LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Considering all
the time we spend at work, have you ever wondered if the building
you are working in is healthy? Or, could make you think better, or
be more productive?
Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7939751-utc-cogfx-study2-buildingomics
Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and
SUNY Upstate Medical University didn't
just wonder, they set out to answer those questions. Studying 109
workers at 10 buildings in 5 cities across the U.S., they
discovered that working in green-certified buildings was associated
with higher cognitive function scores, fewer sick building symptoms
and higher sleep quality scores.
The study builds on the team's 2015 COGfx Study – COGfx is
shorthand for your brain's cognitive function – which found
significantly higher cognitive function test scores for office
workers in a simulated green building environment with enhanced
ventilation compared to a conventional building environment.
In the new study, presented pre-publication at the U.S. Green
Building Council's annual Greenbuild conference in L.A., employees
in high-performing, green-certified buildings had 26% higher
cognitive function test scores than those in similarly
high-performing buildings that were not green certified, even after
controlling for other potential explanatory factors. Among
the findings, participants had:
- 73% higher crisis response scores
- 44% higher applied activity level scores, which reflect ability
to gear decision-making toward overall goals.
- 38% higher focused activity level scores, which reflect
capacity to pay attention to tasks at hand
- 31% higher strategy scores
In addition to these statistically significant findings, the
study also found that employees reported 30% fewer sick building
symptoms and had 6% higher sleep quality scores compared to those
working in high-performing buildings that were not green-certified,
indicating that benefits of green buildings may extend beyond the
workday.
"Certified green buildings not only deliver environmental
benefits, they can have positive impacts on the productivity and
thinking of the people in those buildings. That's a powerful
combination that can accelerate the green building movement
globally," said John Mandyck, Chief
Sustainability Officer, United Technologies.
Based on their latest findings, the research team believes a
holistic approach is needed. "We're advocating for what we call
Buildingomics - a new approach that examines the totality of
factors in the building-related environment," said Dr. Joseph Allen, Assistant Professor of Exposure
Assessment Science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public
Health, Director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Center for
Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Chan School, and
Principal Investigator for the study.
"Through Buildingomics' multi-disciplinary approach, we aim to
better understand the factors that influence health in buildings
and unlock the ability to optimize buildings for improved cognitive
function and health," said Dr. Allen.
The full report – "The Impact of Working in a Green Certified
Building on Cognitive Function and Health" – will be made
available at www.CHGEHarvard.org/COGfxStudy and
www.theCOGfxStudy.com. Follow the discussion on Twitter using the
hashtag #TheCOGfxStudy.
Primary support for the study came from United Technologies
(NYSE: UTX) and its UTC Climate, Controls & Security
business.
About UTC Climate, Controls & Security
UTC
Climate, Controls & Security is a leading provider of heating,
ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, building
controls and automation, and fire and security systems leading to
safer, smarter, sustainable and high-performance buildings. UTC
Climate, Controls & Security is a unit of United Technologies
Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems
industries worldwide. For more information, follow @UTC_CCS on
Twitter and like UTC Climate, Controls & Security on
Facebook.
About United Technologies
United Technologies Corp.,
based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides
high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace
industries worldwide. By combining a passion for science with
precision engineering, the company is creating smart, sustainable
solutions the world needs. To learn more about UTC and its
sustainability initiatives, visit www.utc.com or
follow @UTC and @JohnMandyck on Twitter.
Contact:
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Ashley
Barrie
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860-416-3657
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Ashley.Barrie@utc.com
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-better-thinking-better-health-in-green-certified-buildings-300339852.html
SOURCE United Technologies and UTC Climate, Controls &
Security