Human Behaviour, Tropical Climates, and the ROI of Healthy Buildings

We have a jam-packed update featuring two essential conversations that tackle different, yet interconnected, ends of the built environment spectrum. First, we sit down with an absolute legend in the field to discuss the human side of engineering, and in our One Take segment, we crunch the numbers on why healthy buildings are a smart financial play.

Air Quality Matters: A Conversation with Professor Chandra Sekhar

It is rare to get quality time with true pioneers of our industry. In this episode, I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down in person with Chandra Sekhar , Professor at the National University of Singapore and an ASHRAE Fellow. With a career spanning over three decades, Chandra was one of the original architects of the indoor air quality research unit at NUS in the 90s.

Our conversation went far beyond standard engineering solutions. We explored a fundamental tension in our sector: we have the tools to create healthy buildings, yet we often fail to get these solutions to "land" with the general public.

Beyond the Crisis: Making Air Quality “Stick” One of the themes Chandra and I explored is the challenge of moving air quality from a crisis-only concern—like during a pandemic or a severe haze event—to an everyday priority for occupants. We discuss the "hierarchy of controls," a concept familiar to industrial hygienists, and how it can be translated into everyday language for managing risks in our homes.

Chandra shares his thoughts on why technical solutions often fail without a human-centred approach. We delve into the psychology of the "invisible threat" and how simple tools, like low-cost CO2 monitors, are finally giving people the agency to see—and act on—the air they breathe.

Rewriting the Rules: Lessons from the Tropics Perhaps the most eye-opening part of our discussion centred on Chandra’s deep expertise in hot and humid climates. For those of us accustomed to European or North American standards, his perspectives might feel like turning the rulebook upside down.

We discuss the move away from "overcooled" buildings in places like Singapore and how they are successfully decoupling ventilation for health from conditioning for comfort. Chandra details fascinating case studies of net-zero buildings operating comfortably at temperatures that would shock many Western facility managers, simply by intelligently leveraging air movement. It’s a masterclass in adaptive comfort that challenges entrenched dogmas about fixed setpoints.

The "Breathing Zone" and Global Equity We also touched on the critical concept of the "breathing zone"—focusing our engineering efforts exactly where occupants inhale, rather than just treating the entire building volume equally. This naturally led to a sobering discussion on global equity. Chandra is passionate about ensuring that IAQ doesn't become solely a "first-world problem," sharing insights into simple, low-tech interventions that can save lives in communities still reliant on solid fuel for cooking.

To truly appreciate the depth of Chandra’s knowledge—and the infectious optimism he still holds after 35 years in the trenches—you need to hear him describe these challenges in his own words.

One Take: Investing in Health Pays Back

In this week’s One Take, we dive into a report that answers the perennial question of the built environment boardroom: Does investing in healthy buildings actually pay off?

We are looking at the second edition of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) report, Investing in Health Pays Back. This isn't just another academic paper; it is a comprehensive compendium of evidence that fundamentally reframes building costs using the "1-9-90" rule.

Typically, 1% of a company's costs go to energy, 9% to real estate, and a staggering 90% to people (salaries and benefits). For decades, we have obsessed over shaving pennies off that 1% energy slice. This report argues convincingly that we have been looking through the wrong end of the telescope. A marginal improvement in the health and productivity of the 90% can dwarf entire energy budgets.

The report aggregates data showing that healthy buildings aren't just nice to have; they are commanding rent premiums of between 4.5% and 7.7% and securing longer lease terms. It moves healthy buildings from a "cost center" to a strategic Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) imperative. If you need the ammunition to make the business case for better air quality, this segment is for you.

The Air Quality Matters Podcast in Partnership with

Zehnder Group - Farmwood - Eurovent- Aico - Aereco - Ultra Protect -

The One Take Podcast in Partnership with

SafeTraces and Inbiot

Do check them out in the links and on the Air Quality Matters Website.

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