Your office building demonstrably healthy!

Cooperation partners Binnenklimaat Nederland and TVVL provided a low-threshold method for formulating ambitions for healthy offices in 2018. A new milestone was reached on Feb. 9. 

On this day the Indoor Climate Label was launched, which aims to guarantee the performance of office buildings. The initiative for the quality label comes from Binnenklimaat Nederland, TVVL, bba Binnenmilieu, FHI Gebouw Automatisering, TNO, Office Vitae and Rijksvastgoedbedrijf.

Whether an office meets the standards of the Indoor Climate Label is assessed on the basis of four components of the Healthier Offices Schedule: indoor air quality (air), thermal indoor climate (climate), light and noise. Three levels of ambition have been formulated for the four components. Class C indicates "sufficient" and Class B means "good. The best rating is class A, with a "very good. "With the three categories, clients can say, so to speak, 'I want an office in Class A,'" says Remi Hompe, director of Binnenklimaat Nederland. "The publication then provides sufficient guidelines to properly fill in air, climate, light and sound and to achieve the desired rating. Moreover, handy tips are given to go from class C to A, for example. For example, a class C rating can already be achieved with a relative humidity (RH) of 70%, while for class A the RH must be between 30 and 70% and the humidification system must be 'legionella proof'."

Major impact on our health

The office market is in a state of flux, Hompe knows. In new construction, renovation and transformation, energy performance receives a lot of attention. But what guarantees are there that these office buildings also score well (enough) on aspects such as health, comfort and productivity after their completion? 

"Air, climate, light and noise have a lot of influence on the indoor climate and thus on people's health," he says. "An important part of the Healthy Offices Schedule is therefore to provide insight into the effects on productivity and absenteeism. This makes it clear what impact a measure has. This makes it easier to weigh up which sustainability goals can be implemented in a healthy working environment. To further accelerate the guidelines from the PoR, there is now the Indoor Climate Label. This makes it clear at a glance what the indoor climate of a building is like. The label also gives building owners the assurance that the predetermined performance requirements are actually being met."

Quality assurance and monitoring

The indoor climate experts from TVVL and Binnenklimaat Nederland are happy to provide a baseline measurement on site, give advice and monitor performance assurance. The required air, climate, light and noise data is obtained by placing sensors at strategic locations. All data is actively monitored. Moreover, employees are questioned annually in a survey about their well-being. 

"Based on this hard and soft data, it is determined whether a building is performing as desired," Hompe said. "Offices that have the Indoor Climate Label are therefore demonstrably healthy. This also gives building owners an extra advantage when they want to lease vacant office space."

Various free tools

A good indoor environment in offices is important to ensure a healthy and comfortable working environment. To make this possible, it is necessary to formulate requirements for indoor environmental quality in advance for both new buildings and renovations. To support designers, installers and contractors in this, several free tools are available on the Platform Indoor Climate Engineering (www.binnenklimaattechniek.nl). The platform offers extensive knowledge about labels, quality standards and laws and regulations. You will also find several tools here, such as the Life Cycle Cost tool and Savings Meter Air Curtain. Under the heading 'downloads' are various specifications in the areas of maintenance & management and ventilation, as well as the Program of Requirements Healthy Offices 2021. 

This publication is an update of the original 2018 version and prepared in collaboration with various market players and (industry) organizations. Want more information or to request the label? Then go to
www.binnenklimaatlabel.nl.