Scientists and engineers join forces to champion building ventilation

An international awareness campaign to promote the critical role of better building ventilation in supporting health, well-being, and productivity has been launched by a coalition of scientists, academics, engineering bodies and environmental activists.

The first annual World Ventil8 Day (#WorldVentil8Day) takes place on 8 November and will involve a series of ‘in person’ and online events and discussions around the world.

Spearheaded by leading healthy building champion Professor Cath Noakes OBE, Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings at the University of Leeds, the campaign is being driven by UK bodies BESA (the Building Engineering Services Association), CIBSE (the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers), IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) and FETA (the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations).

They are working in partnership with international partners AREA (the umbrella body for European contractors’ organisations), ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) and UNEP (the United Nations Environment Programme).

UK academics backing the initiative include from the universities of Nottingham, Leeds, Loughborough, Sheffield, Strathclyde, and Imperial College London, many of whom are part of the Future Urban Ventilation Network.

The overarching ambition is ‘Improving Ventilation for a Healthier World’ and this year the theme aims to celebrate ventilation through a series of events and knowledge sharing. The campaign will showcase powerful scientific and practical evidence demonstrating how good ventilation can reduce exposure to air pollutants and infectious diseases, which aids human productivity, improves sleep, and reduces mould and damp in buildings.

“Good ventilation is part of creating a sustainable and low carbon environment, by using technology well to balance air quality, energy use and comfort,” said Professor Noakes. “It is critical to making buildings more resilient to health threats including our regular battles with the transmission of colds and flu around crowded indoor spaces.”

As well as showcasing the range of ventilation solutions available to building owners and occupiers, World Ventilation Day will recognise the skilled people who implement the measures and strategies used to make buildings healthier and safer – highlighting the need for training and recruiting more skilled people to take on this growing global task.

Its website – worldventil8day.com – includes a range of free resources including ‘top facts’ about the role of ventilation, and different methods that can be adapted depending on the age, design, location, and purpose of the building. It also explains how building operators can manage the complex trade-off between ventilation, energy consumption, climate change, urban pollution, noise, comfort, and security.

Organisers are encouraging people to get involved by following their social media and using the hashtags #WorldVentil8Day and #CelebrateVentil8 in their own posts. Resources will be available on the website to download and share.

People and organisations are encouraged to share relevant reports, standards, or studies, run a CPD event, give a talk or organise a workshop or activity for a school or community group to help promote healthy and sustainable ventilation.