The symposium brought together a cross-disciplinary group of 89 participants from the fields of health, architecture, engineering and environmental design. The event which took place on 21st September 2016 provided a platform for participants to present their latest research findings and knowledge concerning indoor air quality and ventilation in modern airtight homes. Presentations from health, engineering, ventilation, indoor air sciences and architecture communities provided a summary of recent evidence in the field and identified key priorities for research on the Health Effects of Modern Airtight Housing.
It was agreed at the previous steering group meeting that whilst the network may be informed by existing knowledge of schools and offices etc. or by studies of ambient air quality, the focus should be on housing given that total exposure to air pollution is greatest in the home environment.
Presenters were asked to consider:
o What is known, i.e. key problems and challenges related to their specific area of expertise
o What are the current gaps in knowledge? What don’t we know? What do we need to know? What is the research question?
o What are the solutions? How do we move forward?
The aim of the day was to establish and refine areas for future research. Prior to the event, a list of key research questions were identified by the committee, to form part of the discussion at the symposium. These questions were presented on a series of A1 posters in the breakout spaces. During the lunch break, participants were asked to identify which questions they believed were most important and which they would like to contribute to. Participants were also given the opportunity to add to the list of key research questions.
Photos from the event and a copy of the presentations are available here: https://hemacnetwork.com/symposium/