10 California Buildings News • Q3 2020
Is Air in Buildings Safe to Breathe? Experts Say Good Ventilation, Clean Air Are Essential — Especially in Elevators
Airborne transmission of COVID-19 is said to be the most insidious, with dangerous coronavirus particles floating in the air long after the person who coughed, breathed heavily or sneezed has gone. There is no “zero risk reduction process” that can ensure perfectly safe air quality inside buildings, San Francisco architect Ned Fennie Jr. recently told a webinar audience sponsored by griddig, the office leasing software company. The goal must be, he said, “building trust” that makes it easier for people to return to their offices, and that begins by creating higher levels of transparency. The principal of the firm Fennie & Mehl Architecture said there will be a powerful new focus now on offices that protect the health of employees and customers. But is that possible? Guttman & Bloevoet engineers Tunde Munz and Ashwin Pandt have designed air handling systems for Above: UV technology for decontamination is promising. Photo: Getty Images.
environments as critical as hospital operating rooms as well as general offices. In their opinion increasing mechanical air circulation makes workplaces much safer, especially drawing in more outside air and flushing out air that has been contaminated. Air Quality and Surfaces Inside Elevators Ensuring safer air in elevators is crucial. Tall buildings rely on vertical transportation, and when long lines await a lift that allows only four people at a time in a cab, morning, lunch hour and evening rides will get hectic. Unless elevator companies can come up with new technology. UV-C is promising, but rarely used yet and needs review.
