All you need to know about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Our guide to the role of indoor air quality (IAQ) in creating healthy buildings and wellness real estate

Dyson indoor air purifier in the bedroom of Casa Biofilico, our residential project in Barcelona, Spain

What indoor pollutants affect indoor air quality (IAQ)?

Indoor pollutants such as CO2 have a negative impact on cognitive function and performance. the best solution is source control - nipping the problem in the bud, by not bringing harmful materials into the space that carry chemicals, VOCs or off-gases.

For that, we need building materials and fit-out materials that disclose their chemical ingredients, ideally with a healthy product accreditation to back up their claims.

One of the main culprits in this sense are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) or chemicals that off-gas at ambient temperature from building materials such as particle board, glues, paints and carpet backing 

Particulate Matter PM2.5 and PM10 are made up of dust and synthetic materials decomposing around us from furniture, fabrics and so on.

How do green healthy buildings improve indoor air quality?

Green healthy buildings have been shown to have a positive impact on cognitive scores, even a 10% increase in productivity in an office or workplace can pay potentially for or greatly offset a business’s rental costs.

What’s more, health & safety are often the main criteria in building satisfaction for occupants. Deliver a healthy building with high quality indoor air and you add value to the property in other words.

Primarily this is done through a combination of adequate ventilation adapted to the specific location of each project and consideration for the building materials used during construction and materials used in the fit-out.

how to positive impact indoor air quality?

Natural ventilation and high-grade HVAC filters on one side combined with a green procurement policy that specifies healthy, non-toxic materials that do not give off harmful VOCs on the other is the key.

We also advocate for an abundance of air-purifying indoor plants and sufficient numbers of air quality monitors wall-mounted at around head height to ensure we can control and monitor the situation in real time post-occupancy.

We then layer in various facilities management strategies such as enhanced cleaning protocols, green cleaning policies, walk-off mats and so on to ensure the indoor air quality is maintained over time,.

What standards exist for indoor air quality?

RESET AIR focuses specifically on this one theme, whereas other standards such as WELL have a dedicated chapter to indoor air quality. Broadly their content is aligned, combining information about the risks of getting it wrong with strategies for getting indoor air quality right.