Healthy Buildings The Role of Products G#9208

This seminar is aimed at clients, policy makers, architects, contractors, surveyors and manufacturers who are interested in the delivery of healthy buildings.

Costs: £50 plus vat for members of ASBP, AECB, GHA, STBA, UKIEG and UKGBC; otherwise £100.

Bookings in advance to richard@asbp.org.uk please

Two decades of indoor air quality research in Germany has led to the development of the Sentinel Haus Institut in Freiburg. This is a great resource for information on products, with a certification system for Healthy Homes.

The Sentinel Haus Institut helps to protect buildings from unwanted contaminants or structural damages. The word “sentinel” derives from Middle English, meaning “guard”. Just as a structural engineer guarantees that the house does not collapse, SHI stands for the innocuousness of indoor air. We train all protagonists of the construction process and bring you in contact with certified partners with respect to healthy housing. The Sentinel standard enables optimal indoor air quality with contractually stipulated security for your health. Sentinel Haus Institut supports you to create healthier buildings, whether that may be kindergartens, schools, hotels, retirement homes, work centres or your own private home.

Visit:  http://www.sentinel-haus.eu

Consideration of product impacts should be an essential component for sustainable and healthy buildings and NOT an afterthought. With staff costs amounting to 90% of most office based business operating costs and because we spend so much time indoors, it is essential that the industry delivers healthy buildings. This is especially important for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly; so buildings such as schools, housing and medical centres.

However, we know that ensuring good indoor air environmental quality is a complex mix of internal and external factors. For example, products have a vital role to play to ensure that internal pollutants are minimised. This is known as source control… but how is this specified? and measured?….our seminar will update you on some recent studies. Building fabric also has a role as part of an effective ventilation strategy – particularly in vapour open structures, where moisture can diffuse through the fabric, so preventing excess damp within the structure and harmful mould growth.

This seminar will introduce the work of UK Indoor Environments Group (UKIEG) and provide an overview of recent research into this complex subject. Research conducted on the continent has resulted in the development of Sentinel Haus Institut in Freiburg, a new resource for information on products and a certification system for Healthy Homes.

We will hear the latest research on moisture control, with emerging evidence that significant domestic retrofit projects have been undertaken without considering the passage of moisture, with dire consequence. We will also hear from the manufacturer’s viewpoint, on how they are addressing these issues and from leading architects who are learning and developing the evidence base, with detailed post occupancy evaluation.