It's long been suspected there was a connection between the built environment and the ability of people to be at their best. Studies flowed in, linking performance and human health with a range of building features, from air quality, to lighting, thermal comfort, sound and interior layout. In 2015, a game changing study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Health and the Global Environment, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and Syracuse University confirmed the relationship between indoor air quality (IAQ) and productivity. The study found significant improvements in cognitive function when sources of VOCs were eliminated, ventilation was raised, and CO2 levels were lowered. In particular, there were major improvements in crisis response, information usage, and strategizing. These are all functions required of highly paid team members in business settings. This landmark study builds on two decades of studies linking IAQ and productivity.
The 90% Factor
The jury is in – there is a confirmed relationship between good building design and operation and human performance. Occupants are by far the most expensive component in any building, and investments in these areas are simply the fastest and most reliable route to economic efficiency for building users.
Building Cognition was founded to guide businesses along the most direct pathways to capture these efficiencies.