Benefits for Office Building
Office buildings using low-VOC
emitting materials provide a healthy
indoor environment for future tenants
and offer a good opportunity for both
host office building and office units
to obtain an excellent class under
the IAQ certification scheme and to
participate in other green building
certification schemes.
Benefits for Office Unit
High concentrations of
are known to
cause health problems, including eye
and throat irritation, headaches, and
damage to the liver and the nervous
system
1
.
In addition, some
are
thought to cause cancer.
Reducing the
emissions from
materials such as paints, adhesives,
and pesticides can have a positive
effect on public health.
z
Use low
such as
paint, carpeting and adhesives
whenever possible. (e.g.
content limits for adhesives for
wood is 30 g/L)
2
z
Plant indoor plants to remove
toxins from the air and make the
office a healthier place to work
z
Avoid the use of air fresheners
and room deodorisers
z
Acquire handheld detectors for
regular detection of
con-
centrations in offices
Low-VOC Emitting Material
Overview
and
are common
chemical contaminants found in offices and are a source of odours.
Possible sources of these chemical contaminants during office renovation
include adhesives, sealants, sealant primers, paints, coatings, finishes,
and composite wood and fibre products. Flooring materials, carpets,
furniture, air fresheners, room deodorisers and cleaning agents are the
major VOC and
contributors during office operations.
Prolonged exposure to VOCs can have detrimental health impacts.
Related health symptoms include eye, nose, and throat irritation;
headaches and dizziness, nausea and vomiting; and damage to the
respiratory system.
BEAM Plus BI V1.0 IEQ 1
Design approach
A1. Adhesives and Sealants
A2. Paints, Coatings and Finishes
A3. Wood and Laminates
A4. Flooring Materials and Carpets
A5. Furniture
1.
2.
Green Strategies for Office Unit
Figure 3.2.41 Effect of VOC
DESIGN STAGE
3.2.9 Low-VOC Emitting Material
Office
UNIT
Figure 3.2.42 VOC free office interior
(Source: Conservation International Hong Kong)
DESIGN STAGE
3.2.9 Low-VOC Emitting Material
Case study of
Conservation International
Hong Kong- Green Sky:
Low VOC Paint
Green Sky was awarded an Indoor Air Quality
Certificate Award 2014 of Excellent Class by the
Government. By using eco-friendly paint and
adhesives, and no ozone-depleting substances
during construction, staff and guests can enjoy
extremely fresh air inside the office.
Office
UNIT
Office
BUILDING
W
F
C
ooden
urniture
Paints,
oatings
Finishes
So
Ind
Po
A
S
,
urces
oor A
llutio
dhesive
ealants
Sealant
Primers
of
ir
n
s,
,
M
C
Floorin
ateria
Carpet
ompos
Wood
Fibre
Product
g
ls,
s
ite
,
s
78
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