What We Do: Indoor Environmental and Air Quality (IEAQ)
At BHS we use the term Indoor Environmental and Air Quality (IEAQ) to capture the full range of factors that affect health and comfort in the built environment. While Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and Indoor Air
Quality (IAQ) are often used interchangeably; we recognize that true building health is more comprehensive.
IEQ + IAQ = IEAQ — an integrated concept developed by BHS
IEAQ is influenced by a wide array of interacting elements, including:
- Site location and surrounding climate
- Building design, systems, and construction quality
- Materials and how they’re assembled
- Construction schedules and trade sequencing
- Operation, maintenance, and occupant activity
- Moisture intrusion and unexpected water events
- Renovation, abatement, and reconstruction
- Outdoor pollutant sources
- Interior furnishings and tenant fit outs
Together, these variables create a building’s dynamic environment which directly affects the health and productivity of its occupants.
Why It Matters – A Shared Responsibility
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has consistently ranked indoor environmental quality among its top five public health concerns. With growing focus on energy efficiency, tighter building envelopes, and evolving materials, indoor health concerns have only intensified.
- Newer buildings pose different IEAQ challenges than older structures — and vice versa.
- Effective investigation of IEAQ complaints requires a multi-disciplinary approach, involving science, construction knowledge, building systems expertise, and human health insight.
IEAQ is a shared responsibility and represents an integrated, collaborative partnership between the construction professionals, building management and the occupants, or the homebuilder and homeowner in residential properties.