Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

How does IAQ affect perceptions of our facilities?

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) directly relates to facility health and cleanliness, so when IAQ suffers, the general perception of your institution is also at risk.

For example, 60 percent of people said they would inspect a school’s restroom quality before making the decision to enroll, according to a 2015 survey from Cascades Tissue Group. In bathrooms and other common areas, the cleanliness of air is integral to our perceptions. Germs, volatile organic compounds and odors not only make environments unpleasant, but also make them less healthy.

The memory of something as simple as walking into a room where the air feels stale or makes you drowsy sticks with you. Now, imagine losing productivity every day because your learning environment causes symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and eye irritation. In many facilities, in which air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, this is a reality.

Air quality also affects how seasonal illnesses, such as the flu, can rapidly spread around a campus. Dormitories, classrooms, health centers and offices all contain common areas that can be contaminated by airborne germs from a single cough or sneeze. Germs can then remain airborne for extended periods of time and travel remarkably far distances (sometimes more than 200 feet). Sick students and staff lead to reduced productivity and increased absenteeism, which in turn negatively affects perception.

Air purification, along with source control and increased ventilation, is integral to improving IAQ in these facilities and promoting healthier and cleaner campuses.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Jeff Dryfhout, global marketing director for AeraMax Professional, champions efforts to improve indoor air quality within organizations as the next frontier in well being.

Featured

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.