Architectural Design – Mold Free Guarantee?
Wednesday, 14 December 2016
During one of my many presentations on Building Enclosure Commissioning to architecture firms, I had a question from an architect echoing the concern in many professionals’ minds about mold. The architect in question wondered if there is any way to guarantee “on paper” that mold will never occur in an assembly. Architectural design mold free
No Comments
House Plants Reduce VOCs and Create Healthier Environments
Friday, 18 November 2016
House Plants Can Contribute to Healthier Indoor Environments We spend about 90% of our time indoors. While inside, we are exposed to a variety of indoor air pollutants. Reducing or removing these pollutants and creating an optimal indoor environment is important to our health and well-being. House plants reduce VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and are
Well Building Standard Certification for Occupant Health
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
WELL BUILDING STANDARD – How to apply it to any project There is a new green certification in town. It is called the WELL Building Standard and it targets the ways in which buildings can enhance occupant health. Indicative of the increasing emphasis on how work areas are designed (i.e., Google, Facebook, Air Bnb, LinkedIn),
- Published in Environmental Testing, Green Building Consulting
LEEDv4 IAQ Testing – New Credit Highlights for IEQ
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
LEEDv4 IAQ Testing Requirements Industrial hygienists across the US have been watching the USGBC as they’ve updated the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing Credit for Post-Construction. LEEDv4 IAQ Testing requirements have changed since LEEDv2009. Many health and healthy building advocates hoped they would lower the allowable levels of formaldehyde, but due to industry uproar that did
- Published in Environmental Testing, Green Building Consulting
Design as Therapy – A New Approach
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Design as Therapy In the world of building we have control over what comes into contact with our senses. What we see, hear, smell & feel can all be addressed during the design of a building. For the most part these sensory cues are perceived subconsciously and exist in the background. But there are instances
- Published in Green Building Consulting
Energy Efficient Building For Facility Managers
Thursday, 25 August 2016
BECx provides Energy Efficient Building and Savings For Facility Managers Building Enclosure (or Envelope) Commissioning (BECx for short) originated in Canada in the 80’s and came to the US in the 90’s. The General Services Administration and the US Army were amongst the early adopters. They started commissioning enclosures on their building projects in 2006. Since
- Published in Green Building Consulting
What do Building Enclosure Commissioning Agents do?
Wednesday, 10 August 2016
So What Exactly does an Enclosure Commissioning Agent (BECxA) do? Understandably, there is a lot of confusion in the design and construction industry about the role of building enclosure commissioning agents (BECxA). Owners and architects do not know what a BECxA does during design and construction and how (or if) this discipline adds value to
- Published in Green Building Consulting
Airtight Construction for Laboratories
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
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
- Published in Environmental Consulting, Green Building Consulting
Air Filters for Allergies
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
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? Maybe you want to take preventative action against possible indoor airborne pollutants in the form
Lighting and Circadian Rhythm Affect Health and Productivity
Thursday, 19 May 2016
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
- Published in Green Building Consulting