A July 17, 2020 article from the New York Times discusses how outdoor learning and classroom space during the tuberculous outbreak in 1907 helped mitigate transmission, and how those same principals can be applied to today’s world.
Read MoreNews
COVID-19 Preparedness Webinar
The release of this new Blog was kicked off by the highly attended and well-recieved AICUP Webinar ‘COVID-19 Preparedness: Planning, Design & Engineering for Health, Safety & Success on Campus and in the Classroom’ on May 22nd.
Read MoreMask Down, Risk Up
This week the pride I shared with many of the groups we support, the pride of ZERO workplace spread of SARS CoV-2 resulting in COVID-19 infections was shaken – and the gnarling feeling of doubt churned in my gut. Are the people impacted OK? What about their families? How disruptive was this to the workplace? What happened? What, why, when, where, who, how… ?
Read MoreVentilation: Mechanical, Windows, Fans, Human Movement
Many older buildings do not have modern HVAC systems that incorporate mechanical ventilation. Some facilities may be heating only, some may have fan-coil units or console units with no means of connecting to outside air. The problem is that most institutions can’t afford to allow those spaces to go empty for the upcoming fall term. Right now, that space is needed more than ever to allow classes to socially distance. Most Universities and Colleges are doing some form of class size reduction, longer days to spread out occupancy or other strategies that require the use of as many spaces as possible to spread out occupants. The question is whether or not those spaces can and should be used safely.
Read MoreNo Special Sauce!
AICUP Member School University of Pennsylvania just published, in the Thursday June 25th edition of the Philadelphia Business Journal, their plans for students returning to Campus and the precautions and protocols they will implement to prepare and to maintain a safe environment for students, faculty and others.
As the largest AICUP Member School, with an enrollment of 27,000, it is informative to note that most of the measures being taken are the same or variations to those being taken by smaller schools with enrollments 10% as large.
Read MoreTo lid or not to lid?
A lot of talk this week has been about a study that points to fecal matter, which can carry SARS-COV2, being aerosolized when flushing a toilet. This would intern create additional airborne particles that could infect an occupant. Among the recommendations are: putting the toilet lid down before flushing, clean the toilet seat before using it, since floating virus particles could have settled on its surface, and washing hands carefully after flushing, since virus particles may be present on the flush button and door handle.
Read MoreYale to prepare for “residential/remote” model for Fall 2020
With a shared goal of providing excellence in education with an enriching campus experience, while doing so in a way that will protect the health of students and faculty, colleges and universities throughout the US are crafting unique “Hybrid” campus learning & living formats. Understanding that having the best campus “experience” is a critical component to student’s choice of where to go to complete their education, finding ways to minimize the risk of exposure while preserving some of the desired social experience is of great concern.
Read MoreShould you be worried about Legionella?
There is a lot of news on Legionella this week. The bad news is that the bacteria is throughout our environment and it’s pretty easy to develop a colony in building water systems. The good news is that by following some basic preventative maintenance and operational guidelines, most situations that propagate the bacteria can be mitigated.
Read MoreReopening America: Strategies for Safer Buildings
As part of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) “Reopening America: Strategies for Safer Buildings” initiative, a team of architects, public health experts, engineers, and facility managers worked to develop a three tool approach to minimize exposure to the virus in office and retail settings.
Read MoreGetting your HVAC Systems Running Again
Owners should begin running the system as if people were present several days to a week prior to re-occupying the space. If the facility has small unitary equipment, you may want to run only a few of the units at first, while utilizing fans and open doors to circulate air. The goal of this method is to slowly bring all the surfaces in the space to a normal occupied temperature, and more importantly, humidity level.
Read More