Healthy and Sustainable Built Environment Research Center (HSBERC)

Introduction

In these contemporary times dominated by the knowledge economy, most of us spend the majority of our time indoors. The design, construction and operation of buildings have a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of building occupants. Indoor air has the potential of being contaminated through the presence of infected people, through building materials or, through contaminants and pollutants that make its way into the indoor environment. This could lead to a variety of building related illnesses. There is an obvious, yet often overlooked interconnectedness between decisions made by architects/engineers/interior designers and healthy living.

Ajman University’s Healthy and Sustainable Built Environment Research Center  (HSBERC) aims to do impactful research at the intersection of building, environment and health to promote healthy living across communities and societies.

The research at HSBERC is focussed on the following areas associated with building plan, design and construction:

  • Indoor air quality and disinfection of indoor air
  • Effect of Building Materials selection and construction on healthy living
  • Light and health
  • Architectural and Interior design and planning for healthy living
  • Occupant behaviour
Vision

The vision of the proposed Healthy Building Research Center is to improve the lives and wellbeing of buildings’ occupants in UAE, the region, and around the globe.

Mission

The mission of the center is to provide high quality research and services on how the design, construction, and operation of buildings affect the health and wellbeing of occupants.

Objectives

The objectives of the research center are:

  1. To provide high quality research and studies on how the sustainable design, construction, and operations of buildings contribute to the health and wellbeing of occupants.
  2. To provide consultancy services to the public and private sectors
  3. To organize and participate in continuing education and training seminars and conferences for the community at large.
  4. To collaborate with international partners on areas that are relevant to the mission of the center.
Composition

Research Groups

The center has three working groups:

Infrastructure

The HSBERC offers the following infrastructure and facilities to its members to enable high quality research:

  • Solar Decathlon House: The solar decathlon house serves as a space for experiments involving healthy homes.
  • UV-C meters with data logging capabilities
  • Spectro-radiometer to measure the energy for light sources in the UV-visible and near Infrared spectrum.
  • A color meter to measure color temperature of light sources and the effect of light sources on human circadian rhythm.
  • An indoor air quality meter to measure various metrics such as CO2, CO, Ozone, TVOC.
Researchers