Ventilation: how do buildings breathe?

Like our lungs, buildings need to be able to breathe to ensure fresh air comes in and dirty air escapes.

There is a need for air exchange from outside to inside, and also from inside to outside. This way, fresh outside air is able to enter the building.

Air exchange intended or not

For most buildings the air exchange takes place in the following three ways:

Unintentional: air leaks in through windows, doors and various openings such as joints and cracks in the building exterior.
Intended: through natural ventilation, by opening windows/doors and air vents intended for and by people.
With a mechanical ventilation system, to add an extra adjustable airflow in buildings for a good indoor climate.

We spend up to 90% of our time indoors

We humans have to breathe air to survive. Oxygen-rich air is initially found outside.

However, people work and live in buildings. Some say we even spend 90% of our time indoors!

Fresh air enters buildings as described above. It is recycled, used and polluted by various sources:

Due to human (and animal) activity - carbon dioxide (CO2), humidity or odours, etc...
By building materials, technological equipment, furniture, floor coverings (volatile organic carbon compounds that evaporate easily)
By outdoor pollutants from traffic and the earth: CO, radon from the ground, etc.

The importance of a good ventilation system

Indoor air quality is therefore a very important factor for the well-being and functioning of people.

A good ventilation system contributes to a healthy indoor climate, where it is pleasant to live and/or work and guarantees good air quality.

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