Construction Research Congress 2020
Implementation of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Multi-Family Affordable Housing: A Case Study
Publication: Construction Research Congress 2020: Project Management and Controls, Materials, and Contracts
ABSTRACT
The impact of indoor air quality (IAQ) on occupant health is undeniable because we spend a majority of our time indoors. This means the design and construction of multi-family rental buildings have potential health impacts for low-income families. The low-income-housing-tax-credit (LIHTC) federal program, administrated by state housing finance agencies, provides a policy system that can improve building quality, potentially influencing occupant health. Recent assessments on LIHTC’s criteria showed the effectiveness of this program to advance better-quality housing. However, there is no study on IAQ-related criteria for building design and construction (BDC) of LIHTC buildings. This paper aims to assess the IAQ implementation process, to explore what practices developers utilized and how these practices improved IAQ. Using a qualitative approach, one case study of a rehabilitation project in Washington, DC, is analyzed. A 2014-study showed IAQ improvements in this project after renovation. Semi-structured interviews with the developer of this LIHTC-project revealed that ventilation is the most challenging IAQ strategy for a rehabilitation project. The project utilized integrative design and multi-criteria decision making as the practical tools for IAQ implementation practices. This research offers guidance for building practitioners to improve the green and healthy aspects of affordable housing.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Construction Research Congress 2020: Project Management and Controls, Materials, and Contracts
Pages: 1040 - 1048
Editors: David Grau, Ph.D., Arizona State University, Pingbo Tang, Ph.D., Arizona State University, and Mounir El Asmar, Ph.D., Arizona State University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8288-9
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Nov 9, 2020
Published in print: Nov 9, 2020
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