The future of IEQ in green building certifications

Although indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and human health have been on the agenda of green building industry, a new emphasis is being placed features that explicitly promote experience occupants. However, evidence performance green-certified buildings from occupant perspective remains inconsistent, with numerous questions how to effectively design, assess ‘healthy buildings’. Focusing key IEQ categories air quality, thermal comfort, lighting acoustics, this paper synthesises emerging knowledge related health; identifies research practical challenges may impede green-rated buildings; sets foundations for researchers rating system developers capture immediate long-term opportunities; proposes framework buildings. The envisioned future will need be based thorough its users, their inter- intra-individual variability, spatiotemporal localisation, activities, history exposures, together capacity anticipation likelihood events preparedness them. A balanced, integrated, consideration these factors can provide basis more effective certification systems. Practice relevance Covid-19 pandemic has focused attention importance highlighted limitations prevailing practice promoting experience, wellbeing. Most critically, good intentions project planning are often not reflected in real-world conditions, establishedbest practiceshave kept pace advances research. This provides critical synthesis literature effectiveness ratings systems experience. It opportunities improvement design application tools. These observations present specific, actionable, improve operation Rating practitioners use information better align outcomes. Explicit needed differences individual preferences, spatial temporal variabilities factors, exposure history, other impacting IEQ.