Goals for building management and, specifically, indoor air quality (IAQ) standards, have changed dramatically in response to economic and environmental forces. After the oil embargo in the 1970s, building energy use was reduced by decreasing ventilation rates. Unfortunately, turning down air change rates without considering other factors resulted in the unintended consequence of sick building syndrome (SBS). Occupant complaints of SBS diminished as ventilation restrictions eased when energy conservation became part of the broader concept of “sustainability,” meaning the ability of a building to improve the planet, occupant productivity, and the profitability of the business enclosed within the walls.
In the last decade, severe outdoor climate events, such as rain, snow, heat waves, earthquakes, floods, and wildfires, have threatened U.S. and international building stock, resulting in the emergence of “resiliency,” meaning the ability of a building to remain structurally intact in extreme outdoor conditions.