The quality of an indoor environment (e.g. a room) is commonly defined through the following main factors:
• Light – does the room receive enough daylight throughout the day and is comfortable artificial lighting provided for all other times?
• External views – does the room allow for distant views that provide a connection to the external environment?
• Air quality – does indoor air contain sufficient levels of oxygen and acceptable levels of pollutants from internal or external sources?
• Ventilation – can the room be sufficiently ventilated (preferably naturally but where this is impractical, mechanically) and provide occupants with quality fresh air?
• Thermal comfort – is the room sufficiently insulated, shaded and conditioned to ensure comfortable temperatures throughout the year?
• Noise – is the room sufficiently insulated from external noise sources and does it minimise internal reverberation and noise levels?
• Occupant control – are occupants able to control their environment, e.g. through the opening and closing of windows and blinds and operating heating and cooling services?
• Materials – do the chosen building materials and finishes have low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and other hazardous components?
If you were able to answer all questions with ‘yes’, the room that you were referring to provides high indoor environment qualities.
What defines Indoor Environment Quality?
Improving the indoor environment quality at home and in the workplace will generally enhance well-being and reduce the likelihood of ill-health. Through the implementation of passive design principles, good indoor environment quality also leads to energy savings due to reduced energy demands for heating, cooling and artificial lighting.
This fact sheet recommends ways to improve indoor environment qualities through informed building design and product and materials choices