The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) of UL Research Institutes released a joint brief today entitled, “ASID Impact of Design Brief: Climate, Building Resiliency & Human Health.” The document is the result of research conducted jointly by ASID and CIRI and represents the first of two free resources to be published by the two organizations to focus on the intersection between climate science and interior design. The second will center on the effects of heat within the built environment and be published within the coming months.
“Designers and collaborators in the built environment bear the responsibility to improve human health through their work, and to consider new strategies in support of building resiliency,” said ASID Chief Executive Officer Khoi Vo. “With the increase of extreme weather events and climate change, the interior design profession must be well-equipped to better understand and incorporate resilient solutions into their practices. We are grateful to CIRI for lending their expertise to our community and contributing to this valuable project.”
While there is oftentimes a focus on mitigating the effects of climate change in terms of building durability, designers need to be cognizant of the fact that indoor stressors can also pose a significant risk to occupants, especially since Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors. Two of the most notable findings from the brief include:
· Poor indoor air quality puts nearly 40% of the U.S. population at risk for serious health problems.
· The levels of indoor chemical pollutants exceed those of the outdoor environment by at least two-fold.
“Our research demonstrates that weather changes, like prolonged elevated temperatures, are changing how materials behave in the indoor environment,” said Vice Present and Executive Director of CIRI Marilyn Black. “CIRI is excited to share our research knowledge with ASID so interior designers and manufacturers can be leaders and stewards for advancing healthy and sustainable living and working spaces.”
Dr. S. Dawn Haynie, an ASID research fellow, and Holly Henderson, CIRI director of strategic partnerships and education, will jointly present their findings at the Coverings conference in Atlanta on April 24 and GSATHER Catalyst in Denver on August 13. To download the brief, follow the link below.