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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN BUILDING SERVICES I
(BLD6043107830) TOPIC: INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN HEALTHCARE/OFFICE N
Prepared by:
Name Student IDTan kiah chun 0324414Tan zhao ming 0318724Kong zhen chung 0319528Yong sing yew 0318766Darren long chi yoong 0318029Than lek mei 0315538
CONTENTS PAGES
Introduction
Installation Process
Management System
Advantages & Disadvantages
Case Study
Possible Problems To The System
Recommendation For Future Improvement
Learning Outcome
References
Bibliography
Appendices
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN HEALTHCARE/OFFICE
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) refers to the quality of a building’s environment in
relation to the health and wellbeing of those who occupy space within it. IEQ is
determined by many factors, including lighting, air quality, and damp conditions.
Workers are often concerned that they have symptoms or health conditions from
exposures to contaminants in the buildings where they work. One reason for this
concern is that their symptoms often get better when they are not in the building.
While research has shown that some respiratory symptoms and illnesses can be
associated with damp buildings, it is still unclear what measurements of indoor
contaminants show that workers are at risk for disease. In most instances where a
worker and his or her physician suspect that the building environment is causing a
specific health condition, the information available from medical tests and tests of the
environment is not sufficient to establish which contaminants are responsible.
Despite uncertainty about what to measure and how to interpret what is measured,
research shows that building-related symptoms are associated with building
characteristics, including dampness, cleanliness, and ventilation characteristics.
Indoor environments are highly complex and building occupants may be exposed to
a variety of contaminants (in the form of gases and particles) from office machines,
cleaning products, construction activities, carpets and furnishings, perfumes,
cigarette smoke, water-damaged building materials, microbial growth (fungal, mold,
and bacterial), insects, and outdoor pollutants. Other factors such as indoor
temperatures, relative humidity, and ventilation levels can also affect how individuals
respond to the indoor environment.
Understanding the sources of indoor environmental contaminants and controlling
them can often help prevent or resolve building-related worker symptoms. Practical
guidance for improving and maintaining the indoor environment is available.
Workers who have persistent or worsening symptoms should seek medical
evaluation to establish a diagnosis and obtain recommendations for treatment of their
condition.
Installation processSplit air conditioners are the commonly used ventilation system in office because
there are comparatively cheap and easy to install.
The installation of the split air conditioners is the most important and crucial part. If it
is done properly your air conditioner will give you optimum performance, but if it is not
done properly you won't get the desired cooling effect and there may be frequent
maintenance problems. Most people hire a professional to install a split system air
conditioner. However, if you have some experience with plumbing and electrical
work, you can install the unit on your own. Each split system or ductless air
conditioner is unique to its manufacturer, the below article will explains the general
instructions for installing a split system air conditioner.
Method 1 of 3: Install the Indoor Unit
1.Select an unobstructed location on your interior wall to mount the indoor air conditioning unit.
Avoid direct sunlight and heat sources.
Avoid locations where gas may leak or where oil mist or sulphur exists.
1
The indoor unit requires at least 6" (15 cm) of open space surrounding its top
and sides. The unit should also be mounted at least 7 feet (2.13 m) above the
ground.
Install the unit at least 3.3 feet (1 m) away from antenna, power or connecting
lines that are used for television, radio, home security systems, intercoms or
telephones. The electrical noise from these sources could cause operational
problems for your air conditioner.
The wall should be strong enough to hold the unit's weight. You may need to
construct a wood or metal frame to provide added support.
2.Secure the mounting plate to the interior wall.
Hold the mounting plate against the wall where you want to install the indoor
unit.
Use a level to make sure the plate is both horizontally and vertically square.
Drill holes into the wall at the appropriate spots to affix the plate to the wall.
Insert plastic anchors into the holes. Secure the plate to the wall with tapping
screws.
2
3.Create a hole in the wall to fit the piping.
Find the best spot for the hole to the exterior based on the opening in the
mounting bracket. You should also consider the length of the pipe and the
distance that it needs to travel to reach the outside unit.
Drill a hole that is 3" (7.5 cm) in diameter through the wall. The hole should
slope downward toward the exterior to ensure adequate drainage.
Insert a flexible flange into the hole.
4.Check the electrical connections.
Lift the unit’s front panel and remove the cover.
Be sure the cable wires are connected to the screw terminals. Also, make
sure that they match the diagram that comes with the unit.
3
5.Connect the pipes.
Run the piping from the indoor unit toward the hole drilled through the wall.
Minimize bending to ensure that the unit performs well.
Cut a length of PVC pipe 1/4" (6 millimeters) shorter than the length between
your interior and exterior wall surfaces.
Place the pipe cap on the interior end of the PVC pipe. Insert the pipe into the
hole in the wall.
Bind the copper pipes, the power cables and the drain pipe together with
electrical tape. Place the drain pipe on the bottom to ensure a free flow of
water.
Secure the pipe to the indoor unit. Use 2 wrenches, working in opposite
directions, to tighten the connection.
Join the water drainage pipe to the indoor unit’s base.
Run the bound pipes and cables through the hole in the wall. Make sure that
the drainage pipe allows water to drain in an appropriate place.
4
6Secure the indoor unit to the mounting plate by pressing the unit against the mounting plate.
Method 2 of 3: Install the Outdoor Condenser
1.Choose the best place to install the outdoor unit.
The outdoor unit’s location needs to be away from any heavily trafficked or
hot areas.
5
The outdoor unit needs 12" of space surrounding its perimeter to ensure
proper functioning.
2.Lay the concrete pad on the ground and make sure that it is level. The pad should be high enough so that the condenser will sit above the level of
winter snows.
Set the outdoor condenser on top of the pad. Use rubber cushioning under
the unit's feet to minimize vibration.
Make sure that no antenna of a radio or television is within 10 feet (3 meters)
of the outdoor condenser.
3.Connect the electrical wires.
Remove the cover.
6
Refer to the unit’s wiring diagram and make sure the cable wires are
connected as the diagram suggests. Following the manufacturer's instructions
for wiring is crucial.
Fasten the cables with a cable clamp and replace the cover.
4.Secure the pipes’ flare nuts to the corresponding pipes on the outdoor unit.
Method 3 of 3: Complete the Split System Air Conditioner Installation
1.Bleed the air and humidity from the refrigerant circuit.
7
Remove the caps from the 2-way and 3-way valves and from the service port.
Connect a vacuum pump hose to the service port.
Turn the vacuum on until it reaches an absolute vacuum of 10mm Hg.
Close the low pressure knob and then turn off the vacuum.
Test all of the valves and joints for leaks.
Disconnect the vacuum. Replace the service port and caps.
2.Wrap the joints of the piping with insulating covering and insulating tape.
3.Affix the piping to the wall with clamps.
8
4.Seal up the hole in the wall using expanding polyurethane foam.
Installation Challenges
Coordinating the design and installation of TDDs with other trades, including
structural, mechanical & electrical trades and interiors, works best early in the design
process. Need to identify potential conflicts in new construction, but unknown
conditions in walls and chaseways can make retrofits difficult.
To ensure the integrity and warranty of the roofing system, the general contractor
and roofing contractor should work together to tie the TDD flashing into the roof’s
waterproofing system. Proper installation of manufacturer-supplied flashing systems
and details can reduce the risk of water infiltration.
Tubular daylighting devices provide astounding control of daylight from collection to
diffusion. Though manufacturers are continually finessing their products, TDDs have
made great strides in the quest to bring the outdoors inside.
9
Tubular daylighting device (TDD) are devices that you can use to get natural light into
rooms that don't have access to windows or traditional skylights. They do this by
collecting sunlight on the roof and channeling it through a highly-reflective tube into
the room below. This daylighting solution is perfect for dark hallways, bathrooms, and
kitchens.
How to Install a Tubular Skylight
There are six steps to installing your solar tube...
Choose the Right Location
Cut Out Ceiling and Roof Holes
Install the Flashing
Install the Tube
Install the Dome
Install the Diffuser
Choose the Right Location
Choosing the right location to install your skylight will go a long way in avoiding any
potential installation problems and providing a better final result.
Some key points to keep in mind...
Choose a spot between ceiling joists and roof rafters (you want to avoiding
cutting into your homes structural elements)
Although elbow joints are available, for easier installation and higher light
output, choose a location that will allow a straight run from the ceiling to the
roof
Make sure there are no electrical wires or other obstructions where you plan
to install the skylight
Cut Out Ceiling and Roof Holes
Once you've finalized the location for your skylight, it's time to cut the holes in the
ceiling and the roof.
10
From inside your room, push a nail through the ceiling at the center of where
the diffuser will be
From the attic, use a plumb line to find the spot directly above the nail that
you pushed through the ceiling and drill a hole through the spot in the roof
From inside your room, using a template or the ceiling ring, scribe a circle in
the ceiling and cut out that portion using a drywall saw
Install the ceiling ring
From your roof, use a template or the flashing to scribe a circle centered on
the hole you drilled earlier
From your roof, use a reciprocating saw to cut out the section of the roof that
you marked
Install the Flashing
Now that the roof hole is cut, you will need to install the flashing.
Remove or cut any roofing nails from underneath the shingles around the top
half of the hole
Prepare the flashing for installation by caulking the underside of the flashing
Insert the flashing underneath the shingles and tar paper at the slits you cut
earlier, pushing it up until the shingles come in contact with the raised portion
of the flashing
Secure the flashing with the screws provided in the installation kit
Install the Tube
Once the flashing is installed, you're ready to build and install the tube.
Measure the distance from the top of the flashing to the ceiling to determine
how much tubing you will need
Assemble the length of tubing needed
Remove the protective film from inside the tubing
Insert the pipe through the flashing until it is even with the ceiling ring
Secure the tube to the ceiling ring and flashing with the screws provided in
the installation kit
Remove any excess tubing sticking out of the flashing by cutting it off using
tin snips
11
Install the Dome
Attach the dome to the flashing using the screws provided in the installation kit.
Install the Diffuser
Attach the diffuser and trim ring to the ceiling ring.
These are the general steps for installing a tubular skylight.
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (IEQ) ENHANCEMENT SYSTEMS
1. Air Conditioner
Air conditioner, or 'AC' in short, is a device to alter the properties of air, primarily
temperature and humidity to a more comfortable condition. An air conditioner is
considered as mechanical ventilation. Generally in construction terms, an air
conditoner is referred to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), as
opposed to the term 'AC'. The main function of an air conditioner is to distribute
conditioned air within an enclosed space to improve thermal comfort. An air
conditoner is commonly used to lower the air temperature of an enclosed space.
12
Most of the offices today have air conditioners installed in them. This is because
most offices these days are high rised buildings and since the wind speed increases
significally with altitude, natural ventilation is impractical for tall buildings. Therefore,
installing air conditioners can overcome the ventilation problem. An air conditioner
doesn't just provide a comfortable temperature in an enclosed space, but it also can
control the humidity of the space. Since humans perspire to provide natural cooling
by the evaporation of perspiration from the skin, drier air improves the comfort
provided. The comfort air conditioner is designed to to create 50% to 60% relative
humidity in the occupied space.
It is very important the commercial buildings such as offices are provided with the
appropriate type and size of HVAC system. If the HVAC system is not appropriate, it
will not be able to keep the space cool and hence it will lower workers' productivity
and customers and employees will feel uncomfortable. If the selected HVAC system
is too large, it may allow uncomforatble humidity to build up, making the air feel
clammy. There are six types of air conditioning systems that are available in the
market with its distinct functions and the way it works. The six types of air
conditioning systems are:
Cooling Only Split-System
Cooling Only Packaged-System
Heat Pump
Chilled Water System
Window Air Conditioners
Packaged Terminal Heat Pump
An air conditioner works by pulling heat out of indoor air regardless of the size and
height of the building. Generally, this is done by running a coolant or refrigerant
through an HVAC system that includes a compressor, a condensor and an
evaporator. As the coolant moves through the system, it is compressed from a gas to
a liquid, cooled, and then converted back to a gas, pulling heat from the air at the
same time. Other parts of the system move the cooled air through the entire building
via ducts, blowers and fans.
13
Using the principles of expansion and compression of gas and liquid, there are
different ways to cool commercial buildings depending on the climate, size of the
space to be cooled and the age and type of the building.
There are three main parts of a conventional HVAC system for office buildings,
namely the refrigerants and cooling towers, compressors and air handlers/fan coils.
Refrigerants and Cooling TowerMany large buildings have cooling towers that work in conjunction with the cooling
system. It is common to use both a chemical refrigerant as a coolant that evaporates
and also chilled water to lower the temperature of the coolant.
CompressorsRefrigerant enters the air conditioner’s compressor in the form of a cool gas, where it
is compressed to a hot gas, and then moved over a series of coils that condense the
gas to a liquid while dissipating the collected heat into the outside air. The cooler
liquid is then forced through a small opening into another set of coils where it draws
heat out of the air as it evaporates. Fans blow this cooler air into the room as the
refrigerant, again a liquid, begins the loop again.
Air Handlers/Fan Coils
Diagram 1.1: An engineering drawing showing how an HVAC system works.
14
Air Handlers are key to the commercial HVAC system because they are the device
that
moves the
cooled air throughout the building. This is accomplished by fans pushing the air
through a series of ducts inside the walls, ceilings and floors. An efficient air handler
will move significant amounts of air quickly throughout the building.
2. Daylighting System
A daylighting system is a system used to allow natural daylight into a building. This
system is very simple, as it only requires several openings with windows or glass
panels in order to allow light to penetrate into the building. The term 'daylight' refers
to ‘sunlight’; hence the purpose of the daylighting system is to allow sunlight to enter
the building. Daylighting helps to create a visually stimulating and productive
environment for building occupants, while reducing as much as one-third of total
building energy costs, as it helps to save electricity. Daylighting can be used to
substitute electrical lighting during the day, which makes it very useful to be installed
Diagram 1.2: A detailed diagram on how an HVAC system works in a commercial building, showing the section of a building.
15
in commercial buildings such as offices. Therefore, daylighting is a good way to
improve indoor environmental quality in offices.
A daylighting system doesn't just comprise of daylight apertures, such as skylights
and windows, but is coupled with a daylight-responsive lighting control system. In
order to create an effective daylighting system, the location of the windows or skylight
in the building must be designed in such a way as to avoid the admittance of direct
sun on task surfaces or into occupants' eyes. Alternatively, suitable glare remediation
devices such as blinds or shades must be made available.
A daylighting system consists of systems, technologies, and architecture. While not
all of these components are required for everyday daylighting system or design, one
or more of the following are typically present:
Daylight-optimized building footprint
Climate-responsive window-to-wall area ratio
High-performance glazing
Daylighting-optimized fenestration design
Skylights (passive or active)
Tubular daylight devices
Daylight redirection devices
Solar shading devices
Daylight-responsive electric lighting controls
Daylight-optimized interior design (such as furniture design, space planning,
and room surface finishes).
Most commercial buildings today are
using tubular Diagram 2.1: A cross-sectional area showing light penetrating through a tubular daylighting device
Diagram 2.2: A photo of an actual tubular daylighting device that protrudes out of the roof to collect sunlight.
daylighting devices (TDD). A tubular daylighting device is an optical system that uses
engineered duct-like tubes to carry light from roof openings deeper into buildings.
Each device consists of a roof oculus that collects light, a tube lined with a specially
engineered reflective surface, and an interior diffuser. The tubes range from 10 to 21
inches in diameter. This system relies on a simple high-school physics principle: A
beam of light will bounce off a surface at the same angle of incidence at which it
contacts it, so light captured at the top of a tube will move further down along the
tube until it's purposefully redirected by a diffuser. TDDs is frequently capped with a
transparent, roof-mounted dome that acts as the light collector and terminated with a
diffuser that admits daylight into a building, enabling it to distribute event amount of
light inside a building. TDDs are one of the most mechanically and operationally
simple advanced daylighting technologies. While TDDs are one of the most common
daylighting systems used in commercial buildings, TDDs may cost more than other
types of daylighting systems. Alternatively, a traditional type of daylighting system,
called horizontal systems may be used for a commercial building. Horizontal systems
use rows of transom-level wall-mounted panels to harvest light from the sides of a
building and deliver it horizontally to adjacent floors in much the same way that an
exterior air-handling unit distributes fresh air through a building. The technology uses
specially shaped Fresnel lenses, which are powerful but shallow, to collect and
concentrate sunlight from oblique angles. Light captured by the wall panel is thus
increased by a factor of 10, and then sent through a network of fanning reflective light
pipes into horizontal above-ceiling ducts, and finally delivered
to room diffusers. Out of most of the daylighting systems available, the horizontal
system resembles a conventional mechanical heating and ventilation system,
carrying light from one point to different parts of a building through a network of duct-
like passages.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Indoor Environmental Quality
The evidence that improving indoor environmental quality (IEQ) can increase
comfort, decrease adverse health effects, decrease absence rates, and increase
work and school work performance. This section provides estimates at the national
level of some of the benefits and costs of taking practical steps to improve indoor
environmental conditions in Malaysia buildings. The estimates account for the
existing IEQ conditions in buildings that are subject to practical improvement, the
expected size of improvements in health, absence, and performance when IEQ is
improved, and (when possible) the costs of improving IEQ. Besides, increase in
ventilation rate. When the rate of outdoor air supply (ventilation rate) is increased, the
indoor air concentrations of many pollutants emitted from sources inside the building
are diminished. Moreover, indoor temperature can be control to comfort us better.
The Thermal Comfort Standard of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating,
and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) defines thermal comfort zones for winter
Diagram 2.3: An illustration of a horizontal daylighting system.
18
and summer within which a majority of people are thermally comfortable. Many
buildings are operated with the goal of maintaining temperatures within these comfort
zones. As discussed in the section of this web site on performance and productivity
indoor temperatures also affect performance of office work, and performance is
maximized with a temperature of approximately 21 °C to 23 °C. In offices, a large
study indicates that as temperatures in the winter decrease below 23 °C, sick
building syndrome symptoms diminish. Taken together, this evidence indicates an
opportunity to improve overall thermal comfort, increase work performance slightly,
and decrease sick building syndrome symptoms by avoiding winter work-time
temperatures greater than approximately 23 °C in U.S. offices.
In the other hand, where the indoor environment quality(IEQ) also bring some
disadvantages to us during maintaining it in office or healthcare. Firstly, cost of
building of IEQ is very high. This is because the needed of specific design and
materials are required to complete for IEQ. Engineer and Architect need to work out
very hard to design and build. Next, maintenances are usually needed to maintain
there is no malfunction part of IEQ in a office/healthcare. Lastly, special materials are
always needed to construct IEQ where the materials are not easily found in our
country .
Problem and Recommendations
There are a lot of people complaints about their working place such as office, the
indoor environmental quality is not good, and the quality of the air is very bad. The
problems of indoor environmental quality is not necessarily from the quality of the air,
it can be other factors too, such as noise, lightning, ergonomic stressors, job-related
psychosocial stressors can, and etc., individually and in combination, these factors is
also the reason of the people to complaint. Thermal comfort triggers many
complaints about "poor air quality". Although the comfort of every occupant cannot be
satisfied at all times, but the temperature and moisture are among many reasons that
affect indoor contaminant level.
One of the problems that cause indoor environmental quality is about office
operations. Sometimes the office set-ups anticipated to diminish short-term costs can
cause the problem. The occupants that lack of use of walk-off rugs at entrances may
increase the amount of soils tracked into office. Low-bid custodial accommodations
19
that use ineffective equipment and astringent chemicals may result in cleaning
practices that fail to accumulate and abstract soils and contaminants, and that may
genuinely increase the load of volatile organic chemicals in the office The
modifications of operation and maintenance of heating, ventilation and air
conditioning systems (HVAC) can have negative effects in the air quality, such as
reducing the flow of alfresco ventilation air, shutting down HVAC systems during
untenanted periods, and culling the least sumptuous and least efficient panel filters.
Efficacious design and manufacture of office to promote salubrious environments is
vital. An opportunely designed and constructed office shell (roof, walls and
substratum) isolates and insulates the indoors from the alfresco. It keeps alfresco
contaminants such as dusts, liquid dihydrogen monoxide, sultriness, air pollution and
pests from entering the office. The interior forfend by the insulation in the office shell
from temperature extremes.
There are some good designed will help to provide clean alfresco air, modify and
control indoor temperature and sultriness, such as designed of heating, ventilation
and air-conditioning (HVAC), and dilute common pollution from people, activities,
furnishings, etc. Additionally, HVAC systems maintain correct air pressure
relationships between indoors and alfresco, as well as abstracting pollutants by
utilizing local exhaust ventilation from point sources such as fuel-burning appliances,
bathrooms, kitchens and habiliments dryers
The occurrence of quandaries with the indoor environment can be reducing through
efficacious, prompt and preventive maintenance. The conspicuous malfunctions or
conspicuous contamination, and serviced to ascertain congruous airflow,
temperature, sultriness and air balance should be checked by HVAC system. Conscientious management of custodial, pest control, building engineering and
maintenance activities will additionally avail to avert quandaries.
The indoor environment can also affect by renovation and remodeling. We can select
new building materials that emit lower calibers of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
and that are environmentally amicable when designing renovation or remodeling
projects. Vicissitudes in floor plans, such as moving walls or vicissitudes in the
number and distribution of people, may diverge from intended design and operation
of HVAC systems. It shows that the modification to HVAC system may be required.
From the ventilation systems accommodating the work areas, the scheduling work
such as painting during unoccupied periods, airing out carpets afore installation, and
isolating the rest of the building may be can reduced in short-term quandaries.
Generally, the most cost-efficacious solution to IEQ quandaries is pollutant source
control. Enjoining tobacco smoking in the office has been eliminated by the
complaints. The clean outdoor air may additionally avail to resolve complaints by
diluting contaminants because of the maintenance of modifications to ventilation
systems. Isolate sources can avail by transmuting air pressure relationships. Decent
filtration may avail avert outside pollution such as pollen from entering the office.
Occupants should not be deterred from reporting unorthodox odors, discomfort or
other vicissitudes in the building. These may be early designations of maintenance
quandaries that need to be concentrated.
Lastly, the employees should minimize the utilization of perfumes or colognes or
engaging in other activities such as cooking fragrant foods in microwave ovens that
may trigger a co-worker's discomfort. Chemical formulations should be use only
where dedicated ventilation is provided and should be used it cautiously. Since that
disrupts congruous commixing and distribution of air, the air supply diffusers should
not be blocked or taped closed.
Case study: Indoor environmental conditionsIn 2004, Cornell University’s ergonomics professor Dr. Alan Hedge conducted
a study at Insurance Office of America’s headquarters in Orlando. The purpose of the
study was to investigate the link between changes in physical environmental
conditions and changes in work performance. Hedge explain that “temperature is
certainly a key variable that can impact performance”. Alan Hedge determined that
workers are more efficient when they’re warm.
Methods
In this study, Hedge and his team carefully tracked the productivity of nine
workers working in the insurance office. Their workstations were equipped with air
samplers that recorded the temperature every 15 minutes. Productivity was tracked
by software that measured their typing speed and errors for 20 consecutive days.
Results
21
Alan hedge and his team found that the workers were significantly more
productive when their office was kept at a warmer temperature. When the office
temperature at 77° F (25°C), the workers were keying 100% of the time with a 10%
error rate, while the office temperature at 68° F (20° C) the keying rate went down to
54% of the time with a 25% error rate.
The results of study also suggest raising the temperature to a more
comfortable thermal zone saves employers about $2 per worker, per hour,”
says Hedge. Overall, Hedge and his team estimated that companies could save up to
12.5% of their wage costs per worker by raising the temperature a few degrees
As a result, it show clear associations between office work performance and
indoor environmental conditions. The performance of workers will decrease when it is
too cold (or too hot). Temperature at a more comfortable thermal zone will improve
performance of workers.
Temperature and Performance
Case Study 2: Impact of Daylight
A study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine found that
office that had a window will give a much better sense of health to the workers. The
purpose of this study is to understanding the impact of light on office workers.
Methods
A total of 49 participants were examined. 27 of them worked in windowless
offices and another 22 were worked near windows. Workers with windows received
173% more white light exposure during work hours. These were people who worked
a typical day shift and the participants were not told about the specific objectives of
the study.
Results
22
This study found that workers with windows in the workplace slept an average
of 46 minutes more per night than employees who did not have the natural light
exposure in workplace. Workers in office with a window also trended to have more
physical activity than those without windows,
Workers without windows had more sleep disturbances. People who without
sleep tend to suffer from problems that could affect their performance at work such
as memory loss, slower psychomotor reflexes, depression and shorter attention
spans. Lack of sleep could lead to more workplace accidents and errors.
As a result, daylight can improve office workers productivity and health, as
well as the safety of the community they work and live in.
Learning Outcome
Throughout this assignment, we have learned about the importance of indoor
environment quality to occupants in the building. There are several factors could
affect the IEQ such as the lighting, air quality, and damp conditions and how do they
affect the comfortableness of the occupants. The heat ventilation and air conditioning
system (HVAC) plays an important role in controlling the air quality as it manages the
temperature and air movement of indoor. It is essential that as it could provide the
occupants a desired temperature and ventilation when the building is lack of natural
ventilation. As the enclosed place is ventilated, it could prevent the saturation of
microorganism. Hence, it maintains a healthy surrounding for the people.
Besides, we also learned about the day lighting system which is a system that
allows natural light to travel into the building. This would provide a natural,
comfortable energy saving and productive environment to the building occupants. An
optimum amount of natural sunlight could help increasing the alertness of the
occupants. Therefore, it enhances the IEQ of the working place.
23
Other than that, we also understand the installation process and the selection
of the components according to the building specifications. For an example, a
building with high amount of occupants would require a greater HVAC system to
provide desired ventilation. IEQ of the building is able to achieve a healthy and
comfort zone with the suitable uses of the HVAC and natural lighting system.
We learnt about the advantages and disadvantages of the every type of
systems and able to select the most suitable system to provide the maximum indoor
environment quality according to the building’s nature. A bad indoor environment
could result in poor air quality and may causes sick building syndrome to the
occupants.
All in all, indoor environment quality is essential to maintain the health and
productivity of the occupants. The components that maintain indoor environment
quality shall be regularly maintained and take care in the building.
References :
1.https://www.swtc.edu/ag_power/air_conditioning/lecture/compressor.htm
2. http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ci-ic/article/v16n1-10
3. http://www.examiner.com/article/tubular-daylighting-devices-are-your-answer-to-
daylighting-portland
4. http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/construction/green/daylighting-
device.htm
5. http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/How-Daylighting-Can-Improve-IEQ--10449?
24
source=part
6. http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/How-Daylighting-Works-Facilities-
Management-Lighting-Feature--10445
7. https://www.wbdg.org/resources/hvac.php
8. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778813005379
9. https://sftool.gov/learn/about/1/indoor-environmental-quality-ieq
10. http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB096065
11. http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/buildings/commercial/hvac.htm
12. https://www.wbdg.org/design/ieq.php
13. http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/minds-business/cold-offices-
linked-to-lower-productivity.html
14. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/14/health/daylight-office-workers/
15. http://www.floormat.com/heated-mats/heat-and-productivity.html
16. http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2014/08/natural-light-in-the-office-
boosts-health.html
17. Greeno, R., 2000. Building Services, Technology and Design. Harlow: Addison
Wesley Longman Limited