FOCUS WELLBEING
Something in the air
Rupert Kazlauciunas of Zehnder Group UK discusses the links between building
design and the health and wellbeing of occupants
A study recently conducted in the US
revealed that 40 per cent of adult
workers have taken a day o sick due
to poor air quality in their place of work
(see References, note 1). In the UK, we
have also seen a reported increase in
respiratory sickness, headaches and poor
mental health among people working in
supposedly ‘sick’ buildings.
First spoken about and highly prevalent in
the 1990s, sick building syndrome (SBS) is
commonly defined as a ‘medical condition
where people in a building su er from
34 FEBRUARY 2020
symptoms of illness or feel unwell for no
apparent reason. Sick building causes are
frequently pinned down to flaws in the
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems’. Although serious
discussions around SBS quietened down
in the early 21st century, there are now
studies and opinions emerging to suggest
the phenomenon is making an unwelcome
return to our workplaces and, indeed, our
buildings in general.
So how can we address this issue? And
what role does building design have to play
in finding a solution?
Wellbeing, health and comfort are
slowly moving up the agenda in terms of
construction and building management
as a whole. Major building services and
architectural award schemes now regularly
feature a ‘health and wellbeing’ category,
and several award-winning developments
are being commended not only for aesthetic
design or sustainability but how the building
fabric lends itself to the positive wellbeing of
its inhabitants.
In turn, buildings such as schools and