03
Wind, Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality
According to LEED, 90% of our lives are spent indoors. Indoor air can have 2-5 times more pollutants than outdoor air that's why it has a negative effect on our health. Improving natural ventilation, insulation, draught-proofing, thermal mass, low emitting materials, natural sun and daylights, screening and shading and indoor planting are all essential to improve the indoor air quality. Furthermore, according to a study published by NASA, "the leaves, roots, soil, and associated microorganisms of plants have been evaluated as a possible means of reducing indoor air pollutants."Being passionate about nature and having experimented with natural elements, water and plants indoor, we can confirm that certain indoor plants can absorb dust and maintain a pleasant atmosphere. Determining the prevailing wind and other wind patterns in a place is crucial for the design of the building form. We are lucky now that we have access to software tools to conduct simulations whether for daylighting or for wind. These simulations can help us to disrupt strong winds in our design. Proper design of natural ventilation will reduce or eliminate the need for mechanical air condition in summer. This can be achieved through cross ventilation, stack effect and other methods.