The smaller the size, the more dangerous, but our bodies have innate protections.

Over the past decade, I have spent many hours with engineers, specifically with mechanical engineers who deal with HVAC systems.

What we can learn from guinea pigs, the flu, and relative humidity.

What is the value of a healthy and productive human being in a building? If you go to work with a cold, work slowly, and perhaps infect your co-worker, how much money has your employer lost? What are the unseen influences of your office building, hospital room, classroom or home on your health and performance?

The debate about the need (or lack of a need) for humidification in buildings rages on. I recently had an interesting conversation with an engineer who specializes in desiccant technology, in particular, dehumidification for operating rooms where the temperature is lowered to keep clinicians wearing sterile gowns comfortable.

People hospitalized are too often harmed by preventable medical errors during their in-patient stay.

Engineers are well informed about the need for appropriate HVAC systems in rooms that contain IT servers for mission critical facilities.

After reading my September column about using the heart as a guide for energy efficient HVAC design, a forward-thinking ES reader asked about using the respiratory system to think about air handling strategies.

What can we learn from one of our most vital organs when it comes to proper airflow and ventilation?

In preparing to write this column, I researched the main reasons building owners upgrade the mechanical systems in their commercial buildings.