Committee on the Environment Forum: Environmental & Public Health Considerations for Building Projects

Sustainable high-performance buildings are the current trend in the building industry prompted by global concerns for climate change and human health. Improved indoor air quality for human health and comfort is an integral component of a sustainable building. The use of low VOC-emitting building products and furnishings (e.g. compliance with CDPH/EHLB/Standard Method - California Section 01350) are now required by many building rating systems, as well as state, national and international green building codes. The codes requiring compliance include the LEED Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Criteria, Collaborative for High Performance School (CHPS) IEQ criteria, the 2010 California Green Building Codes (CalGreen), ASHRAE Standard 189.1 - Standard for the Design of High-performance, Green Buildings, and the Public Version 1.0 of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC).

Dr. Wenhao Chen will introduce the background and development history of the CDPH/EHLB/Standard Method, highlight its key contents, and discuss how it has been/is being used in various building codes and standards. Other current US and international efforts on the development of health-based material emission standards will also be briefly presented. The presentation provides useful information for Architects, Interior Designers and other design professionals on how to best utilize the Standard Method when selecting/specifying building materials and furnishings in design practice.

Dr. Chen is a research scientist with the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Section of California Department of Public Health (CDPH). She has a bachelor's and master's degree in Civil Engineering from Tianjin University in China as well as a doctorate from Syracuse University of Mechanical Engineering with emphasis on building energy and environmental system and indoor air quality. Her technical expertise includes material emissions, indoor air cleaning technologies and integrated building environmental system design.

At CDPH-IAQ, Dr. Chen has been leading the project of updating Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers (also known as CA 01350). Prior joining CDPH, she had worked in IAQ Key Competency Group at Carrier Corporation and later in Building Energy and Environmental Systems Lab (BEESL) at Syracuse University.

1/28/11

Committee on the Environment Forum: Environmental & Public Health Considerations for Building Projects

Dr. Wehnhao will discuss California Section 01350, the standard methods for the testing and evaluation of VOC emissions from indoor sources using environmental chambers.

Time: Noon - 1:30pm

Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland

Contact: 510/464-3600 or Andrea Powell, Intl. Assoc. AIA

Cost: None; this program open to all. Please RSVP.

1.5 CES/HSW/SD LUs

For more information: 510/464-3600