Factors That Make a Healthy Building

A healthy building is all about efficiency. A healthy building is an efficient building that allows the people within the building to operate at their highest functionality. A building is a machine that works on behalf of us humans. The goal of the building is to enable the humans working within the structure to operate at their peak efficiency. If the building enables the people within to work in a productive, happy environment, then it creates a more efficient and profitable asset for the building owner.

Here are some of the factors that make a healthy building:

Ventilation

Outdoor air ventilation rate guidelines should be met or exceeded. Recirculated and outdoor air should be filtered so that even nano-particles are removed efficiently. Outdoor air intakes should be placed away from street-level pollutant sources.

Air Quality

Materials and furnishings with low chemical emissions should be used. Vapor barriers are

necessary for limiting vapor intrusion and humidity levels must be stabilized to control odors.

Thermal Health

Thermal conditions should meet comfort standards and maintain consistent temperature and humidity levels throughout the day.

Moisture

Regular inspections should be conducted to find and remedy any moisture sources and condensation spots within the building’s envelope.

Dust & Pests

Surfaces should be cleaned and vacuumed regularly. Pest issues should be avoided by taking preventative measures such as sealing entry points, preventing moisture buildup, and removing trash promptly.

Safety & Security

Sufficient lighting, video monitoring, incident reporting protocols, fire safety preparations, and maintaining an emergency action plan can ease safety concerns and reduce stress within a building.

Water Quality

Water should be regularly tested and maintained to National Drinking Water Standards, with a water purification system to eliminate contamination. Steps should be taken to avoid water stagnation in pipes.

Noise

Protection from outdoor noises and measures to control indoor noise should be controlled. Sources should keep background noise below 35db and maximum reverberation time under 0.7 seconds.

Lighting & Views

All work and habitation spaces should have direct lines of sight to exterior windows. There should be sufficient task lighting, and as much natural daylight as possible without causing glare.