aligned with and advance sustainability in management education and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals with outcomes generalizable to any building and business.
[Citation: Sroufe, R. (2020). Business Schools as Living Labs: Advancing Sustainability in Management Education. Journal of Management Education, 44(6), 726-765.]
... These potential measures highlight different levels of contribution towards reducing risk, in which COVID-19 could leverage a sustainable built environment. They make it clear that health and sustainability cannot exist in different domains; sustainable buildings could be the bridge for increasing energy efficiency, ensuring good levels of comfort, air quality and health [87]. The lesson to be learned from this is that the built environment can offer support to the community in terms of greater resilience, and this lesson could be usefully incorporated into future planning [88]. ...
The health system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has involved research into diagnoses and vaccines, but primarily it has required specific treatments, facilities and equipment, together with the control of individual behaviour and a period of collective confinement. The aim of this particular research, therefore, is to discover whether COVID-19 is capable of changing the built environment (BE) and leveraging specific solutions for sustainable buildings or urban areas. Some historical reviews of infectious pandemics have highlighted the development of new solutions in the BE as an additional contribution towards preventing the spread of infection. The BE has an important role to play in supporting public health measures and reducing the risk of infections. The review of potential COVID-19 measures shows the existence of well-referenced solutions, ranging from incremental alterations (organisation of spaces, erection of physical barriers) to structural alterations (windows, balconies) with different timeframes and scales (ranging from changes in building materials to the design of urban areas). A critical exploratory assessment makes it possible to identify measures that may help not only to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission (or even prevent it), but also to increase resilience, improve air quality and lower energy requirements or the use of materials, and thus potentially increase the sustainability of the BE. COVID-19 measures challenge us to rethink buildings and urban areas and potentially leverage sustainable BE solutions with win-win outcomes (minimalist design and other solutions). The specific composition of this set of measures must, however, be further researched.
... Grounded in workplace safety and health's hierarchy of controls (Levy et al., 2017), effective infection control reduces worker exposure to the coronavirus. This includes engineering controls such as increased ventilation of fresh air and highefficiency air filters to reduce airborne pathogens (Allen & Macomber, 2020). Separation methods such as the use of physical barriers between workers and customers at retail checkout stations provide similar controls on potential exposure. ...
Objective
The aim was to recommend an integrated Total Worker Health (TWH) approach which embraces core human factors and ergonomic principles, supporting worker safety, health, and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background
COVID-19 has resulted in unprecedented challenges to workplace safety and health for workers and managers in essential businesses, including healthcare workers, grocery stores, delivery services, warehouses, and distribution centers. Essential workers need protection, accurate information, and a supportive work environment with an unwavering focus on effective infection control.
Method
The investigators reviewed emerging workplace recommendations for reducing workers’ exposures to the novel coronavirus and the challenges to workers in protecting their health. Using a theoretical framework and guidelines for integrating safety and health management systems into an organization for TWH, the investigators adapted the framework’s key characteristics to meet the specific worker safety and health issues for effective infection control, providing supports for increasing psychological demands while ensuring a safe work environment.
Results
The recommended approach includes six key characteristics: focusing on working conditions for infection control and supportive environments for increased psychological demands; utilizing participatory approaches involving workers in identifying daily challenges and unique solutions; employing comprehensive and collaborative efforts to increase system efficiencies; committing as leaders to supporting workers through action and communications; adhering to ethical and legal standards; and using data to guide actions and evaluate progress.
Conclusion
Applying an integrative TWH approach for worker safety, health, and well-being provides a framework to help managers systematically organize and protect themselves, essential workers, and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Application
By using the systems approach provided by the six implementation characteristics, employers of essential workers can organize their own efforts to improve system performance and worker well-being during these unprecedented times.
Back pain and neck pain are important public health concerns and are among the most common and disabling conditions globally. However, the relationships among indoor air quality (IAQ), breathing parameters (pulmonary function, respiratory disorders), and back pain and neck pain have not been adequately assessed. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature about the impact of IAQ and breathing parameters on back pain and neck pain (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022380515). CINAHL, EMBASE, PEDRo, and PubMed databases were searched through January 19, 2023. Inclusion criteria for study eligibility were observational studies (except case reports) or randomized controlled trials (RCTs), published in peer-reviewed journals in the English language, human research, original research, examined the relationships between IAQ, or breathing parameters with back pain or neck pain. Review procedures were conducted and reported according to PRISMA recommendations. Empirical evidence statements were developed for observational studies, and grades of evidence statements were developed for RCTs. Sixty-seven eligible studies were found (54 observational studies and 13 RCTs) that enrolled 345,832 participants. None of the studies assessed the combined impact of IAQ and breathing parameters on back pain or neck pain. No level 1 studies were found, which precludes making strong statements about causality and strong recommendations about the efficacy of IAQ and breathing exercise interventions for reducing pain and disability related to back pain and neck pain. Evidence indicates that poor IAQ and respiratory disorders are related to an increased risk of back pain and neck pain. Conflicting evidence exists about the association between pulmonary function with back pain and neck pain. Evidence for breathing exercise interventions was mixed with numerous limitations. This review provides preliminary evidence on the relationships of IAQ and breathing parameters with back pain and neck pain, which can be used to guide future research and clinical implementation efforts. Assuming positive findings in subsequent research, a wide range of stakeholders involved with this complex human-building-environment interface can be equipped to address IAQ and breathing parameters, along with other established risk factors to help those suffering from back pain and neck pain.
Detection of viable viruses in the air is critical in order to determine the level of risk associated with the airborne diffusion of viruses. Different methods have been developed for the isolation, purification, and detection of viable airborne viruses, but they require an extensive processing time and often present limitations including low physical efficiency (i.e., the amount of collected viruses), low biological efficiency (i.e., the number of viable viruses), or a combination of all. To mitigate such limitations, we have employed an efficient technique based on the magnetic levitation (Maglev) technique with a paramagnetic solution and successfully identified distinct variations in levitation and density characteristics among bacteria (Escherichia coli), phages (MS2), and human viruses (SARS-CoV-2 and influenza H1N1). Notably, the Maglev approach enabled a significant enrichment of viable airborne viruses in air samples. Furthermore, the enriched viruses obtained through Maglev exhibited high purity, rendering them suitable for direct utilization in subsequent analyses such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or colorimetric assays. The system is portable, easy to use, and cost-efficient and can potentially provide proactive surveillance data for monitoring future outbreaks of airborne infectious diseases and allow for the induction of various preventative and mitigative measures.
MSC paper on the effects of the pandemic on construction projects in Kuwait
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a substantial societal burden and various factors affect their causation, recovery, and prognosis. Management of MSDs is complex and requires multifaceted interventions. Given the challenges of MSDs and their continued burden, it is possible that additional elements could impact these disorders that have not been fully researched, for example, indoor environmental quality. Our previous review provided preliminary evidence that healthy building determinants (HBDs) are associated with the risk of back and neck pain. However, the relationship of HBDs with extremity MSDs and general MSDs (i.e., MSDs involving multiple body regions or in which body regions were unspecified in the original reports) has not been formally studied. The purpose of this review was to conduct a systematic literature review to assess the relationship of HBDs with extremity and general MSDs (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022314832). PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and PEDRo databases were searched through April 2022. Inclusion criteria for study eligibility were as follows: humans of ages ≥18 years, reported on one or more of eight HBDs (1. air quality and ventilation, 2. dust and pests, 3. lighting and views, 4. moisture, 5. noise, 6. safety and security, 7. thermal health, 8. water quality), and compared these HBDs with extremity MSDs or general MSDs, original research, English. Exclusion criteria were as follows: articles not published in peer-reviewed journals, full-text articles unavailable. Review procedures were conducted and reported in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. Empirical evidence statements were developed for 33 pairwise comparisons of HBDs with MSDs. The search uncovered 53 eligible studies with 178,532 participants. A total of 74.6% (39/53) of the studies were cross-sectional and 81.1% (43/53) were fair quality. Overall, the majority of uncovered evidence indicates that HBDs are related to risk of extremity and general MSDs. Nineteen comparisons support that as HBDs worsen, the risk of MSDs increases. Six comparisons had conflicting evidence. Three comparisons support that poor HBDs are not related to increased risk of extremity and general MSDs. Five comparisons had no evidence. This systematic review builds upon previous work to provide useful starting points to enhance awareness about the HBD-MSD relationship. These findings can help inform research and public health efforts aimed at addressing suboptimal HBDs through appropriate interventions to improve the lives of those suffering from MSDs.
Air pollution is a persistent issue in dwellings worldwide, costing an estimated 10-25 billion US dollars per year to the United Kingdom's national health service alone. However, it is an "invisible problem" since background pollutants are often imperceptible except during acute pollution events such as wildfires. Although public awareness of ventilation has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are few tools available to assess its efficacy. Widely available sensor systems that can measure these pollutants tend to be single units with simple apps and little connection to mitigation, whereas different rooms in a house may have different pollution issues with different recommended actions. In this study, we present the results of a measurement study conducted using a multi-room sensor kit in twenty-nine dwellings across the UK. We also analyze the occupants' reaction to the hardware, data, and a prototype alerting system. The study shows broad awareness of air quality in the participants. However, this awareness rarely corresponded to effective mitigation actions or ventilation provision. The concept of alerts was welcomed by participants if accompanied by actionable recommendations. The data showed significant pollution events, as measured by proxies such as total VOC and CO 2 , occurring almost daily, particularly in households with gas appliances. These incidents were concentrated around particular times of day and behaviors, indicating that the capacity of infiltration and extract ventilation to bring in adequate fresh air was overwhelmed. No significant outdoor pollution was detected in houses, which was expected given their sheltered peri-urban locations. The study highlights the need for comprehensive implementation of measurement, ventilation, and treatment measures in the UK housing stock to reduce the impact of indoor pollution on health.
En el marco del primer encuentro de la Red Latinoamericana de Escuelas de Arquitectura realizado en Medellín, Colombia, en noviembre de 2021 se discutieron los retos que la Arquitectura en América Latina. En esta discusión fueron expuestos y discutidos, entre otros, dos retos muy alineados con la bioclimática: el cambio climático y la consideración de los factores Humanos. Derivadas de varias investigaciones académicas a lo largo de 10 años, este artículo recoge reflexiones y discute acerca de la urgencia de repensar la arquitectura a la luz de las nuevas condiciones climáticas a las que estarán sometidas las edificaciones que hoy habitamos y diseñamos. Adicionalmente, propone complementar esta discusión desde un enfoque transdisciplinar en el que se considere y visibilicen los factores humanos, específicamente desde el punto de vista de la salud de los habitantes y del rol del Arquitecto para favorecer el bienestar de las personas en espacios interiores. El artículo concluye con la importancia de repensar el rumbo de los planes de estudio de las Escuelas de Arquitectura de manera que se considere el cambio climático y el bienestar de las personas como uno de los ejes problémicos de la enseñanza de la Arquitectura.
Indoor air in residential dwellings can contain a variety of chemicals, sometimes present
at concentrations or in combinations which can have a negative impact on human
health. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) surveys are often required to characterize human
exposure or to investigate IAQ concerns and complaints. Such surveys should include
sufficient contextual information to elucidate sources, pathways, and the magnitude
of exposures. The aim of this review was to investigate and describe the parameters
that affect IAQ in residential dwellings: building location, layout, and ventilation,
finishing materials, occupant activities, and occupant demography. About 180 peer-reviewed
articles, published from 01/2013 to 09/2021 (plus some important earlier
publications), were reviewed. The importance of the building parameters largely depends
on the study objectives and whether the focus is on a specific pollutant or to
assess health risk. When considering classical pollutants such as particulate matter
(PM) or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the building parameters can have a significant impact on IAQ, and detailed information of these parameters needs to be reported in each study. Research gaps and suggestions for the future studies together
with recommendation of where measurements should be done are also provided.
The perception, physiology, behavior, and performance of building occupants are influenced by multi-domain exposures: the simultaneous presence of multiple environmental stimuli, i.e., visual, thermal, acoustic, and air quality. Despite being extensive, the literature on multi-domain exposures presents heterogeneous methodological approaches and inconsistent study reporting, which hinders direct comparison between studies and meta-analyses. Therefore, in addition to carrying out more multi-domain studies, such investigations need to be designed, conducted, and documented in a systematic and transparent way. With the goal to facilitate and support future multi-domain studies and their meta-analyses, this work provides (1) a range of criteria for multi-domain study design and reporting (i.e., defined as quality criteria), and (2) a critical review of the multi-domain literature based on the described criteria, which can serve as guidelines and recommendations for future studies on the topic. The identified quality criteria encompass study set-up, study deployment and analysis, and study outcome, stressing the importance of adopting a consistent terminology and result reporting style. The developed critical review highlights several shortcomings in the design, deployment, and documentation of multi-domain studies, emphasizing the need for quality improvements of future multi-domain research. The ultimate goal of this work is to consolidate our knowledge on multi-domain exposures for its integration into regulatory resources and guidelines, which are currently dominated by single-domain knowledge.
Recent simulation-based studies have indicated that Economic Model Predictive Control (EMPC) of space heating systems can exploit the thermal mass in residential buildings for demand response (DR) purposes in district heating systems. However, there is a lack of studies on residents’ perception and acceptance of the fluctuating indoor air temperature behaviour inherent in EMPC of space heating. This paper reports on a case study featuring the residents of three one-story houses located in Denmark. The houses were equipped with technology enabling remote actuation of radiator thermostats and collection of various indoor environmental data. Four different temperature boost interventions mimicking the typical behaviour of EMPC of radiators were executed while a mixed-methods triangulation design, employing questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, was used to collect subjective data. Data showed that residents accepted the behaviour but only after the benefits of the EMPC were explained. The acceptance was motivated by either the prospect of saving money, environmental benefits, or a combination of both. The results thereby indicate that explaining the benefits of EMPC is important if residents are to abandon their current preferences and practices in favour of an EMPC concept. The explanation should consider the diversity in current preferences, expectations, and level of technological pre-knowledge. In addition, the paper also reports on a range of findings related to technical aspects of realising EMPC in practice.
Energy efficiency and occupant wellbeing are complex concepts increasingly becoming a mainstream building and construction industry focal point. These concepts demand deciding not only the appropriate building materials, techniques, and systems but also abstract qualities, which are challenging to quantify. As recent automation technologies have advanced, the building and construction sector is experiencing rapid progress, bringing about efficient building development methods. However, building design needs an efficient computerized design tool that enables designers to make more reliable decisions to help achieve the intended quality objectives of the buildings. This paper aims to explore the data preparation of energy-efficient and healthy buildings to be utilized in a machine learning (ML) model that can accurately predict the determination of the building variables. The generalized data used in this study were quantified, analyzed, and processed before being utilized in the machine learning model developed using Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP) algorithms. The accuracy of the models was evaluated using the Mean Absolute Error (MAE). The outcome of this study shows that the predictive machine learning model could help decision-makers quantitatively predict the healthy building variables to an adequate level of accuracy.
The physical environment has a powerful impact on our physical and mental health, especially in our homes. One vehicle for advancing a healthier affordable housing stock is the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). The aim of this research was to examine the manner and extent to which various housing quality provisions pertaining to health are embedded in the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) of the LIHTC program. From content analysis of the QAP of each of the 50 states and a survey of state housing finance agencies (HFAs), results revealed that: the most frequently required healthy housing provisions address housing quality, whereas the most incentivized ones address proximity to neighborhood services and amenities; few states bundle high-priority provisions relevant to asthma, respiratory health and toxic exposures, which are major health concerns for vulnerable children; the top two motivators for considering healthy housing provisions in the LIHTC process were “championship and initiation by agency staff” and “learning of similar practices in other states”; among other findings. Recommendations are made for HFA practices, and directions for future research are proposed.
Buildings are the primary human habitat and their health impacts can be far-reaching across time and space. Homes, workplaces, schools and other buildings can be designed not only as refuges from harsh weather, noise and other environmental harms but also as places that support social interaction and ontological security. This chapter introduces several ways of conceptualising healthy buildings before a detailed exploration of the planning and design goals in the outer ring of the THRIVES framework: acoustic and thermal comfort, affordability, tenure security, lighting and space. The Nightingale Housing model from Australia is provided as an example of sustainable and healthy housing that aims to meet the needs of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Emerging topics in healthy building design are discussed, such as how sleep is influenced by lighting, noise and thermal comfort.
The status quo of urban governance is inadequate for the complex challenges affecting health in the twenty-first century. Alongside design and technology innovations, public health and built environment professionals need to find new ways of collaborating with each other, the public and other urban sectors. Transformative solutions for urban health and sustainability can be found in bottom-up and top-down approaches, which can be mutually supportive. Persuading city leaders to prioritise health equity and environmental sustainability will require professionals to learn new communication techniques—framing complex challenges with optimistic stories about what can be achieved and providing real examples. Looking to the future, smart city technologies will be offered as a solution to health problems, but they should not divert attention from the core issues determining the health impact of urban environments including power, privilege and representation.KeywordsDisaster recoveryCOVID-19Transformational changeFramingSmart citiesTransdisciplinarySocio-technical studies
The concept of eudaemonia originates from neo-Aristotelian philosophy and is associated with human flourishing. Self-determination theory, a means to attain eudaemonia, is examined here as a foundational approach to drive Eudaemonic Design--a novel design strategy that aims to achieve holistic physical, mental, and social health, or eudaemonic well-being. This chapter advances Eudaemonic Design as an architectural and organizational approach to create healthful work environments that support employee and business flourishing. The authors argue that the importance of adopting Eudaemonic Design has grown in need and complexity as work is (re)shaped by the constraints and opportunities presented by the pandemic. By contrasting dominant pre-COVID-19 Work from Office expectations against the post-COVID-19 Work from Anywhere model, this chapter explores the application of Eudaemonic Design to deliver holistic workplace well-being, rather than single variable health and wellness alone, now and into the post-COVID-19 future of work.
This final chapter looks to the future to examine some of the approaches currently proposed to address the links between the built environments and poor human and ecological health, and their relative benefits and limitations. These include building certification schemes, post-pandemic design, probiotic interventions, and the circular economy. The final sections then return to practices of classification, and the philosophies that underpin them, to ask how approaches to understanding health, disease and immunity could be developed that more adequately account for buildings and bodies as dynamic process within complex ecologies. The chapter concludes by tracing examples of methodological approaches that illustrate more processual modes of classification in the context of designing and planning for the urban dwellings of the future.
The explosive data growth in the current information age requires consistent new methodologies harmonized with the new IoT era for data analysis in a space-time context. Moreover, intuitive data visualization is a central feature in exploring, interpreting, and extracting specific insights for subsequent numerical data representation. This integrated process is normally based on the definition of relevant metrics and specific performance indicators, both computed upon continuous real-time data, considering the specificities of a particular application case for data validation. This article presents an IoT-oriented evaluation tool for Radon Risk Management (RRM), based on the design of a simple and intuitive Indoor Radon Risk Exposure Indicator (IRREI), specifically tailored to be used as a decision-making aid tool for building owners, building designers, and buildings managers, or simply as an alert flag for the problem awareness of ordinary citizens. The proposed methodology was designed for graphic representation aligned with the requirements of the current IoT age, i.e., the methodology is robust enough for continuous data collection with specific Spatio-temporal attributes and, therefore, a set of adequate Radon risk-related metrics can be extracted and proposed. Metrics are summarized considering the application case, taken as a case study for data validation, by including relevant variables to frame the study, such as the regulatory International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) dosimetric limits, building occupancy (spatial dimension), and occupants' exposure periods (temporal dimension). This work has the following main contributions: (1) providing a historical perspective regarding RRM indicator evolution along time; (2) outlining both the formulation and the validation of the proposed IRREI indicator; (3) implementing an IoT-oriented methodology for an RRM indicator; and (4) a discussion on Radon risk public perception, undertaken based on the results obtained after assessment of the IRREI indicator by applying a screening questionnaire with a total of 873 valid answers.
The objective of this summary is to illustrate new and familiar aspects of the planning and implementation of living and working environments. Current studies indicate a significant correlation between individual productivity and performance and indoor climate factors. Changing circumstances other than the climate, such as new technological possibilities and social developments, have a substantial effect. I will show the economic impact of optimised indoor climate factors on the overall financial results of the company based on the book by Allen and Macomber (Healthy buildings: how indoor spaces drive performance and productivity. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2020). This article is of interest to users, planners and investors involved in or with influence on tasks relevant to indoor climate.
Construction Management programs across the country focus on educating students about the main segments of the construction industry, however, there is not courses that allow students to affiliate themselves with sustainable, healthy building practices. This senior project created the opportunity for students to learn about the rising segment trend of healthy building in construction. Students will be informed about what healthy building is and how it should be implemented into the construction and design process. Topics will focus on discussing hard and soft building components that negatively affect building occupant health and performance, as well as how each component can be changed or newly implemented. A collection of peer reviewed journals, publications, reports, videos, and the book Healthy Buildings, will be the reading material. The course material will provide students with solutions to implement into the design and construction of buildings to improve the wellbeing of building occupants. Students will be introduced to the three major healthy building standard accreditation organizations, IWBI WELL, Fitwel, and Living Building Challenge. This course allows for students to be exposed to data and research that is vital for progressive change in the construction industry.
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