Sustainability, Health, and Indoor Environmental Quality
What this domain tests
This domain tests sustainability, health, and indoor environmental quality as design requirements, not slogans. Expect ventilation, material emissions, moisture control, daylight, and green-rating credit logic.
Core rules and concepts
- ASHRAE 62.1 sets minimum ventilation using people-based and area-based rates. For offices, a common rate is 5 cfm per person plus 0.06 cfm per sf, adjusted for system efficiency.
- VOC limits apply to adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, and flooring. Formaldehyde is a concern in composite wood; specify low-emitting products and require certification where available.
- Moisture control protects durability and air quality. Detail vapor retarders, drainage, and drying paths; mold prevention is cheaper than remediation.
- Green rating systems reward energy, water, materials, indoor quality, and location. Commissioning verifies that systems perform as designed.
Worked example
A 2,000 sf open office with 14 occupants needs 14 x 5 = 70 cfm plus 2,000 x 0.06 = 120 cfm, for 190 cfm of outdoor air. If the system supplies only 150 cfm, the design fails the minimum rate. Increase outdoor air, reduce occupant density, or use demand-controlled ventilation with CO2 sensors where the code allows.
Traps
Treating recycled content as the only green measure; ignoring ventilation because the space feels comfortable; specifying low-VOC paint over high-emitting substrate; and skipping commissioning.