A Literature Review of Indoor Air Quality and Sick Building Syndrome in Office Building Design Environment

Abstract

Building indoor spaces requires constant access to fresh air for occupants’ health, well-being, and performance. Clean breathing air can be achieved through the removal of pollutants from within the building’s interior by ensuring a sufficient outdoor air exchange rate. This review set out to create a clear understanding of recent developments in indoor air quality (IAQ) studies and their relationship to sick building syndrome (SBS) impacts on occupants’ health and well-being, as well as the role architectural design plays in promoting a healthy indoor environment. It also provides support information as well as existing state-of-the-art practices in IAQ and SBS in office buildings, with a particular focus on monitoring, assessment, and space configuration. The information available here would provide building professionals, particularly architects, with the potential for incorporating design and the development of guidelines for the control of SBS-related environmental parameters in order to create a healthy and comfortable office indoor environment.