HEMAC / SEDA Guide to Indoor Air Quality in Airtight Homes

Designers’ Guide Print Version (limited run of copies free plus postage)

Click here if you wish to download a free digital copy

Making buildings airtight is good for comfort and energy efficiency, but it comes with risks to our health if not properly managed. Airtight homes can overheat, become too humid and suffer from mould and a number of indoor air pollutants which harm human health, especially in those more vulnerable such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory or immunity problems.

Avoiding these problems is relatively simple however, and these pair of guides, for professionals and for homeowners respectively, describe how to minimise the creation of indoor air pollutants, and effectively ventilate them away, to create fresh and healthy buildings which are also warm and comfortable!
The Guides also provide an introduction to monitoring the air quality of a building for those who want to understand better how to maintain these good conditions, along with sources of further information.

This Designer’s Guide should be of interest to anyone interested in improving health within the home, but is particularly aimed at Architects, other designers and those responsible for providing and maintaining homes for others, such as private landlords, factors, council housing officers and those who work in social housing and broader healthcare.

The User Guide is also available and is a shorter read, providing simpler information for occupants of homes with clear guidance on what they can do to improve the air quality of their home. You can download this for free at the same page as the Designers’ Guide.

We think both will be essential reference documents, so get your discount copy (free plus postage while stocks last)

About the Author:

Chris is an architect and a Director at John Gilbert Architects with over 30 years’ experience in ecological design and sustainable development. He has maintained a range of experience from masterplanning and energy infrastructure, through to award-winning and innovative architecture, research and teaching.

Previously a Chair of the Scottish Ecological Design, Chris is one of only three architects with advanced sustainable architecture accreditation from the RIAS. He is a design review panellist for Architecture + Design Scotland and has certification in Passivhaus design, building biology (buildings and health) and permaculture. He is also the author of the recent SEDA Guide to Sustainable Renovation.