Air pollution and healthy buildings

Following on from our recent blog regarding air pollution (see MVHR & air filtration blog) in UK towns and cities I wish to expand upon this further after reading various articles about pollution in other countries around the world and in particular, China.  It would seem that China is slowly waking up to the fact that its rapid industrialisation, which has relied on burning coal, is having a very noticeable and damaging affect within its local environment.    Recent soil studies have found that almost one fifth of China's soils are now contaminated with toxins from industrial and farming processes, and, in addition to this air quality in towns and cities is starting to become a major concern and in some cities it is at crisis level. 

In this BBC news article you will see images of Chinese citizens queuing at a bus stop all wearing pollution masks and the video clearly shows the level of pollution and smog against the sky scraper sky line.  

‘The air quality is so bad it's comparable to living near a forest fire’

At two of our Passivhaus schemes Knights Place and Rowan House we installed CO2 sensors to monitor air quality in the flats.    Some of the results of this can be found here Passivhaus monitoring blog.

CO2 sensors were used as CO2 build up is considered an indicator of poor air change rate and poor air quality.  If CO2 levels increase it shows that windows are not being opened sufficiently or ventilation systems are not effective enough to replenish spaces with fresh air.    A build up of CO2 can also provide an indication that there is likely to be a build up of other toxins within the space.   Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from modern furnishings and appliances made of plastics and un-natural materials held together by glues, chemicals used in the home for cleaning, chemicals from paints and decorated finishes, nitrous oxides from cooking, dust particles, and odours can all build up in the home and even more so in modern air tight dwellings resulting in unhealthy spaces for us to live in.  It is no coincidence that modern illnesses such as respiratory problems, depression, conditions such as chronic fatigue (ME), and lack of concentration are becoming more prevalent with the modern lifestyle which is largely spent indoors in these toxic environments. 

Its an interesting observation therefore that CO2 levels being an indicator of indoor air quality can also to some extent be an indicator of air quality in the external atmosphere.  Towns and cities typically have higher CO2 levels than the countryside.   Its is currently understood by the international scientific community that increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere are resulting in climate change around the world.   In the background to this are many climate change denial groups who do not believe the evidence as it is presented or are deliberately pushing forward agendas financed by interested organisations.    Regardless of what is thought, there is no denying the fact based on this evidence that the burning of fossils fuels is polluting the air that we breathe.  The more we also contaminate the natural environment such as the soil and plants which help filter the air and the more we also remove this natural filtration system by deforestation the more polluted the air will become.   The very obvious problem in China and recent air pollution in the UK is simply highlighting the state the natural environment is currently in.  

This is not something that is likely to happen in the future, it is something that is happening right now and does not need science to state its case as it is very evident by the people living in these cities.  In the words of Bob Dylan:

"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"

Indeed, you do not need a weatherman or expert to tell you which way it will be blowing either unless there is a more concerted effort to cleaner ways of generating energy and reducing the reliance on chemicals in homes and making them safer and healthier places to live in. 

Where outside international pressure on China to reduce its CO2 emissions and reduce coal burning has not had the desired effect it would seem that pressure from its own citizens to live in healthier environments will likely be more effective.  

This is the reason why we put health and comfort at the forefront of our design principles.   For sure buildings can be designed to look amazing and win architectural awards which we do, but if its simply not a comfortable and healthy place to be in then what is its point?  Buildings are designed for people to use and be in. 

We have a particular passion here at G&S to ensure good quality architecture goes hand in hand with healthy building design using natural materials and at the same time has minimum impact on its local environment.   This drive to design in this way has helped us to recently become the first Building Biology Consultancy in the UK to be officially accredited by the Institute for Building Biology and Ecology (IBN) in Germany.  See our Building Biology blog on this.

Gale & Snowden become first UK Building Biology Consultancy IBN

Gale & Snowden have become the first Building Biology Consultancy in the UK to be officially accredited by the Institute for Building Biology and Ecology (IBN) in Germany.

We have been designing healthy buildings for over 20 years.  This accreditation by the IBN is recognition of the practice's dedication and expertise in this field.

The IBN was founded in 1976 to provide objective information and to offer a holistic approach to building biology and its teaching and to promote a healthy, ecologically and socially responsible living environment.

What is Bau biology?

The term biology is derived from the Greek word bios, "life", and the suffix -logia, "study of."

Biology is defined as the science of the different forms and manifestations of life and the conditions, laws and the causes through which they have been affected. (G.R.Treviranus)

The German word ‘Bau’ means building and describes both the process as well as a completed construction.  It can also refer to a construction site or more general the building industry.

Bau biology (or Building biology) is the study of the holistic interrelationships between humans and their build living environment.

Why bother?

Today, our living environment is defined by the spaces and buildings we have created for ourselves.

Most of us take great care when it comes to what we eat, where our food comes from, what we give to our children, how we keep fit etc., but when it comes to construction unfortunately the focus is only very rarely on the human being, their health or well-being.

Very often the focus is purely cost driven and economic viability, low maintenance costs and short payback periods are typically the key drivers for developments.

Since the 1960s the industry has responded to this demand by developing a vast range of highly processed construction materials and elements that reduce costs and speed up construction.  Whereas up to the first half of the last century traditional construction materials like bricks, concrete, stone, timber would dominate construction, now highly processed petrochemical based materials and products are generally used.  Construction components today consist of a complex mix of chemicals to improve their lifespan, their workability or construction speed.  At the same time chemicals used are not fully understood with regards to long term exposure.  Materials are only looked at in isolation and not in combination with other materials.  Whilst toxic substances like formaldehyde are restricted in their allowed concentration within one component e.g. in plywood boarding, this does not take into account the amount of plywood used in a building or that it is typically combined with other indoor sources of formaldehyde e.g. carpets, PVC flooring, paints, varnishes, glues etc.  When assessing the complete building, limiting the concentration of a carcinogenic substance like formaldehyde in individual components is meaningless.

"The dose makes the poison" and the dose is dependent on the concentration and exposure time.

On average we spend about 90% of our time indoors and 30% of our time in bedrooms.  With these exposure times even low concentrations of potentially harmful substances can affect our health in the long term and cause chronic diseases.  More vulnerable inhabitants like children and elderly persons are particularly exposed to this risk.

Bau biology is about managing this risk.  Risks are identified and assessed based on the ‘Standard of Baubiology Testing Methods’ issued by the Institute for Baubiology and Ecology IBN (Germany).

The Standard gives an overview of the physical, chemical and biological risks encountered in sleeping areas, living spaces, workplaces and  properties.  It offers guidelines on how to perform specific measurements and assess possible health risks.  All testing results, testing instruments and procedures are documented in a final written report.  In case potential problems are identified, an effective remediation strategy is developed.

By minimising the risks without affecting quality or comfort Bau biology seeks to create healthy living environments that are free from pollutants, dusts, particles, fungi, bacteria and radiation.  Based on the precautionary principle i.e. where there is evidence of a potential risk, this risk is to be designed out or minimised wherever possible.

The standard focuses on the four key elements: water, indoor air, indoor climate and radiation. 

The 25 ‘Baubiologie’ principles act as a guide:  

1.        Building site without natural and human-made disturbances

2.        Residential homes away from sources of emissions and noise

3.        Low-density housing with sufficient green space

4.        Personalised, natural, human- and family-oriented housing and settlements

5.        Building without causing social burdens

6.        Natural and unadulterated building materials

7.        Natural regulation of indoor air humidity through humidity-buffering materials

8.        Low total moisture content of a new building that dries out quickly

9.        Well-balanced ratio between thermal insulation and heat retention

10.     Optimal air and surface temperatures

11.     Good indoor air quality through natural ventilation

12.     Heating system based on radiant heat

13.     Natural conditions of light, lighting and color

14.     Changing the natural balance of background radiation as little as possible

15.     Without human-made electromagnetic and radiofrequency radiation exposure

16.     Building materials with low radioactivity levels

17.     Human-oriented noise and vibration protection

18.     With a pleasant or neutral smell and without outgassing toxins

19.     Reduction of fungi, bacteria, dust and allergens as low as possible

20.     Best possible drinking water quality

21.     Causing no environmental problems

22.     Minimising energy consumption and utilising as much renewable energy as possible

23.     Building materials preferably from the local region without promoting exploitation of scarce and hazardous resources

24.     Application of physiological and ergonomic findings to interior and furniture design

25.     Consideration of harmonic measures, proportions and shapes

More information on Building Biology and Gale & Snowden's approach to healthy buildings can be found here.

Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery helps to filter indoor air against external air pollution

Recent high air pollution levels across the UK are highlighting the fact that more needs to be done to combat air pollution.  DEFRA this week has issued health warnings across England with regard high air pollution levels which are said to get higher by the weekend.  London is already at the maximum level on the air pollution scale of 10.  The high air pollution levels are due to a mix of UK and European emissions such as Nitrous Oxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), ozone, particulates and dust from the Sahara.  The UK is particularly bad at reducing air pollution levels and the European Commission has recently launched legal proceedings against the UK for failing to reduce levels of NO2 air pollution.  These warnings are simply highlighting the state of the air quality in some of our cities which is only going to get worse as the climates warms up and smoggy, still days become more prevalent.  According to the World Health Organisation air pollution is the world's single biggest environmental health risk.  

BBC news air pollution health warnings

The use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) in homes with F7 filters on the supply air can help filter out some of these contaminants and keep our homes fresh and healthy.  Not only is MVHR effective at removing contaminants inside and ensuring adequate fresh air, with suitable filters on in the incoming supply side they can filter and clean outdoor air as it comes in.  At some of Gale & Snowden's recent multi residential schemes such as Knights Place and Rowan House where we designed in the MVHR systems to include F7 filters, we have been testing and monitoring for air quality where residents are reported to be very happy with their indoor environment in terms of air quality and fresh air, even without having to open windows in winter.   

As well as providing architectural design service and Passivhaus design consultancy, Gale & Snowden also employs building biologists, building physicists and mechanical engineers.  This integrated approach enables us to design buildings that are not only passive and low energy but are also truly healthy places to be in.  

St Loyes Care Home research on climate change adaptation published in CIBSE Technical Memorandum TM55

After over a year of editing and peer review our research project which investigated the climate change adaptation (CCA) of the ExtraCare4Exeter project has finally been published in CIBSE TM55.  This is the first time G&S have been published in an engineering technical document and joins the many papers and case studies we have published to date.

The building itself is a state of the art, 5-storey exemplar Extra Care Facility for the elderly located in Exeter.   During early design stages G&S won funding from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) under the Design for Future Climate Change (D4FC) competition.  This funding enabled G&S to investigate climate change adaptation strategies for the building design moving into future climate change weather scenarios well into 2080.

The main emphasis of this CCA work was to address the issue of overheating in the building design for a very vulnerable user group, primarily focusing on increased internal and external temperatures and heat related discomfort and illness in individuals. In particular high level dementia care was to be accommodated in the building design.

To a lesser extent increased weather severity (flooding, wind, and driving rain) and increased air pollution were also investigated.   

Many papers were written investigating strategies to develop an adaptable design for changing climates - passive and active strategies, mass, natural ventilation, the role of plants and courtyards, green roofs, earth cooling, and the role MVHR could play.

Further details on this project and the papers written can be found here:

ExtraCare4Exeter research project

The case study presented in the CIBSE TM55 was a synopsis on the overheating analysis and adaptation strategies that were developed for the Extra Care Facility.

Further details on CIBSE TM55 can be found here:

CIBSE knowledge portal TM55

The five adaptation case studies presented in TM55 were funded as part of a larger programme called ‘Design for Future Climate’ creating adaptation strategies for 50 UK building projects supported by the Technology Strategy Board. The aim of the programme was to build expertise within the UK design profession for delivering adaptation services and to build a body of evidence of the commercial advantages of considering future climate adaptation in current building projects, both new build and refurbishment.

This publication is presenting current practice and understanding, rather than commenting on the best way to carry out building adaptation strategies, or recommending changes to regulatory documents and procedures. The projects were undertaken on a commercial basis and so the extent of modelling, investigation and research were inevitably constrained by the overriding needs of the project, planning, programme and costs. In many cases it was the first time that the design teams had given serious attention to the concerns of future climate and so approaches may not necessarily be best practice. It must be noted that it is impossible to measure the weather in 40 years time today, and so the decisions and recommendations in these case studies were based solely on modelling using future weather scenarios without the ability to validate their models with real world measurement, which is not ideal.

These case studies on real building projects illustrate the lessons learned by design teams on improving adaptation resistance and resilience of building projects and show the impact that embedded adaptation strategies can have on the design decisions adopted by clients.

The case studies recommend use of the following adaptation measures: Thermal performance and dealing with overheating; water conservation and dealing with flooding risk; and material durability.

Contents:

1 Introduction

2 Key messages

3 How the climate is changing

4 Impacts of a changing climate and the challenge of adapting buildings

5 Making a case for adaptation to the client

6 Climatic data used by each study 

7 Challenges to conducting adaptation work and lessons learned in the case studies 

References

Case studies:

• Case Study 1: Church View, Doncaster

• Case Study 2: Greenwich University, School of Architecture and Construction

• Case Study 3: ExtraCare4Exeter

• Case Study 4: Harris Academy Purley

• Case Study 5: White Collar Factory at Old Street Yard

'Building a Resilient Future' - Gale & Snowden at the Technology Strategy Board

Gale & Snowden is to showcase work at 'Building A Resilient Future' for the Technology Strategy Board.

The event is to be held on Wednesday 26th February at No. 1 Drummond Gate, Victoria, London, SW1V 2QQ. 

The focus of this event is to establish the latest thinking and best practice around integrating climate change adaptation and resilience into built environment projects, and to highlight and promote the opportunities for the UK built environment sector.  A range of drivers, approaches and tools which support the understanding, communication, and development of the 'business case' for climate change adaptation and resilience will be highlighted. The benefits of attending include helping to shape the discussion about the future of climate change adaptation in the built environment, sharing knowledge, networking, and finding out about business opportunities.

The conference will be the final dissemination of the TSB funded competition Design for Future Climate. The competition provided funding for project teams to consider climate change impacts in the design of real life construction and building refurbishment projects.

The format of the day will include a series of presentations with panel sessions for wider discussion.

David Gale will be presenting the three 'Design for Future Climate' (D4FC) projects that Gale & Snowden has undertaken over the last 3 years and showcasing the Future Climate Ready Consultancy services that Gale & Snowden provides for all types of building projects. David's presentation is available to view below.

Passivhaus Monitoring South West & Cross Channel Dissemination with Exeter City Council

Housing providers and local authorities from Brittany, France and the South West learn how one of the first UK Passivhaus certified low energy affordable housing schemes in Exeter performs.  

Emma Osmundsen (Housing Development Manager - Exeter City Council) in the foreground of the image below with Gale & Snowden Architects (G&S) with French and British delegates outside the Passivhaus scheme Rowan House.  The day was also made up by the attendance of G&S Architect Tomas Gartner (in the foreground) who is from Germany and the Passivhaus designer of the schemes presented.   It turned out to be a very informed multi-cultural and European exchange of Passivhaus ideas and learning from three different countries.     

French, British & German delegates outside Rowan House

French and British local councillors together with housing providers and various industry professionals from the South West, Devon County Council, Exeter City Council and Wiltshire Council visited two social housing schemes in Exeter built to the Passivhaus standard to learn about how the buildings have actually performed with regards to energy consumption and indoor comfort.   Both buildings have been extensively monitored and evaluated through funding by the Technology Strategy Board and this monitoring work has been delivered by the housing scheme designers themselves, Gale & Snowden Architects. In order to maximise comfort and well being, this two year project is ensuring that the new housing tenants get to grips with the various energy saving technologies installed in their home thanks to training and interviews and  energy and indoor quality monitoring. The learning from this project will inform future designs and is vital in understanding the level of support required to help tenants use effectively the low energy features of their new home. 

The day was split into two halves; the Passivhaus presentations were held in the morning in Exeter's medieval Guild Hall followed by the tour of the Passivhaus schemes after lunch;     the morning venue being at the complete opposite end of the energy spectrum when compared to the afternoon visit.  French and British visitors were welcomed by Exeter City Council (ECC) Housing Development Manager, Emma Osmunsden and had the opportunity to discuss their experience.  Gale & Snowden then presented the results of the monitoring so far.   The delegates also enjoyed a warm welcome from one of the tenants who shared her positive experience of moving into a low energy Passivhaus home. 

The two housing schemes called Rowan House and Knights Place were designed by low energy and ecological Architects Gale & Snowden and managed by ECC. These homes not only benefit from high levels of insulation, "airtightness", a whole-house ventilation system with efficient heat recovery, and hot solar water panels but they are also designed to be as healthy as possible with no PVC used in the construction, the installation of ceramic tiles throughout to reduce dust mites and radial electrical circuits to reduce electro-magnetic fields which are believed to carry health risks.

Emma providing a warm welcome to delegates

The exchange was a real success with both French and British visitors taking a lot of learning home. This cross channel exchange was part of another EU funded project on sustainable energy between local councils on both side of the Channel, which Gale & Snowden were happy to collaborate with as part of the monitoring dissemination activities  – SEACS is a €2 million project selected by the European Cross-border Co-operation Programme INTERREG IV A France (Channel) – England and is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Conseil General des Côtes d’Armor, Devon County Council, Dorset County Council, Agglomeration Lannion-Tregor and Wiltshire Council.

G&S presenting monitoring results

Gale & Snowden would like to thank Emma and Gary (ECC housing team) for their input throughout the day in particular sharing ECC's experience of delivering and managing the first multi residential Passivhaus building in the UK.  Gale & Snowden would also like to thank Rose the tenant at Rowan House who warmly received 30 delegates in her Passivhaus flat to share her positive experiences of living there.   A special thanks also goes to Doe Fitzsimmons of Devon County Council who as well as organising and co-ordinating the whole day through the SEACS project also had a very tiring time translating all the presentations live throughout the course of the day.  It was a job well done!

Devon County Councillor Roger Croad, Cabinet Member for Community and Environmental Services, said “The SEACS project is working with communities and schools throughout Devon to tackle the energy challenge together, by raising awareness of the cost of energy and the range of options available to help manage consumption. This SEACS event has enabled Exeter City Council’s experience to be shared with other housing agencies in Devon to inform future schemes for Devon’s residents, as well as our partners in the south west and France”.

If anybody would like to know more about the Passivhaus monitoring research, healthy building design or Passivhaus low energy design then please contact David Gale (david@ecodesign.co.uk) and we would be more than happy to present our research and findings, designs and ideas.

Some quotes below from the delegates who attended. 

"All the partners from Lannion-Trégor Communauté have been very happy and fully pleased with the day, the information provided and the atmosphere."

"Dear Doe and Emma, That was fantastic. Thank you so much for organising it.  You should be really proud of your team."

"This is just a short note to thank you for the time, patience and soaking you took to show us round your projects. We had a blast.  I am sure we will be able to promote passivhaus ideals here in Wiltshire as a result of it."

"I thought the day was just perfect, so well planned and executed. It was a fabulous opportunity to meet not just the French but other Councils too.  I am very grateful for all your time, trouble and efforts which made the day a complete success."

Presentations prepared for the day

Knights Place & Rowan House Introduction

TSB Passivhaus Monitoring Introduction

Passivhaus Monitoring Dissemination Results




Mechanical Ventilation BPEC qualified

Jason our mechanical engineer recently attended a BPEC Domestic Ventilation Systems course, sat the exam and passed with flying colours.  Jason is now qualified under Part F of the building regulations to commission, balance and sign off ventilation systems in domestic applications.  This will be very useful to Gale & Snowden especially when it comes to mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems in homes.  As a practise we are finding that MVHR systems require particular attention in domestic applications to ensure that they perform as intended and provide good air quality in a noise free manner.   MVHR systems need to be designed and installed correctly taking account the room layout, the air tightness barrier and duct penetrations, noise break out, other plant systems such as wood burners, pressure drop to keep fan power to a minimum and air distribution within the spaces to name but a few elements.   Once this has been covered a well designed and correctly installed system requires to be correctly commissioned and balanced at the end of the construction period if it is to perform as intended in a trouble free manner.

MVHR Air Balancing

In buildings that are becoming increasingly air tight it is even more important that air quality is maintained otherwise VOCs (volatile organic compounds), gases and chemicals, dust and particulates, moisture and odours can build up in the home which then become detrimental to health and the building.   Whilst it is important to be energy efficient this cannot be at the detriment to air quality.  Gale and Snowden can now design and detail MVHR systems as well as install and commission them.   We can now ensure that all areas of the MVHR design and installation is carried out to the highest standard.     See our low energy mechanical engineering service for further details.  

Gale & Snowden Mechanical Engineering Service

As well as providing mechanical designs in-house on our own architectural designs we also provide a low energy mechanical design service to other architects throughout the country who are also working on prestigious low energy projects.   Our in-house team have been designing MVHR systems for over 15 years now which include both commercial schemes (offices, hospitals, museums) and domestic schemes.    We have also designed these systems with C02 & humidity controlled variable volume control and a variety of earth duct and ground piped heat exchangers and carried out extensive thermal modelling work looking at the feasibility of earth heat exchangers at keeping buildings cool when moving into future climate change scenarios.  Some of this work can be found here:   

Care Home Climate Change Adaptation Work

We also intend to offer this service to clients who wish just for a check and verification of MVHR systems being commissioned by others and also for trouble shooting problem systems.    Our in-house team has experience in monitoring and fault finding problem ventilation systems and fine tuning them to operate correctly.   This may involve taking simple air flow measurements and rebalancing to leaving temperature, humidity and C02 sensors within the ductwork and room space to determine how well any system is performing.   We have found that MVHR systems in homes generally require a fine tune typically a year after hand over to ensure they are working to their optimum.  

Temperature & Humidity Logger in Ductwork

The presentation below provides details of an investigation we carried out on the MVHR systems at Knights Place one of our Passivhaus schemes.  We wanted to determine if frost protection was required or not and also investigate in-situ the efficiency of the MVHR system.  A sub meter on the power supply to the MVHR system was installed as well as temperature, humidity and C02 sensors were installed in the rooms and within the ductwork.  This presentation presents a snap shot of some of the analysis and results so far.

G&S Passivhaus affordable homes featured in Devon Life Magazine

Bevan House, 9 Passivhaus dwellings designed by Gale & Snowden for Exeter City Council, are featured in the December 2013 issue of Devon Life magazine.

The development features:

Super insulation and thermal bridge free design
High performance triple glazed timber windows and doors
Air tight design achieving 0.5 ac/hr
93% efficient MVHR
Thermal mass design providing inter-seasonal internal temperature stability
Designed to meet Lifetime Homes standard, Code 4, Secured by Design, optimum daylight levels throughout
Bevan House is currently being assessed for Passivhaus certification

Purely through passive design elements, the new flats at Bevan House will use approximately 75% less heating energy when compared to a standard UK building (2010 Building Regulation requirements), making it truly affordable for its tenants without compromising on comfort or indoor air quality.

Bevan House will provide exemplary, affordable housing, built to the highest standard of energy efficient construction.  This project shows again that we can successfully target fuel poverty and combat climate change at the same time.