Designed, Sealed, Delivered - IAQ and the Building Enclosure

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Sponsored by UL Environment
Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP and Paul Bates, LEED AP, BD&C, Education and Training Program Manager, UL Environment

Conclusion

The extensive and critical nature of the building enclosure is such that it directly and indirectly impacts many aspects of a building including ventilation, energy use, and especially indoor air quality. Since the enclosures that we design and build must respond to both natural forces and human values including human health, all of these must be taken into account during the design of buildings. Starting with the elimination of materials that can pollute the indoor air such as VOCs, formaldehyde, particulate matter, and certain plastics, we make a significant step in the direction of creating buildings that are truly healthy environments. Moving on to create carefully designed and continuous control layers within the four building enclosure systems (bottom, top, sides, and openings) we assure that the enclosure will perform the way we intend it. Coordinating the enclosure with the HVAC and other building systems help boost efficiency and save energy. Studies have shown that ventilation alone will not eliminate health hazards, only through the use of low emitting products AND effective ventilation will the issues of the building enclosure be minimized and the indoor air quality be maximized.

The results of these efforts can be very significant. Good indoor air quality has been shown to create increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, reduced personnel costs, and measured increases in morale. The more we find out about building materials and enclosures and the human health impacts, the more we know that we must address all of the issues and challenges as we design buildings of all types for today.

CASE STUDY #1
Federal Off ice Building, Washington, D.C.
Designed, Sealed, Delivered — IAQ and the Building Enclosure

Federal Office Building, Washington, DC

A nine-story existing building was purchased by the federal government in Washington, DC for $22 million. It was an older building and the floors showed signs of deflection creating a condition where the furniture wobbled. Before moving everyone in, they removed all the furniture and carpet and laid down a traditional epoxy leveling agent approximately 1 inch thick. They then laid new carpet over it and replaced the furniture.

Almost immediately after moving in, staff in the building began complaining about physical side effects that correlate with poor indoor air quality. These included eye, nose and throat irritation, fatigue, and nausea. After extensive testing, VOCs were found in the indoor air and were linked directly back to the floor leveler used to correct first problem.

With the problem identified, a mitigation strategy was developed that started with the temporary relocation of all tenants. Then, any and all absorptive material had to be completely removed because of the sink effect and potential for re-emitting the chemicals even after the original source was removed. This included removal of carpet, ceiling tiles, and upholstered office furniture. Finally, removal and replacement of the leveler was undertaken with a new, low emitting leveler which was laid 3 to 4 inches thick and allowed to cure completely. New carpet was then laid over top and any furniture could be salvaged was returned although most was replaced.

The end results of this problem: The building was branded a “federal white elephant” by the media and that negative publicity created a bad reputation for the building making it virtually impossible to re-lease. The building was essentially unused for a period of eight years during the mitigation and renovation period creating a “black eye” and embarrassment for all involved. Adding insult to injury, the total cost of this work came to a whopping $6.2 million.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in November 2013

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