The sustainable building industry will be less impacted by the current economic downturn than conventional construction, according to recent surveys and statements published by the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC), McGraw-Hill and the Turner Construction Company.
Whether the renovation is focused on healthcare or school buildings, each of these environments has unique characteristics and requirements that need to be taken into consideration when addressing indoor air quality.
Much like environments, each product has its own set of characteristics that impact indoor air quality. Think about the sheer number of products used to renovate a space. Everything from new insulation and wallboard to flooring and paint may be on the list of supplies needed. But how does each product selected impact the indoor air quality?
When a renovation is nearing completion, there are two steps that need to be taken to ensure the majority of the chemicals are no longer in the indoor space: a flush out and product loading.
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), founded in 2001, is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program. The institute’s mission is to protect human health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air.
The end of the design and construction process of every building is the beginning of its upkeep and maintenance. Once architects, engineers and contractors exit the building, occupants, visitors and yes, pollutants, inhabit the new space.
When the time came to expand its Ottawa, Ontario, showroom, Teknion needed to look no further than its own manufacturing facilities to provide environmentally friendly furnishings for the space. After all, in 2003, Teknion became the first office furniture manufacturer to achieve GREENGUARD certification for all its major product lines.
For the Biogen Idec project — a pharmaceutical research center in San Diego — McGraw/Balwin Architects specified 2,000 yards of Lonseal’s Loneco resilient flooring throughout corridors, break rooms, offices and conference areas.
