Effects of Airtight Construction on Lab Pressurization Most labs and clean rooms require airtight construction to create differential pressure with respect to adjoining spaces. Labs are usually maintained at slightly negative pressure to keep the chemicals used in the labs from migrating to adjacent spaces. Clean rooms, on the other hand, have to be kept at a

Which Portable Air Filters for Allergies are Right for Me? Are you suffering from allergies?  Did you recently remodel your home and are bothered by noxious odors? Wondering which Air Filters for Allergies are right for your home or office? Or maybe you want to take preventative action against any possible indoor airborne pollutants in the

IEQ  – Lighting and Circadian Rhythm Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is affected by many different factors. How light affects our health is in its nascent stages of being explored. Nevertheless, there exists enough evidence to know that artificial lighting can be a boon to one’s daily activities or can be detrimental to one’s health. Lighting and circadian

San Francisco Green Building – Exploratorium Case Study Being an environmental inspector at Healthy Building Science it’s not surprising that I have an interest in buildings, science and the environment. So as I watched the sunrise from the rooftop of the Exploratorium for the first time during one of my moonlighting shifts as an Exploratorium special

Water Conservation Practices and Options California is Still in a drought, or haven’t you heard? Conservation is still needed. Read on for water conservation tips. El Nino has come and gone, even though he gave us a good dose of exactly what our state needed, we will continue to need water conservation measures to preserve

What are Sustainable Construction Documents? Everything you’ve always wanted to know about Sustainable Construction Documents, but were afraid to ask. An Architects Explains Sustainable Construction Documents From time to time I find myself explaining the process and make up of sustainable construction documents to various people. So it recently occurred to me that it would

The Science of Biomimicry: How to Use Nature’s Teachings to Thrive The science of Biomimicry recognizes that we have strayed too far from the wildlife that we’ve coevolved with and asks for a return to the source. Those who practice it observe what other life forms have done to survive and then apply the underlying

Indoor Air Quality and Brain Performance The Harvard School of Public Health recently released results of a small study that supports what green building enthusiasts have known for years – Indoor Air Quality and Brain Performance are directly connected. While small (24 real people), the double-blind study appears to have been well-crafted and executed under exacting controls. With much ado,

Why Commission the Enclosure? Building Enclosure Commissioning Overview, Part 2 In the ideal world, all components of the building enclosure providing waterproofing and air leakage mitigation – air and water resistive barriers, flashings, primary and secondary membranes, sealants, coatings etc., would be thoroughly analyzed for compatibility and detailed with great care to maintain integrity at all

Piping for New Construction: Plastic vs. Copper What Do We Know – What Should We Do? Water, it has been revered since the beginning of time. It sustains and nourishes us; we couldn’t live more than three days without it. Fortunately, in the Western World, it is readily available. It is so seamlessly intertwined with