Page 55 - Green Builder July-August 2018 Issue
P. 55
www.greenbuildermedia.com/internet-of-things-smart-cities
SMART CITIES
CREDIT: RICK GUIDACENASA
A real space case. NASA’s interest in a massive, occupied space station—and the need for clean, breathable oxygen—helped generate interest in the
type of air found in buildings and homes.
known as “Sick Building Syndrome.” As a result, the study of the equipment manufacturer. We custom designed a system to
building materials was increased to identify and help eliminate fully address issues that are not typically covered in an average
unhealthy components. home design and construction project. Special air lters, fresh air
circulation, heat recovery ventilation (HRV), heat exchangers, air
A LESSON FROM SPACE? exchangers and air-to-air heat exchangers were all studied by the
Around the same time, in late 1977, I became involved with NASA mechanical manufacturer and the mechanical engineering students.
research. A space station was a hot topic, and the idea of people living We were also able to use technology that had been developed by
in space became a new research area. I liked NASA’s “mission critical” NASA in our windows.
approach to planning and design of the station, including the quality This April, I was invited to join a team of researchers at Stanford
of the air that people would breathe. I felt that the research around Medical School who, along with Bangladesh research partner
the space station would also create information of interest and value organization, the icddr,b, were already investigating the eects
for buildings on Earth. The research, and design-implementation of of ventilation on the health of residents of slum neighborhoods
that research, were elevated to the highest level possible by NASA. in Dhaka. The locations being studied have some of the highest
This is a level of concern that the building industry shares. incidences of childhood and adult pulmonary (lung) disease. The
In 2007 to 2010 I led a team at Montana State University on an team’s goal was to gure out how to increase the ventilation of
award-winning ecoSMART Home project. We were able to identify residences in these areas and to see if doing so could reduce the
and address a number of issues relative to air quality (temperature, level of disease.
humidity and pollution) and would learn more as we implemented The focus was on “natural ventilation”—window design, vent
what we knew and understood at that time. design, skylight design and non-mechanical solutions—because
Because our design included mechanical heating, ventilating the people living in these areas do not have consistent access to
and air conditioning (HVAC), we were able to work directly with continued on page 54
www.greenbuildermedia.com July/August 2018 GREEN BUILDER 53
52-54 GB 0718 Smart Cities.indd 53 8/6/18 10:23 PM
