Indoor Air Quality & Building Design

By Arpit Jain

The book goes through the factors that affect indoor air quality in any built environment. To do this it is important to understand the already existing literature, standards, rules & regulations. What also would be attempted is to find out if there are any regulations in the bye-laws which talk about indoor air quality & indoor air environment. Following are the prime objectives:
1.Assessment of awareness regarding the IAQ.
2.Factors affecting indoor air quality.
3. Availability of codes & regulations guiding towards IAQ informed design.
4.Physical factors or architectural decisions that could affect the IAQ.
5.Role of the HVAC system.
6.Role of an architect.

There have been a few following limitations of the study:
1.Unavailability of the equipment to measure CO2, CO, formaldehyde, radon, ozone, oxides of nitrogen & sulphur & other pollutants.
2.Poor response from the occupants towards the survey.

The methodology of the study: The study is being conducted based on the PM2.5 & PM10 levels in the indoor air forming the basis of the quality of the air. This will be done through various case studies of various built environments. The major focus in this case studies will be their respective HVAC systems since in an enclosed built environment the HVAC system is majorly responsible for the kind of air circulated. Location of equipment will also be factored in to assess the decisions taken while the execution of the project.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arpit Jain
• Release date: Jun 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463992197

Arpit Jain

Arpit Jain is an architect by profession and a seasoned academician as well, with a specialisation in Building Services.He holds extensive experience, of over a decade, in the field of architecture, interiors and landscape design. Sundry projects that he has worked upon include residences, farmhouses, hospitals, NGOs, public institutions & so on. He has also been a part of the team which worked on the beautification project of one-kilometre area around Taj Mahal, Agra.As an academician, he has been mentoring students of Architecture, Interior Design & Landscape Design for more than six years now.

Book preview

Introduction

Several trends have combined to bring IAQ concerns back into prominence. First an increasingly large percentage of people’s time is now spent indoors & in more tightly controlled environments, as a service based economy’s result. Second the oil embargo of 1973 raised the world’s consciousness regarding finite energy sources, producing a sudden & powerful rush toward energy conserving designs. This in turn, encouraged designers to limit the introduction of outside air that required cooling in summer & heating in winter. Third a proliferation of chemicals in our environment has produced a vast array of potential air pollutants from synthetic products permanently installed within buildings, from equipment used indoors & from cleaning fluids used in maintenance.

With less time spent in less and fresh air & surrounded by more pollution sources, increasing number of buildings have seen experiences with more than 20% of occupants complain of symptoms associated with SBS such as headaches, upper respiratory irritation & irritations of the eyes among others. If these symptoms disappear after occupants leave the workplace, SBS is strongly indicated.

Controlling the air quality of indoor may be as significant to building occupants as controlling thermal or acoustical comfort, employers know that lost productivity from either on-the-job illness or sick leave can result in much greater costs. Also it is important to note that acceptable thermal conditions & acceptable IAQ are not synonymous.

Acceptable IAQ depends on four major considerations:

Limiting pollution at source.

Isolating unavoidable sources of pollution.

Providing for an adequate supply & filtering of fresh air.

Maintaining a building & its equipment in a clean condition.

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Even a slight understanding of IAQ does point toward the significance of it since in today’s digital age neither one can reduce the number of electronic equipment like copier, scanners, which are capable of producing ozone, used all around us in homes, offices, schools & other institutions nor one can stop us using other services like HVAC, capable of producing HFCs, or routine cleaning agents which produce pollutants like benzene, methane and other various VOCs.

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The situation gets worse when the focus in regard of IAQ is shifted towards developing or third world countries like Nepal & India. And it gets worst when we start evaluating IAQ levels in cities like Delhi, Gurgaon & other NCR regions which are now being termed as heat islands.

Another disturbing element in developing countries is the fact that a lot of electronic equipment is dumped by developing nations which is either of low quality or in excess which in turn raises the concerns regarding IAQ since such equipment being cheap not only used in offices or homes but also in places like primary schools & other educational facilities.

In addition to this, specific to India where the population in a metro city like Delhi is too high also results in a lot of vehicular traffic leading to a very deteriorated outdoor & indoor air quality which in turn causes a lot of respiratory diseases not only in adults but also in children & new borns. Following chart summaries how bad & lethal the indoor air pollution can be if remain unchecked:

Table 1 – Risk factors for death because of indoor air pollution in India 2010.

Table 1 – Risk factors for death because of indoor air pollution in India 2010.

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Thus the research aims to study ways of improving IAQ through active & passive measures. Can with few technological alterations in systems like HVAC which is one of the most vital contributor in SBS can be made more effective not only energy wise which has been the major focus in past couple of decades but also in terms of occupant’s health & well-being. Also what constructional & architectural factors need to be kept in mind while designing, planning & executing a project so that good IAQ levels can be achieved throughout the life of a building.

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Also in countries like India awareness regarding IAQ also