Part One: Why Add Fresh Air?

With the weather forecast predicting a continuing heat-wave in the southwest and central parts of North America, the current re-opening strategies of small businesses like bars and restaurants include physically open doors for access to interior spaces and outdoor street or patio seating. But we know this means these businesses are running on very low capacity numbers and as the weather turns to fall and the rain and cold arrives the outdoor seating model will cease to work. What if you could open and close your building at the push of a button, year-round, to “air it out” regardless of the time of year?

While many buildings have expensive mechanical air handling systems, and some will add portable HEPA filters to their space to help improve air quality. Scientists studying virus transmission through aerosol and droplet flow still suggest using fresh outdoor air as much as possible. Meaning open doors and open windows and lots of airflow. The challenge is most traditional urban small businesses only have one door or one window which simply isn’t enough to really move air through space.

Incorporating a larger volume of fresh air quickly and efficiently can be done through another method assuming you have accessible roof space. Businesses can take advantage of stylish solutions that include large retractable skylights. These skylights or even full enclosures with operable walls maybe the size of your entire rooftop and will open at the touch of a button.

With retractable roofs and skylights come many benefits such as:

• Fresh air in large volumes
• Less power consumption
• Less expense on monthly energy bills 
• Healthier environment 
• Reduced Carbon Footprint 

A recent article on medRxiv investigated the probability of infection from the virus in confined spaces and they concluded that “ensuring adequate ventilation rate is essential to reduce the risk of infection in confined spaces”. But what does “adequate” mean?

Modern buildings are designed using mechanical ventilation standards that ensure human comfort. In other words, the system brings in the fresh air and removes contaminated air and at the same time controls the temperature of the air in the space making it comfortable for occupants. 

Part of this calculation is determined by the number of air changes per hour: the number of times per hour that the air inside the building is replaced with new air. The minimum number of changes varies depending on building code and the intended use of the space. A small space with few people (a house for example) will require a lower number of air turnovers compared to a crowded space like a bar or a restaurant or a place with a lot of human activity such as a gym. A pool, for example, has a large number of air changes to try to keep staff and guests from feeling ill due to the chemicals in the air.

The alternative to using a mechanical system is to use the naturally occurring wind, breeze, and fresh air around the building. Natural ventilation via a large opening in the roof and open walls is one of the easiest ways to get a large amount of airflow in a space. It can outperform mechanical ventilation when the difference between indoor and outdoor temperature is around 10 °C (50 °F). It is also a cheaper option to operate: natural ventilation cuts down on the yearly costs of air-conditioning, fans, and other mechanical systems up to 30%.

If you are looking for a simple solution to convert your place of business to one that has a large volume of airflow, making both staff and guests feel healthier and safer, then a retractable skylight may be the answer. A retractable roof can be opened fully or partially year-round. Outside of those days of the year when it's raining or snowing and understanding in cool months, it will require you to reheat the space, a retractable roof can be cracked open regularly to simply exhaust the space.

OpenAire has added retractable structures and skylights onto buildings of all kinds, modern and heritage, from aquatic buildings to education facilities to restaurants to private homes. Our solutions have stood the test of time and over 30 years we have added retractable roofs and skylights to over a thousand buildings around the globe. All the solutions are customized so they are engineered to meet the location and climate for each building.