A review of building technology solutions and their influence on indoor environmental quality in the healthy building movement

Abstract

The healthy building movement is increasingly recognized for placing occupant health at the forefront, distinguishing it from green and sustainable building concepts, which primarily focus on environmental impact. This review synthesizes existing research on building technology solutions that contribute to the healthy building movement by promoting indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and health in homes, offices, and schools. The objectives were to identify the status of research on building technology solutions in connection to their stated outcomes towards healthy buildings, and to identify key IEQ and health indicators and potential research gaps. Based on a systematic literature review, data from 27 studies, covering 60 building technology solutions applying 39 IEQ and health indicators, were analyzed. The building technology solutions were categorized into seven groups, including HVAC systems, biophilic design, daylighting and lighting, control and automation, façade systems, materials, and miscellaneous aspects. Key findings revealed that IAQ, along with thermal, visual, and acoustical comfort, were mostly objectively evaluated, with particulate matter and volatile organic compounds serving as primary indicators for IAQ. Health indicators were mainly subjectively assessed through surveys. HVAC systems, the most studied category, showed significant improvements in IAQ and thermal comfort. Biophilic design showed positive impacts on mental health. Though many building technology solutions currently are not yet linked to their health effect, the health assessment of those technologies that are part of the literature review generally shows a rather limited interpretation of the meaning of health. Few studies integrated multiple IEQ indicators or assessed long-term impacts, with the connection to health often being implicit, indirect, or absent altogether. There is a need for standardized assessment frameworks and more research for more diverse climates and cultural contexts.