Abstract
Every day, an average human inhales nearly 11,000 liters of air, making indoor air a constant, unavoidable part of our “inhalable diet.” Yet, unlike food or water, the quality of this diet in our homes and offices often goes unnoticed. This paper foregrounds Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as a critical but neglected dimension of sustainability, wellbeing, and design practice in India. Based on a market study of product emissions, the findings expose the invisible pollutants silently shaping our daily intake. From the perspective of architecture and interior design, emissions from widely used products reveal a gap between what is marketed as “green” and what actually sustains health. Through the lens of green building codes, the paper critiques contradictions where energy efficiency and carbon reduction dominate, while health-centric performance measures like IAQ remain secondary. The study highlights the urgency of integrating occupant health-centric approach in architectural and interior design decisions. It argues that wellbeing and quality of life deserve equal concern alongside energy and cost parameters. By reframing air as part of the human diet, the paper calls for reorienting sustainability discourse to prioritize IAQ, product transparency, and user health, ensuring a built environment that truly nourishes rather than compromises its inhabitants.
Presenters
Tanya Kaur BediAssistant Professor, Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal, India, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
BUILDING OCCUPANT HEALTH, INDOOR AIR QUALITY, SUSTAINABLE, INHALABLE DIET
