INDOOR ECOLOGY
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INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................PAGE 3 MATERIALS...........................................................................................................PAGE 5 SEASONAL AFFECT DISORDER.................................................................PAGE 7 MOLD...................................................................................................................PAGE 9 VENTILATION.......................................................................................................PAGE 11 LEGIONNAIRES DISEASE..............................................................................PAGE 13 SICK BUILDING SYNDROME........................................................................PAGE 13 CASE STUDY........................................................................................................PAGE 15
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION 3
When learning how to design spaces one of the last things students probably think about is indoor ecology otherwise known as indoor air quality, however good quality air is one of the most important things to consider. Why have a beautifully designed space if the air quality makes people sick? In this book you will learn the problems, effects and the solutions to indoor ecology. What is Indoor Ecology? In a design aspect indoor ecology is, you guessed right, it is ecology that is indoor however it is much more than that. Indoor Ecology is essentially the quality of the indoor environment, considering the health and comfort of the occupants.1
“Indoor Ecology is essentially the quality of the indoor environment, considering the health and comfort of the occupants.�
Problems: Indoor air pollution is a big issue in all of the different design fields, including residential, healthcare, commercial, etc. This book will focus on commercial buildings, in particular offices. There are many factors that cause bad air quality in offices, if designed poorly. The main factors are materials, mold and ventilation.
Effects: The effects polluted indoor air quality has on people is serious. Some of the effects include SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder), Mold Illness and Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). These illnesses can be quite harmful to people, especially if left untreated.
Solutions: Toxic fumes, mold and sickness is definitely not pleasing to a client or occupant however these issues can be avoided. This book will explain how to resolve and provide solutions to Indoor Ecology issues including toxic fumes, poor ventilation and moisture. 10
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MATERIALS
The materials chosen for a client might look nice but are they sustainable or have any VOCs? Volatile Organic Compounds are organic chemicals that are in the materials used inside spaces. Fumes evaporate and pollute the air. Some of the symptoms are headaches, nausea, and irritation of the nose, eyes and throat. If a person has constant exposure it can cause Cancer to form as well. 3
This chapter covers the problems some materials have, the effects they have on people and some solutions to the problem.
Banana Wood Wall Paneling
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Flax Material
Soy Material
Sustainable Materials Wood made from Sunflower Seeds
Material made from Bamboo Fibers
Today there are countless amounts of sustainable materials available to Interior Designers. Sustainable materials consist of fabric, wood flooring, wallcovering, window treatment, tiles and so many other things. Sustainable products are renewable, reusable and very beautiful. In a lot of cases the sustainable products look nicer then the materials that give off toxins. Since sustainable materials are all natural, they do not give off harmful VOCs. Almost anything can be used to create materials including sunflower seeds, shown in the the photo above. 3
Fibers:
Fibers are all natural and do not use harmful chemicals to produce fabric. •Cotton •Bamboo •Hemp •Seacell (seaweed&wood pulp) •Jute •Silk (natural)
Wood: Wood can be sustainable
when you reuse already used wood, use a short life span wood. Some woods can even come from interesting trees, including banana wood. •Bamboo •Banana •White Ash •White Birch 6
Seasonal Affect Disorder What is Seasonal Affect Disorder? Otherwise known as SAD, a type of depression that is related to changes in the seasons. A lot of the time people start feeling depressed in the winter when the days become shorter and everything feels sort of gloomy outside.
There are multiple ways to prevent SAD, including materials and colors used in the space but also having natural light and good air quality. Soft and Warm materials may help the occupants avoid feeling depressed in the colder seasons. Plants also add a touch of warmth to people and they also help the air quality level out between all the occupants in the building.9
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“Warm, soft materials and colors can help prevent Seasonal Affect Disorder�
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Mold Illness Mold Illness means exactly what it is called, illness from mold. Typically Mold Illness comes from Water-damaged buildings (usually residential). Most people look fine on the outside however the immune system is getting hit hard, mold illness causes chronic sickness if ignored. 11
MOld
This chapter covers the problems of mold, the effects mold has on people and solutions to avoid mold.
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Mold is well known and pretty common in some buildings (usually residential). Mold can be harmless or very dangerous depending on the type of mold. A common safer mold could be Aspergillus (Class B or A) and Cladosporium(Class B or C). Both of these types of mold can be found on walls, insulation, and a few other places. These common molds are not deadly however may cause allergic reactions or in some cases could actually be very toxic. These varying classes means you should never be too careful with mold. Then there is extremely toxic mold including Black Mold (Class A). Black Mold is found in very damp places and it can create toxins thus being very harmful.8
Solutions Mold can grow anywhere, the problem spots are usually the places you can not easily see including carpet, piping, above ceiling tiles and behind drywall. Mold is not only a problem to health but it is also expensive and tedious to clean. This means the best thing to do is prevent mold from ever growing.5 •Know about Flooding on Site •Have proper Ventilation/ Good Air Flow •Use Mold Resistant Products •Properly Assembled Ceilings
Hazard Classes of Mold Types in Home Hazard Class A: The mold types in this group are either directly hazardous to health due to risk of infection or creation of toxins. They should not be in homes or workplaces and should be removed right away if found. Hazard Class B: The mold types in this group can cause allergic reactions, especially over longer periods of time. Hazard Class C: The mold types in this group aren’t known to cause any health risks or reactions in humans. However, that even molds in this category can potentially cause structural damage to things that they are growing on, and should still be gotten rid of. 8
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Ventilation
This chapter covers the problems that come from poor ventilation, the effects it has on people and some solutions to fix the problem.
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Problems & Solutions Ventilation is probably the most important element when thinking about Indoor Air Quality. Many problems come from poorly ventilated spaces including Sick Building Syndrome and Legionnaires Disease. Fresh air needs to circulate properly throughout a space in order to have a healthy ventilation system. Ventilation problems occur when a limited amount of fresh air is circulated in a space. However even if a perfect amount of fresh air is being circulated it would still not be good IF the air was flowing too fast or too slow. Something else that can harm the air quality if not ventilated correctly are toxic substances including cigarette smoke, cleaning supplies, materials with VOCs, paints, pesticides and even dry cleaned clothing. Even if the office space was clean of these examples, polluted outside air can be circulated in. This is another big problem on it’s own because individual offices can not control the outside air.10
HVAC (Heating,Ventilating, Air and Cooling) systems are not the best choice for sustainable buildings, especially with new “green” technologies coming out that are more efficient than the HVAC units. However aside from the new “green” technologies another good solution is natural ventilation. This would include operable windows. Operable windows can be a huge hit when it comes to design. First it could be operated by the occupants or the building. Letting occupants control the windows would be a highlight for the occupants because they could control the temperature and airflow of their choosing. However the building can also control the windows depending on the weather outside. There is some downfalls to operable windows, as there are to anything, one example is noise pollution. If a site is in the city, the occupants may be disturbed by the sounds coming in from the windows. There are many solutions to all the natural ventilation problems including vent-like panels that might help reduce the noise.1
Examples of where air pollution comes from
“Locate operable windows towards the floor and operable windows towards the ceiling so the hot air rises up and out of the building�
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The Effects of Poor Ventilation
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SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
LEGIONNAIRES DISEASE
What is Sick Building Syndrome? SBS should not be taken lightly. The name sounds a little silly because it sounds like the actual building is sick however this syndrome is actually affecting everyone in the workplace. People affected from SBS are “typically marked by headaches and respiratory problems, attributed to unhealthy or stressful factors in the working environment such as poor ventilation”. The reason people are becoming sick is because there are toxins in the air including “synthetic fibers in furniture and often formaldehyde used in manufacturing, dust mites, mold, mildew, cigarette smoke, VOCs, carpet and gasses released from fabric” and so many other things.2
Similar to Sick Building Syndrome, Legionnaires Disease (Legionellosis) or Pontiac Fever originates from poor ventilation in commercial buildings. Legionnaires Disease is a bad form of pneumonia, which is lung inflammation in this case caused by the bacteria legionella. This disease is not passed around from people to people however from breathing in the bacteria. In most cases the bacteria is flowed through the air conditioning systems in offices and other commercial buildings. Unless treated quickly the whole building could be infected. The symptoms range from fever, chills and a cough to failed respiratory system and death. This is why good ventilation should be in all buildings.7
AIR QUALITY AT WORK 14
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Case Study This chapter depicts the John and Frances Angelos Law Center and how it relates to good Indoor Ecology.
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The John and Frances Angelos Law Center in Baltimore Maryland is a great example of an office building that focused on making a better building for its clients. This building has many features that facilitate indoor air quality. One huge feature they have is operable windows. They are almost in every room including all of the offices , classrooms and library. The library has exterior panels that are operable awning-style vents. These vents bring in natural ventilation. Another natural ventilation feature is the operable flaps on each floor which helps flow natural air into the Atrium. These flaps also serve as make-up air inlets for the smoke exhaust system. The Atrium is the only public room that does not have windows accessible to occupants however it is controlled by the building depending on the weather.
The designer also made sure this building had all sustainable materials including, “linoleum, bamboo, FSCcertified wood, recycled-content concrete and Green Label Plus carpeting”. The Green Label Program “ensures customers they are purchasing among the lowest emitting carpet, adhesive and cushion products on the market”. All of the materials used in this building ensures healthier air and lower fumes during a possible fire. Some other features that are sustainable in this building includes Green Roofs and Outdoor Terraces which capture rainwater for toilets. There is LED lighting throughout the building as well. These features help with SAD together with a lot of natural lighting, plants, natural ventilation bright colors, materials and lights. There are numerous more sustainable features within this building. 6
Architect:
Behnisch Architekten
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John a 17
and Frances Angelos Law Center 18
1. “Controlling Pollutants and Sources: Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.
TEXT SOURCES
Web. 22 Jan. 2016.
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2. ”Definition of Sick Building Syndrome in English:.” Definition of Sick Building Syndrome in Oxford Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.
3. “Green Label Plus Carpet and Adhesive.” Green Label Plus Carpet and Adhesive. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. 4. ”Health and Safety.” ASID. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. 5. ”How to Prevent Mold: 9 Tips.” MNN. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. 6. ”John and Frances Angelos Law Center, University of Baltimore, Maryland.” Architizer. N.p., n.d. Web. 7. ”Legionnaires’ Disease: Get the Facts on Symptoms.” MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. 8. ”Mold Types Commonly Found In Homes and Offices.” Mold Facts. N.p., 19 Aug. 2012. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. 9. ”Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).” Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. 10. ”Volatile Organic Compounds’ Impact on Indoor Air Quality.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. 11. “What Is Mold Illness? Better Yet, Do People Get Sick after Being Exposed to Water-damaged Buildings?” Surviving Mold. N.p., n.d. Web.
PHOTO SOURCES
Cover Page: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5c/01/49/5c0149ab5c6dcfd8f53407d847ec993f.jpg Page 3: http://www.angelinthenorth.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Vertical-garden-living-wall-Cecil-Street-Singapore.png Page 4: https://cre.nerej.com/taber-of-big-ass-fans-will-lead-a-continuing-education-presentation-on-the-topic-of-airmovement/
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