Distracted by Discomfort

Cold air dumped on me sitting there at my desk, and I was distracted. It was winter in Minneapolis, and somehow unusually cold air was reaching me and reducing my productivity. An HVAC contractor arrived on the scene, and immediately inspected the rooftop unit, then proclaimed the problem solved, without ever having visited my desk to understand the complaint. I was still cold, and the contractor returned, this time exploring the air distribution system and isolating the problem with a damper near my office. And so it goes over and over again in our buildings. Single components of the HVAC system perform according to specification, but the overall system results in occupant discomfort. Buildings meet local requirements for ventilation, but odors are present, materials outgas unhealthy chemical and sound levels are disruptive.

While the HVAC industry has a long history of developing and improving methods to provide clean air and comfort for occupants of all sorts of indoor spaces, the methods most often evolve through a largely compartmentalized process. Standards for minimum ventilation are developed independent of standards for comfort. Both concepts are important, but seldom receive the same level of attention during the design of an HVAC system. The goal of optimizing building design construction and optimization for the benefit of occupants is relatively new.

ASHRAE publishes standards and guidelines for designing buildings: healthcare facilities, energy efficient commercial buildings, buildings that are comfortable, etc. As of February 2023, ASHRAE listed hundreds of industry-approved standards and guidelines, with dozens more in development. The current list is published at < https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/standards-and-guidelines/titles-purposes-and-scopes>. ASHRAE doesn’t yet have a single standard that contains all of the requirements for designing buildings for occupancy health and comfort.

Consider just the topic of ventilation. ASHRAE standards 62.1, 62.2, 170 each describe ventilation requirements for different occupancy types. When adopted into local building codes, ASHRAE and other industry standards influence the design and construction of thousands of local buildings.. Not all jurisdictions adopt standards at the same time, and standards are periodically revised. This results in disparity - not all buildings around the country are built to the same exact code language.

At the project level, adopted codes provide consulting engineers with target ventilation rates and design methods. Engineers designing buildings to meet local code requirements for minimum safe levels of air for breathing are thus influenced by ASHRAE standards.

And even with the adoption of these ventilation standards into local code, the topic of occupant comfort has not been fully addressed. Local code authorities need to also adopt ASHRAE Standard 55 if comfort is to become codified in their jurisdiction.

Other ASHRAE standards exist for optimizing building performance, but so far, ASHRAE does not have a single standard that addresses the optimization of occupant performance and health. To holistically address occupant health and wellness, building teams are likely look outside of codes that are influenced?by ASHRAE.

The WELL Standard fosters the design of buildings built for people; buildings where occupant health is prioritized and where occupants thrive and their ability to work and to learn is optimized. The current WELL standard, WELL v2 < https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/overview>, describes 10 concepts for designing, building and operating buildings, incorporating “the science of how physical and social environments affect human health, well-being and performance.”

The WELL Building Standard acknowledges the influence of a building’s HVAC system on the health, well-being and performance of occupants. Of ten WELL v2 concepts, four are influenced by the HVAC system: Air, Thermal Comfort, Sound and Materials. WELL v2 concepts which are not influenced by the building’s HVAC system include Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Mind and Community. Together, the 10 concepts work together for the benefit of occupants in a way that so far, any other single standard has not.

I am encouraged by the emergence of new ideas like the WELL Standard. The will exists, and the science exists to design buildings more holistically. And it is exciting to see the industry embrace standards that ultimately help us all make better buildings.

To learn more about the impacts of HVAC systems on human productivity and performance, consider reading <https://www.swegonairacademy.com/health-well-being-and-productivity/productivity-and-performance/>.