The Cure to Sick Building Syndrome
If you haven’t heard of “Sick Building Syndrome” (SBS), it’s when people get sick from spending time in a building, and no other illness can be found to be the cause. If you’re interested in learning more about SBS, you can find out the details at the National Institutes of Health.
Scientific studies have shown that the quality of air indoors, where we typically spend 90 percent of our time, is commonly worse than that of outdoor air. Although biological pollutants such as mold seem to dominate indoor air problems; carbon monoxide, chemicals off-gassing from building products, and inadequate fresh outdoor air ventilation are also sources of problems.
According to the Vermont Department of Health, poor indoor air quality in schools has been shown to increase the likelihood of childhood asthma. Today, asthma has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, affecting millions of people of all ages. An average of one out of every 10 school-age children now has asthma, and asthma is a leading cause of school absenteeism due to a chronic condition, accounting for nearly 13 million missed school days per year.
Thanks to improved building materials and sophisticated energy modeling tools, today’s schools are being built and renovated to be as energy-efficient as possible. As both a building material and a key component of building energy consumption, windows play an important role in the overall health of a building.
But while we, as architects, have been focused on improving energy consumption, there’s a need to take a close look at another important building science topic is apparent. Relatively ignored in the pursuit of energy efficiency is the overall importance of the student’s health and physical comfort.
Operable Windows: A low-tech solution to a high-tech problem.
Making sure that classrooms have substantial daylight and available fresh air will enhance student learning, participation, and overall comfort has been largely overlooked in an age of building code updates requiring energy calculations and compliance.
These are the types of windows we recommend for daycare use. https://amzn.to/2X2Ggxy Building codes will require that the window be low “e” rated and have tempered glass. Childcare licensing usually requires a bug screen (depending on which state you are in).
In the absence of daylighting in classrooms, student performance and productivity have been found to suffer under artificial light. Natural daylight is thought to be the highest-quality light for visual tasks. In several studies, abundant daylight has been shown to improve student achievement on standardized tests by as much as 26 percent.
Using operable windows to increase natural air flow is a simple low-tech solution that, when used correctly, can decrease the concentration of indoor pollutants, improve thermal comfort, and decrease the energy consumption of air-conditioned buildings.
As asthma has been found to limit a student’s activity, affect sleep patterns, and disrupt family routines, studies show that increased natural ventilation may have positive benefits for those suffering from asthma.
Reducing distractive noise from the outside is yet another goal in creating a quality indoor environment for educational facilities. Improved sound control tends to be a side benefit of energy efficient window design, as the features that reduce thermal conductivity also tend to reduce sound transmission.
When students are trying to learn, or toddlers are trying to nap, something as simple as a drafty room can really distract their young minds. Many of the commercial buildings we design have operable windows that are similar to the residential windows you find in your own home.
The ability to open a window when the indoor air has become stale or full of a noxious odor is a big deal in the education and childcare industries. Opening a window improves the quality of the air and indoor environment.
It connects the children to the outdoors on a pretty day. It teaches children about weather through experience. It improves
Our children spend nearly 20 percent of their time between the ages of 5 and 18 in school buildings that have, in some cases, been cost-engineered within an inch of their lives. High ceilings, great daylighting, and operable classroom windows need to be used. Gone are the days of classrooms with 8′ ceilings and, if students are lucky, a single small window. These are trade-offs that are not a good value as we invest in our society’s children.
Each school building itself should be a part of the learning experience and offer a positive learning environment
Each state has specific childcare regulations that outline exactly what they will allow for windows used at schools serving preschool aged children. We’ve broken the information down into a state by state table to help you make informed decisions about your school building.
Don’t fall victim to high utility and maintenance fees when you can solve the simple problem of drafty windows on your own. If you have drafty windows, follow the experienced advice of NPI home. The simple addition of weather stripping, caulk, and/or insulated film will not only save you money on your utility bill, but it will also make the rooms more comfortable for the occupants.
-This article was written by Rebecca Calbert.
Rebecca is a licensed architect with over 30 years of experience. She owns and operates an architectural firm, Calbert Design Group, and educates her clients through the commercial real estate development process with online content at SaveOnBuilding.com. Rebecca’s “purpose” is to educate small business owners and protect them from what they don’t know.
The Cure for Sick Building Syndrome: Open a Window and Breathe Easy
Imagine walking into a building and, after just an hour or two, starting to feel that familiar headache creep in. Your eyes sting, your throat feels scratchy, and by the time you leave, you’re convinced you’re coming down with something. But then, you step outside, take a deep breath, and suddenly feel better. It’s not you. It’s the building.
This is “Sick Building Syndrome” (SBS), and while it sounds like something out of a sci-fi thriller, it’s all too real. It’s what happens when the very buildings we work, learn, and play in make us feel sick, even though there’s no specific illness to blame. SBS has been tied to everything from poor air quality to stuffy ventilation, especially in places like schools, where we expect clean air but often get something much worse.
I remember visiting a school with my architect friend, Tom, and noticing how stifling the air felt the moment we walked in. “They sealed it up too tight,” Tom said, pointing to the windows that were welded shut, no longer functioning as windows but as decoration. It got me thinking—why did we stop doing the simplest thing to improve indoor air quality? Why don’t we just open a window?
Windows: The Low-Tech Cure to a High-Tech Problem
Tom had a point. In our race to build the most energy-efficient, perfectly sealed buildings, we forgot something crucial—fresh air. And while we’ve mastered the art of temperature control, we’ve often done so at the expense of air quality. Scientific studies show that indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air, even in urban areas. Poor ventilation allows pollutants like mold, carbon monoxide, and chemicals from cleaning supplies to linger and grow stronger. The result? A perfect storm for Sick Building Syndrome.
But the solution doesn’t require space-age technology. In fact, it’s as simple as cracking open a window.
The Power of Operable Windows
Tom is obsessed with windows. Not the sleek, modern kind that look like they belong in a futuristic skyscraper, but the kind you can actually open. “Operable windows,” he calls them. To Tom, they’re a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem. Why blast more air conditioning when you can let in a breeze? Why rely on mechanical systems when fresh air can naturally flush out pollutants?
Operable windows not only provide fresh air, but they also help in ways you might not expect. Take daylight. In several studies, classrooms flooded with natural light have shown remarkable results—improved test scores, better concentration, and even happier students. Yet, we’ve designed schools with tiny windows or none at all, prioritizing energy efficiency over the well-being of students.
And let’s talk about asthma. Asthma is now a leading cause of school absences, and poor indoor air quality only makes things worse. Schools designed without ventilation or windows that open are practically inviting asthma triggers like dust and mold to settle in. By simply opening windows, we can improve airflow, reduce pollutants, and, as studies show, help students with asthma breathe easier.
A Window into Learning
It’s easy to think of windows as just a part of the building structure, but they play a bigger role in education than we give them credit for. A window isn’t just for ventilation—it’s a connection to the outside world, a real-time lesson in weather and nature. Watching the wind blow through the trees, feeling a cool breeze during nap time, or noticing the shift in daylight can teach children far more than a textbook ever could.
Tom once redesigned a daycare with floor-to-ceiling windows that opened wide to let in fresh air and natural light. “You wouldn’t believe how much calmer the kids were,” he said. “The room went from feeling like a box to feeling like a home. And the teachers? They loved it too.”
The (Literal) Air of Improvement
When we design schools and daycares with ventilation and operable windows, we create environments where children aren’t just learning facts—they’re learning how to live healthily. They’re feeling the breeze, experiencing the effects of fresh air, and connecting with the outdoors. It’s a holistic approach to education that goes beyond books and screens.
It’s not just about reducing SBS or improving air quality. It’s about creating spaces that are healthier, happier, and more conducive to learning. And in the end, opening a window may be one of the most effective, low-cost solutions to keeping our kids and staff healthier, without the need for expensive renovations or energy-sapping machines.
So, before you invest in more complex systems or fancy tech, take a moment. Walk over to the window. Open it. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones, and in the case of Sick Building Syndrome, that open window might just be the breath of fresh air we’ve all been waiting for.