ELEMENT:
Organoil to internal timber; floors doors and windows
Porters 'Lime wash' paint to plasterboard and fibre cement wall sheeting
AIM:
The presence of respiratory particles: volatile organic compounds (VOC's),
polar compounds, formaldehyde (HCHO) and airborne micro-organisms affect
the quality of indoor air. The selection of organic finishes can minimise
the off gassing of harmful chemicals, promote ventilation and minimise
dust collection. This contributes to healthy indoor living conditions.
STRATEGY:
Indoor Air Quality
Clean indoor air is paramount to providing a healthy indoor living environment.
The following design strategies were strategies used to produce low levels
of emissions of airborne materials and maximise the rate at which air
in the building could be removed. The design strategies used to maintain
indoor air quality are:
- Ventilation
- Internal surface material selection
- Surface finishes selection
- Location of carport to minimise fumes from the car entering the house
The elements that act together are:
A ducted vacuum system that effectively cleans the carpets,
is quiet and deposits dirt and dust into the unit dustbin and so that
they are not re-circulated throughout the home. It provides clean air
and has four-stage filtration for higher efficiency and longer machine
life.
Porters lime wash paints were used because they are made
from natural pigments with low environmental impact in manufacture. They
produce no harmful off gassing, which provides optimum indoor air quality
for a low life-cycle cost.
Organic natural oil timber finishes were used externally
and internally and non VOC emitting waterproofing also helps maintain
optimum indoor air quality.
The indoor air quality (IAQ) has been measured through a series of tests
to ascertain the levels of Physical, Chemical and Biological pollutants
in the indoor environment that are potentially affecting the health of
the occupants. Of particular interest is the off-gassing of construction
materials.
Testing has been carried out on the Healthy Home to assess the quality
of the indoor air. The parameters measured to asses the IAQ included a
range of physical particulates, chemicals and biological elements. The
degree of ventilation rate was measured by the concentration of CO2 in the air. In addition, the levels of respiratory particles,
(Pm10), volatile organic compounds (VOC's), polar compounds, formaldehyde
(HCHO) and airborne microorganisms were also assessed. The results of
these tests have shown that the air quality achieves the relevant standard.
Ongoing testing will assess the impact of maintenance and cleaning of
the house and the capacity of the house and its materials to store and/or
release indoor air pollutants.
REFERENCE:
Hyde, R, Climate Responsive Design. A Study of Buildings in Moderate
and Hot Humid Climates. E and FN Spon, London 2000.
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