Green schools are smart schools
The evidence is in. Children work better and are healthier when their schools have good lighting, clean air and are neither too hot nor too cold.
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The evidence is in. Children work better and are healthier when their schools have good lighting, clean air and are neither too hot nor too cold.
The quality of the indoor air we breathe is very important for our comfort and health. However, there are a number of common indoor air pollutants that are potentially harmful.
Far too many offices are too hot to be comfortable, too cold to be healthy or too dim to see clearly. These are some of the findings of the on-going BRANZ BEES study.
The World Health Organization states that breathing healthy indoor air is a basic human right. A promising new technology uses light energy to reduce pollution and improve the quality of our indoor air.
Around 50% of New Zealand homes are affected by mould – an unacceptably high statistic when it is known to cause respiratory and other health issues. Having more resilient houses could improve this.
Sufficient ventilation is crucial as our homes become more airtight. A mix of passive and mechanical options can work well, but all designs should start by getting the source extraction measures right.
BRANZ’s new Warmer, Drier, Healthier Buildings programme is taking a holistic and collaborative approach to explore the issues and find solutions that allow buildings to be warm, dry and healthy.
BRANZ’S Warmer, drier, healthier buildings programme is making progress on understanding how living environments affect our health. Collaborative research is delivering notable outcomes, and this looks set to continue.
With Building Research Levy support, a low-cost air quality monitoring system has been developed to fill a knowledge gap about just how healthy the air in classrooms is.
The current review of the Building Code includes looking at indoor air quality and ensuring the performance requirements for buildings are clearly stated.