Feature

GREENGUARD Introduces Updated IAQ Management Plan for Design Projects and Specification Writers

Breathing. Even though it is a necessity of life, we often take it for granted. What we breathe in is also overlooked, and it should not be. Indoor air can contain thousands of different indoor pollutants including molds, bacteria, animal allergens, fine particles and many different volatile organic compounds or VOCs. The very products we use to construct, furnish, decorate and maintain buildings contribute to indoor air pollution. The good news is that you have the opportunity to limit building occupant exposure to indoor pollutants during all phases of a building's life.

Building interiors should fulfill their intended functions and satisfy the needs of building occupants without negatively impacting their health or quality of life. With the development of the U. S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System(TM) and other sustainable building standards, the health and well-being of building occupants and the environment are being addressed. These building standards take into account a wide range of 'green' aspects; safeguarding water and water efficiency; energy efficiency and renewable energy; conservation of materials and resources; sustainable sites and indoor environmental quality. All of these aspects are important for achieving a 'green' high performance building, but if good indoor air quality (IAQ) is not achieved, the building will have significant indoor pollution leading to illness among occupants and general unacceptability of the building. New or recently renovated projects are of particular concern since the use of new construction materials and finishes result in VOC levels thousands of times higher than considered acceptable. In fact, achieving good indoor environmental quality is considered so important that it accounts for 21.7% of LEED-NC points possible, coming in second only to energy, which has 27% of the points.

While there is no question that undertaking a LEED, or any other sustainable building project can be a daunting task, GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is trying to make it a little bit easier.

GEI has developed an Indoor Air Quality Management Plan specifically for architects, designers, specification writers, construction teams and commissioning agents to be used in preparation of a project specification covering indoor air quality requirements. The specification includes the requirements of LEED-NC, LEED-CI and LEED-EB while detailing specifications for construction products, construction site management, construction sequencing, HVAC operation during construction, product installation, building flush-out and IAQ testing.

Designing and constructing a building to provide acceptable IAQ, whether it is new construction or the renovation of an existing space, is a process during which each step is interdependent on those coming before and after. Failure in one step risks failure in subsequent steps and ultimately, in the building itself. To reduce this risk, good communication and coordination among the design professionals and construction team, and between the general contractor and subcontractors is essential. Another inherent risk is the lack of expertise and understanding of how the interrelationship of numerous factors can contribute to poor IAQ.

The GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Management Plan includes all the important design and construction processes and places them in this consolidated plan for easy project use. The specification also provides hidden text for step-by-step guidance and easy editing to suit all project requirements, helping to coordinate the efforts of each member of the project team with the goal of creating a healthy building environment.

For a copy of the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Management Plan, please email info@greenguard.org.

GEI's 5th Annual Pub Night At Greenbuild

Meet us at Greenbuild in Boston. We will be hosting our 5th annual Pub Night this year at Ned Devines and Parris at historic Faneuil Hall. Be sure to mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 19th. Come for dancing, door prizes and hors d'oeuvres amidst a mix of 80's and 90's tunes and perhaps an Irish jig or two. Come get the luck of the Irish with the who's who at Greenbuild Boston. You can RSVP now if you haven't already.

GREENGUARD News

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute often serves as a resource for publications and media outlets, providing information on various topics that relate to product emissions and indoor air quality. The following lists recent articles and features.

Green by Design
Painting Your Home ‘Green’ — Eco paint tips

Jakarta Post

Are There Different Shades of Green in IT

Seventh Generation
Furniture Fit for a Healthy Home

Kitchen & Bath Design News
Water, Air Purity Key to Creating Healthy Baths

FloorBiz.com
LATICRETE Sponsors Driver in the World’s First “Green” Racing Series

Orlando Sentinel
Enjoy the smell of fresh paint, not old odors

To read these and past articles, visit the Press Room/Articles under the 'About GEI' tab on the GEI website. Read More...

Upcoming Events

In the next few months, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) will participate in several events.

IFMA (Exhibiting)
October 15 - 17, 2008
Dallas, TX

NAEYC (Speaking)
November 5 - 8, 2008
Dallas, TX

NSSEA (Speaking)
November 13 - 14, 2008
Baltimore, MD

Build Boston (Speaking)
November 18 - 20, 2008
Boston, MA

Greenbuild Expo 2008 (Speaking and Exhibiting)
November 19 - 21, 2008
Boston, MA

For more information, please visit the Events tab listed under 'About GEI' and click on 2008 Calendar.

Continuing Education

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is proud to be a recognized USGBC Education Provider, and provides numerous Continuing Education Courses related to indoor air quality principles, including the following:

Healthy Indoor Air by Design
Credits: AIA (1LU), IDCEC (0.1 CEU), CSI (1-ECH), USGBC

This basic level course is designed to communicate the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) and empower architects, designers and specifiers to employee strategies to improve the IAQ in the spaces they are creating. The course includes background on the impact of indoor air pollution on human health and economics. Participants will learn to identify sources of indoor air pollutants, illustrated by several case studies that highlight the effects of controlling, versus not controlling, IAQ at the design phase of building construction. Emphasis also will be placed on how participants can incorporate good IAQ principles into sustainable building projects.

Clearing the Air on IAQ: Making Sense of IAQ Standards and IEQ Requirements
Credits: AIA (1LU), IDCEC (0.1 CEU), CSI (1-ECH)

This intermediate level educational program will help specifying professionals navigate the current state of IAQ criteria in the U.S., as it relates to product specification and green building programs. At the end of this one-hour program, participants will understand the current issues and solutions associated with indoor air quality. They will be able to differentiate between different product standards and certification programs in the U.S. marketplace. From an IEQ perspective, attendees will gain the knowledge they need to effectively navigate green building guidelines and programs.

Building Blocks for Healthy Indoor Air
Credits: AIA (1LU), IDCEC (0.1CEU), USGBC

This basic level educational program will help designers creating educational spaces, specifically daycare and K-12 schools, achieve the best indoor air quality for those environments as it is fundamental to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of children. At the end of this one-hour program, participants will understand the health risks and sources of indoor air pollution in daycare and K-12 facilities. They will discover strategies for creating educational environments with healthy indoor air quality, and identify resources for improving and maintaining indoor air quality.

Design to Prevent the Damaging Effects of Mold
Credits: AIA (1LU), CSI (1-ECH)

This basic level course outlines the role of the architect in preventing mold in their projects. The participants will gain understanding of the impact mold has on building integrity and materials; quantify the financial impact of mold; and discuss its effects on human health. The course will explore the sources of moisture intrusion, and will detail preventive strategies to minimize moisture intrusion throughout the design, construction, and operations and maintenance of a building.

GEI is taking its Health, Safety and Human Welfare courses on the road to architecture and design firms, industry meetings, campuses and manufacturer showrooms across the country. If your firm or group is interested in learning more about these courses, please send a request to education@greenguard.org.