Indoor Environmental Quality
- Total points possible in “indoor environmental quality” category: 15
- Points earned:13
Prerequisite 1: Minimum IEQ Performance
The intent of this prerequisite is to prevent the development of indoor air quality within buildings, thus contributing to the comfort and well-being of the occupants.
Points are not earned for meeting prerequisites, but without meeting these requirements, certification is not possible. To meet this prerequisite, Rieth Village incorporated operable windows into its building plan, so that occupants have control over their own environment.
The buildings are also equipped with ceiling fans and whole house fans for increased ventilation rate. The roofs have operable sky lights to promote healthy air circulation.
Prerequisite 2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
The intent of this prerequisite is to prevent exposure building occupants and systems to ETS.
Rieth Village met this prerequisite by prohibiting smoking on the Rieth Village campus.
Awarded Credits
Credit 1: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Monitoring (1 point earned)
The intent of this credit is to provide capacity for indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring to help sustain long-term occupant comfort and well-being.
Rieth Village earned this point by installing operable doors and windows. In larger buildings, CO2 monitors can be installed and connected to the HVAC system, to bring in fresh air if CO2 levels get too high. In a building of this size, however, the frequency of going in and out and opening windows, achieving this objective.
Credit 2: Ventilation Effectiveness (1 point earned)
The intent of this credit is to provide for the effective delivery and mixing of fresh air to support the safety, comfort and well-being of building occupants.
Rieth Village earned this point by installing operable windows, operable skylights, whole house fans, and ventilation systems that ensure healthy and regular movement of air, mostly facilitated by people coming in and out of the buildings. When the larger academic building is constructed, it will have some mechanical technology that will make sure that fresh air is brought in. These buildings are small enough, however, to make effective ventilation is possible without mechanical equipment.
Credit 3.1: Construction IAQ Management Plan During Construction (1 point earned)
The intent of this credit is to prevent indoor air quality problems resulting from the construction/renovation process in order to help sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and building occupants.
Rieth Village earned this point by meeting an air change effectiveness level of greater than .9 as determined by the ASHRAE code. Achieving this requirement was relatively simple in a building project of this size. These regulations are set in place for very large building projects where ventilation can be a problem for construction workers and later residents. In a building this size, however, the requirements are met fairly easily because of the doors, windows, and the design of the buildings to naturally assist in ventilation and air flow. To ensure the well-being of future building occupants, ducts and vents were sealed closed during construction to prevent construction waste from entering them and re-entering the air later.
Credits 4.1-4.4: Low Emitting Materials (4 points earned)
The intent of these credits is to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, potentially irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants.
Rieth Village earned the maximum 4 points in this category by using low VOC (volatile organic compounds) and low solvent adhesives & sealants, paints & coatings, carpet, and composite wood (which contains urea-formaldehyde resins). Many new construction projects have a “new building smell” upon completion, due to a high amount of VOCs, which are gases emitted from materials that can be harmful if inhaled. Rieth Village was able to earn the maximum 4 points for this category because it chose low-emitting materials for nearly every product used during construction. Because of this, Rieth Village never had a “new building smell.”
Credit 5: Indoor Chemical & Pollution Source Control (1 point earned)
The intent of this credit is to avoid exposure of building occupants to potentially hazardous chemicals that adversely impact air quality.
Rieth Village earned this point by installing grates in front of high-volume entryways that capture dust, dirt, and particulates and prevent pollution from entering the building.
Credits 6.1-6.2: Controllability of Systems, Perimeter and Non-Perimeter Spaces (2 points earned)
The intent of this credit is to provide a high level of thermal, ventilation and lighting system control by individual occupants or specific groups in multi-occupant spaces (i.e. classrooms or conference areas) to promote the productivity, comfort and well-being of building occupants.
Rieth Village earned this point by installing operable windows throughout the buildings, and by also making the lighting, airflow, and temperature systems simple to control. This gives residents control of their own environment, allowing them to reduce the electricity or energy they are using if it is unnecessary. A consequence of designing a building without easy and simple controllability of systems is the “freezing convention center” effect. You have probably found yourself in a giant conference center, in a giant room, that is freezing, and no one on the property being able to change the settings quickly or easily.
Credit 7.1: Thermal Comfort (1 point earned)
The intent of this credit is to provide a thermally comfortable environment that supports the productivity and well-being of building occupants.
Rieth Village earned this point by complying with the ASHRAE Standard 55-1992 for thermal comfort, including humidity control and adaptive comfort temperature boundaries. This has to do with how accessible controls are to people. Residents of the buildings have the ability to make their environment suit their needs. They having accessibility to thermostats, they can open and close windows, and also have access to whole house fans. These features help create thermal comfort.
Credits 8.1-8.2: Daylight and Views, Views for 90% of spaces (2 points earned)
The intent of these credits is to provide for the building occupants a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors through the introduction of daylight and views into the regularly occupied areas of the building.
Rieth Village earned the maximum 2 points for this category by providing visual access to the outdoor classroom in over 90% of the spaces. The only exception to this is the basement, shower rooms, and storage closets.
