It is not relatively new that a building design is closely connected to the well-being of the occupants. If we look back into history during the nineteenth century, Florence Nightingale has already developed a theory of healthcare based on physical elements such as noise, lighting, and daylight which she emphasized as crucial for an individual’s health and mood. ¹
Research focusing on health and well-being has been extensively developed since then with numerous tools and guidelines for us to explore and further apply these critically thought inputs into concrete outcomes i.e through our building designs.
What can we do to contribute to this movement?
As professionals within the built environment industry in this modern era, most of us already have access to multiple tools that could help us strengthen our knowledge and contribute our expertise significantly.
We at Green Quarter are currently using the WELL Health-Safety Rating Tool to further reinforce our purpose in creating environments that enhance lives. Aligned with the concept of transforming non-green buildings into occupants-focused green buildings, WELL has become part of our journey to realize our goals. Here’s why:
WELL is the leading tool for advancing health and well-being in buildings globally. ² There are 10 Features in total under the WELL Health-Safety Rating Tool as a holistic approach to cover the concept of well-being.
But let’s focus on these two core ones: Air & Light.
Air
Did you know that a recent nationwide study by Harvard T.H. Chan of Public Health Study has shown evidence that a poor air quality environment imposed a higher risk of Covid-19 death cases than other factors such as access to healthcare, existing medical conditions, or socioeconomic? The researchers found that even a small rise in long-term exposure to PM2.5 leads to a large increase in the COVID-19 death rate. ³
We may still be alive for 3 days without drinking but we can only last a few minutes without breathing- and breathing is not an optional occupation. This is why designing a space for good indoor air quality should always be a priority.
However, it is not always easy to determine what makes good indoor air quality. What does it entail and how do we measure it?
Indoor Air Quality or IAQ comprises many variables such as the concentration of pollutants level within an internal space, acceptable temperature, humidity value, and adequate air ventilation. Based on the WELL Building Standard v2® (A01-A14), we can sum it up into four major sections; Outdoor Air Pollution, Building Materials & Finishes, Effective Ventilation System, and Occupants’ Behaviour.
Outdoor Air pollution
Although a study shows that on average, urban dwellers spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, ⁴ that does not equal to breathing clean air. Outdoor air pollution such as carbon monoxide or radon can still enter your buildings through open doors & windows, structural cracks, and building foundations.
One way to reduce the number of outdoor air pollutants from entering a building is to ensure the building is impermeable to the outdoors as much as possible (depending on building type and location i.e air-conditioned office buildings in city centers). This could be tackled by having air-tight openings with proper sealants at windows and doors. This strategy will also help to reduce any air infiltration which is a major source of energy wastage.
Building Materials & Finishes
Some pollutants affecting IAQ come from internal sources as well and not necessarily from the outdoor air. Building materials such as paints, flooring, or ceilings are one of the major items to look into when designing a building to reduce indoor air pollution. It is always recommended to find building materials and finishes with green labels such as MyHIJAU or Singapore Green Label to certify that these products are low in pollutants e.g volatile organic compound (VOC) and formaldehyde knowing they are safe to be used in the long term.
Effective Ventilation System
An effective ventilation system can regulate the airflow within a building to remove and reduce any existing air pollutants by flushing them out regularly. When natural ventilation is possible, adopt cross-ventilation into the building design by pulling fresh air into the building and pushing warm air to the outside of the building through careful placement of windows and openings.
Openings should be the opposite of each other and would have a better flow if put staggered than aligned. The type of openings such as louvers and casement windows also play a big role in driving and deflating air towards the internal spaces. Effective cross ventilation does not only help in maintaining good IAQ but also reduces the use of other mechanical ventilation systems where energy consumption is concerned.
Now let’s be real and acknowledge the fact that Malaysia’s climate, especially in the bigger cities, is not entirely ideal for a full natural ventilation system. Some locations, building types, and further contextual studies such as severe outdoor air pollution as mentioned in the first section may impose certain challenges to rely solely on natural ventilation. But that does not mean it is unattainable to achieve good IAQ without the use of natural ventilation.
It is now very common for buildings to have hybrid ventilation systems (Natural + Mechanical) to allow flexibility in controlling a building’s air flow and room temperature. Higher occupancy buildings are encouraged to have sensors detecting pollutant levels such as CO2 to automatically bring in more fresh air into the building. A well-kept and maintained filter of the mechanical ventilation is also key in ensuring good IAQ.
Occupants Behavior
The occupant’s lifestyle and behavior will equally affect the IAQ as much as the rest of the other three sections. Related activities such as cooking, smoking, and cleaning which involve combustion and chemicals could contribute to air pollution to the indoor areas. In the WELL Building Standard v2®, there is a specific credit (A02) relating to the prohibition of smoking especially indoors as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a major contributor to indoor air pollution. For decades it is well documented that ETS can be harmful to human health and causes premature death and disease. ⁵ The best way to reduce indoor air pollution resulting from the occupants’ lifestyle and behavior is to ensure provision of good ventilation systems, flushing out the pollutants while pulling cleaner air in.
The easiest strategy for the above is of course to avoid smoking indoors at all times, ventilating out the smoke from cooking, and basically try to live a healthy lifestyle. In the end a healthy building is also reflected by the healthy occupants living inside it.
Light
The presence of light could influence our beings in three different ways; visually, biologically, and emotionally.
Visually, as it increases context awareness and the way we respond towards the space around us. Biologically, as it regulates our hormones creating sleeping patterns mostly known as the Circadian Rhythm. Emotionally, as it has an effect on our overall comfort and emotional state.
These three impacts are carefully thought out and outlined within the WELL Building Standard v2® under the ‘Light’ concept to ensure that sufficient lighting is introduced within a built environment for better human health and well-being.
The Journal of Affective Disorders published the research from Brigham Young University (BYU) that found exposure to sunlight is the greatest weather-related factor determining mental health outcomes. The research concluded that more sun equals relatively stable emotions. But as seasons change and the amount of sunlight in the day is reduced, levels of emotional stress increase. Temperature, pollution, and rain were taken into consideration but did not have an impact on mental health, according to the study. ⁶
Daylight
Using the sun to light up a space is a convenient method to bring a sense of well-being while reducing the energy consumption of the building. This is a method called harvesting daylight. More daylight into a building through any kind of fenestration would create a brighter indoor area but it could also bring more heat in. The solar radiation intensity from fenestration is minimum on north facing openings (or walls) both with respect to quantum and duration, followed by south facing facades. East and west-facing openings (or walls) receive a large amount of solar radiation throughout the year. ⁷
To reduce heat gain from daylight harvesting, one of the essentials among other few factors to look into is shading devices. The comparison of heat flow between internal and external shading gives the impression that external shading devices are always better than internal shading devices. ⁸ According to this study, an external shading device such as fins and louvers incorporated in the building shell (with proper consideration of other variables such as fenestration size & location) shows higher efficacy in terms of reducing heat gain than internal shading devices such as blinds or curtains.
Glazing Properties
The glazing area (glass as part of the building shell) is vital to harvesting daylight. However, the glazing area should be reduced where possible as long as it does not affect other well-being concepts such as occupants’ visuals to the outdoors, sufficient access to daylight, and daylight distribution in a building. The correct selection of glazing properties will help to increase thermal comfort while reducing energy to cool the building.
The two most important factors to consider with Malaysia’s climate are the Visible Light Transmission (VLT) and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). These two terms may be too technical for some but it is a must-have knowledge when selecting your glazing properties. VLT determines the amount of light that can pass through your windows and a minimum VLT of 20% is recommended. ⁹ In Malaysia, SHGC values should be kept lower, ensuring less solar heat enters the building through its glazing. These values are usually provided by the glazing suppliers and should vary according to the type of glazing selected e.g single tinted glazing without Low-E or double glazing with Low-E. All in all, try to avoid using single clear glass glazing unless you have extensive shading devices in place.
Artificial lighting
Our human body works in a certain way and like most life on earth, humans adhere to a circadian rhythm (biological clock) encompassing the day-night cycle. Artificial lighting has been extensively used especially at night and in spaces where daylight is not available. A distorted exposure to artificial bright light during the nighttime suppresses melatonin secretion, increases sleep onset latency (SOL), and increases alertness. Circadian misalignment caused by chronic artificial light at night (ALAN) exposure may have negative effects on psychological, cardiovascular, and/or metabolic functions. ¹⁰
With the rise of technology, such as LED lighting, there are better options of artificial lighting that focuses on human wellbeing to mimic the spectrum of light according to the occupants’ activities. This concept is called human-centric lighting and was first showcased in NASA’s study for their space station to improve the crew members’ sleeping patterns indirectly affecting their performance. Adjustable lighting intensity and colour temperatures in lighting systems are paramount to achieving this human-centric lighting concept, especially in office buildings. A comparison between different lighting intensities and colour temperatures during day and evening is shown as below:
Summary
While these strategies under ‘Air’ & ‘Light’ may help design your built environments, there are also other well-being concepts and in-depth guidelines that could be further referred to in the WELL Building Standard v2® for a comprehensive approach on improving human health and well being of the occupants.
We are moving towards a healthier, sustainable, and more productive nation where the priority should be the users, always. Because in the end, a building has no purpose if not for its occupants.
We at Green Quarter will continuously be exploring new ideas and innovations to contribute our skills and expertise in turning non-green buildings into occupants-focused green buildings while creating better environments that enhance lives.
Connect with us at info@greenquarter.biz
Reference
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