Amy Costello, Armstrong Environmental Scientist and Marsha Bischel, PhD, Armstrong Senior Research Scientist attended a lot of seminars with a focus on Sustainable Environmental issues and building materials. They reported that the sessions have been well attended with standing room only audiences. Some of the key themes have been educating Designers on the issues and criteria they should be considering when specifying environmentally friendly products.
Major takeaways have been:
* Focusing not just on the efficiency of the building for LEED but the health benefits, the comfort and the productivity of the occupants.
* The responsibility to let building owners know that occupants should not enter a building soon after products have been installed and the interior space has been finished. This issue could be avoided by selecting environmentally friendly products.
* Time should be given to flush or ventilate the space.
* Furniture should be assembled outside the building to minimize the off-gasing.
* Having day lighting is not sufficient, Designers should be able to harvest light through reflective surfaces such as high LR ceilings and floors, and by having automated sensors and glare control.
* Single attribute labeling should be understood before specifying a product. Designers should understand what properties are being certified.
