GSA’s Health in Buildings Research Program -- A Federal Facilities Council Series

Wellbuilt for Wellbeing

August 31, 2023

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)

Past

Materials

Presentation - Wellbuilt for Wellbeing

About

Wellbuilt for Wellbeing

The Wellbuilt for Wellbeing research project measured indoor environments and human health and wellbeing using novel methods including wearable physiological sensors and real-time experience sampling surveys. Our panelists will discuss a broad range of findings from the project and address the importance of considering individualized needs by understanding the ways personality, office design, and ambient conditions influence the happiness, focus, and wellbeing of people working in commercial office buildings. It will provide helpful, data-based perspectives informing commercial office design and generate a robust discussion on how to create workspaces that better fit individualized needs. As organizations grapple with workplace re-entry, there is a tremendous opportunity to capture this data to enhance post-COVID workplace ecosystems. The Wellbuilt for Wellbeing project was led by the University of Arizona and sponsored by the U.S. General Services Administration. It observed more than 200 individuals in a real-world study conducted at four federal buildings across the U.S.

Guest Panelists:

Kevin Kampschroer, Chief Sustainability Officer, US General Services Administration
Esther Sternberg, University of Arizona
Casey Lindberg, HKS Inc.
Brian Gilligan, Deputy Director, Office of High Performance Green Buildings, US General Services Administration

Contact

Cameron Oskvig

coskvig@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Enhanced Ventilation and Cleaner Air in Buildings

July 27, 2023

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)

Past

Materials

Presentation - Enhanced Ventilation and Cleaner Air in Buildings

About

The pandemic brought ventilation and air quality into the public mind more than ever before. As the national emergency for COVID 19 ends, the panel will discuss how GSA and other federal agencies are trying to provide cleaner, healthier indoor air through the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge. Panelists will review opportunities to improve air quality and ventilation in existing buildings, ASHRAE's new Standard 241 for Control of Infectious Aerosols in Buildings, and tools available from PNNL to evaluate the indoor environment in your building. The session will feature short breakout sessions for participants to engage in discussions on the topics presented. To participate in this discussion, please register for this event.

Guest Panelists:

Brian Gilligan, PE, Deputy Director, Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings, US General Services Administration
William Bahnfleth, PE, Professor of Architectural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University
Kevin Keene, Building Performance & Analytics Researcher, Building Systems Group Pacific Northwest National Lab
Vivian Loftness, Co-Director, Center for Building Performance & Diagnostics, Carnegie Mellon University

If streaming this discussion, we welcome you to engage via Slido, event code #cleanair.

Contact

Cameron Oskvig

coskvig@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webcast

Circadian Light for Better Sleep at Night

June 27, 2023

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)

Past

Materials

About

Lighting design for buildings has mainly focused on visual performance, but lighting also contributes to maintaining a healthy workplace environment. If building lighting is unable to synchronize internal biological clocks with the external light-dark cycle, workers will experience disrupted sleep patterns, leading to poor performance and health.

The National Academies invites you to join us in person or online for a discussion on circadian lighting as part of our ongoing “GSA's Buildings and Health Research Program - A Federal Facilities Council Webinar Series” series on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. During the discussion, speakers from GSA will describe the importance of electric lighting and daylighting in buildings for regulating the timing of our biological clock. Speakers will also discuss GSA’s circadian-effective lighting research and its implications for the design community, including guidance on how to implement best practices.

Audience takeaways will include best practices and tips to transfer to any daytime workplace, whether in a formal office setting or home.

Major points to cover:

Scientific evidence of the beneficial effects of lighting on sleep
Importance of light reaching the eyes instead of the desk surface
Circadian-effective lighting does not mean more glare or higher lighting power densities
This is not just an academic exercise; field studies sponsored by GSA (and others) show the power of bright days and dark nights.
Value-engineering of lighting at the end of buildings construction can ultimately cost more in terms of occupant productivity and health.

Contact

Cameron Oskvig

coskvig@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Health in Buildings Partnerships and GSA’s Vision for the Future

May 23, 2023

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)

Past

Discussion

This discussion information is being collected via Slido. Slido is not affiliated in any way with, or endorsed by, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and your submission via the Slido website is subject to Slido’s privacy and terms of use.

Materials

About

As the National Emergency for COVID-19 ends, panelists discuss why health in buildings remains a critical topic for those working at the office and from home. We describe past efforts and a future vision to prioritize health-enhancing strategies for buildings, the tools and resources we and partner organizations have developed over the last 20 years to implement them, and the importance of partnerships in achieving our future vision.
Guest panelists:

Kevin Kampschroer, Judi Heerwagen, Brian Gilligan, Bryan Steverson, Michael Bloom – Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, GSA
Sara Karerat - Center of Active Design
Whitney Gray - International WELL Building Institute

Related NASEM Reports:

Contact

Cameron Oskvig

coskvig@nas.edu

Location

Keck Center

500 5th St NW

Washington DC 20001, USA

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

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GSA’s Health in Buildings Research Program -- A Federal Facilities Council Series

Dropdown items

Wellbuilt for Wellbeing

Enhanced Ventilation and Cleaner Air in Buildings

Circadian Light for Better Sleep at Night

Health in Buildings Partnerships and GSA’s Vision for the Future