Cambridge, Mass.
Harvard University's Center for Climate Health and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) has created the Healthy Buildings Program to study the effects of the built environment on health, productivity, and wellbeing. The nine foundations of a healthy building can optimize occupant health, preferably in a smoke-free environment with active design to promote movement.
- Air Quality: Choose supplies, office supplies, furnishings, and building materials with low chemical emissions to limit sources of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. Check for legacy pollutants such as lead, PCBs, and asbestos. Limit vapor intrusion by using a vapor barrier. Maintain humidity levels between 30-60% to mitigate odor issues. Conduct annual air quality testing. Respond to and evaluate occupant concerns.
- Thermal Health: Meet minimum thermal comfort standards for temperature and humidity and keep thermal conditions consistent throughout the day. Provide individual-level thermal control, where possible. Survey the space and occupants regularly to identify zones that underperform. Respond to and evaluate occupant concerns. Commission systems, conduct regular maintenance, and monitor temperature and humidity in real-time to prevent and resolve thermal comfort issues promptly.
- Moisture: Conduct regular inspections of roofing, plumbing, ceilings, and HVAC equipment to identify sources of moisture and potential condensation spots. When moisture or mold is found, immediately address moisture source and dry or replace contaminated materials. Identify and remediate underlying source of the moisture issue.
- Dust and Pests: Use high efficiency filter vacuums and clean surfaces regularly to limit dust and dirt accumulation, which are reservoirs for chemicals, allergens, and metals. For homes, take off shoes at the door to limit tracking in dirt. Develop an integrated pest management plan with a focus on preventative measures such as sealing entry points, preventing moisture buildup, and removing trash. Avoid pesticide use, if possible. Train building management how to respond to pest problems and complaints.
- Safety and Security: Meet fire safety and carbon monoxide monitoring standards. Provide adequate lighting in common areas, stairwells, emergency egress points, parking lots, and building entryways. Manage points of egress and the physical perimeter. Be situationally aware through video monitoring, interactive patrols, and incident reporting. Maintain a holistic emergency action plan and mechanism for communication to building occupants.
- Water Quality: Meet the U.S. National Drinking Water Standards at point-of-use. Test water quality regularly. Install water purification system for removal of contaminants, if necessary. Ensure residual disinfectant levels are sufficient to control microbes, but not in excess. Prevent water stagnation in pipes.
- Noise: Protect against outdoor noises such as traffic, aircraft and construction. Control indoor sources of noise such as mechanical equipment, office equipment and machinery. Provide spaces that minimize background noise to 35db for unoccupied work and learning areas, and a maximum reverberation time of 0.7 seconds.
- Lighting and Views: Provide task lighting for comfortable viewing. Provide direct lines of sight to exterior windows from all workstations. Provide as much daylighting and/or blue-enriched lighting as possible without introducing glare. Incorporate nature and nature-inspired design indoors.
- Ventilation: Meet or exceed local outdoor air ventilation rate guidelines to control indoor sources of odors, chemicals, and carbon dioxide. Filter outdoor and recirculated air with a minimum removal efficiency of 75% for all particle size fractions including nano. Avoid outdoor air intakes at street level or near other outdoor sources of pollutants. Commission systems, conduct regular maintenance, and monitor ventilation in real-time to prevent and resolve ventilation issues promptly.
The nine foundations of a healthy building are available as a PDF from C-CHANGE.
