Week 11 Blog: Indoor Air Quality

Week 11: Indoor Air Quality 

Acoustics 

Describes how sound travels and it is heard. Noise is considered unwanted sounds. There are even typical decibels of various sounds, but the limit of human comfort is about 110-120 decibels. 

Principles of Sounds control 

Noise reduction coefficient (NRC) describes how typical materials are rated as far as the materials absorption capacity. Sound transmission class (STC) describes the capability of a material to absorb sound. There is also transmission loss (TL) and reverberation time (RT). RT is the sound that is built up in a room over time (echo), but it can be controlled. It's important to consider acoustics when designing auditoriums, classrooms, lecture halls, music rooms, and performance facilities. Some methods to control acoustics and create sound separation include acoustic clouds and canopies and other materials such as carpet, acoustical ceiling tiles, and textiles. Different types of spaces need different levels of acoustic control. Sound waves travel directly through wall studs, from one room to another. Staggered wall studs can disrupt the travel of the sound waves from room to room, so designers generally keep the room volume low when low reverberation times are desired. Larger spatial volumes are desirable in spaces such as performance halls, when high reverberation times are desired. 

Privacy 

Acoustical Partitions in an open office provide acoustical privacy within workstation design. Acoustical insulation in partitions provides sound insulation in situations requiring strict confidentiality. Medical Facilities requires that personal medical information be protected because of HIPAA. Sound separation for these areas is provided by dividers or separate check in rooms. This is great to understand for both of our studios where we are designing a medical care clinic and an office building. 

 

Indoor Air Quality

This is impacted by several factors: HVAC system, interior materials, interior furniture, fixtures, and equipment, moisture within a building, volatile organic compounds, indoor air pollutants including mold, radon, and cigarette smoke. It can lead to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), Building Related Illness (BRI), Legionnaire’s Disease, etc.. It can also lead to a variety of physical symptoms ranging from mild to severe reactions: irritation of eyes and throat, dizziness, fatigue, asthma. The most efficient method of treatment is to remove the source of the contaminants. Improved ventilation and the use of air cleaners and/or air purifiers will also reduce the effect of VOCs. Interior designers can improve indoor environmental quality in a number of ways through the specification of certified low or no VOC interior finishes, the air quality in a space will be better than one with traditional finishes. Knowledge of various potential air quality problems can lead to improved maintenance and testing of indoor air. 

 

Sick Building Syndrome and COVID 19 

The pandemic has changed our view on the home dynamic a lot! People spent a lot of time inside and we grew more aware of air quality and ventilation. Some measures because of this have made it both better and worse. Positively, people have become more aware of the impacts of home air quality and inventing technology to help monitor it, such as particulate sensors. This way companies can monitor how well spaces are ventilated and help maintain healthy indoor environments. During the lockdown period, there was less traffic so outdoor air quality was at an all time low. This means that less pollution was entering buildings from the outside. Negatively, certain buildings were being used differently than ever before to accommodate a large number of people and this increased occupancy and led to poorly maintained systems. There was also an increase in chemical disinfectants which are harmful to the quality of air. SBS occurred when the health issues such as headaches, eye irritation and fatigue were traced to time spent in a certain building. Better ventilation and filtration prevents SBS and COVID helped to identify causes and reduce risks.