BIM for Healthy Buildings: an integrated approach to architectural design based on IAQ prediction

The requirements related to health and well-being are increasingly becoming part of building design, denoting a growing awareness of the relationship between users and the built environment in managing these aspects. In this way, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and BIM-based performance simulation take priority for the design of Healthy Buildings. Indoor air quality (IAQ) plays a central role in this area, given the numerous indoor pollutants with significant effects on health, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The paper presents the proposal of a workflow integrated in the BIM process for the verification and control of VOC emissions from building materials and their concentration in indoor environments developed through: the systematization of IAQ parameters for the open BIM standard, the integration in the BIM process of a numerical model for the prediction of the VOCs concentration, and the development of a model checker for performance verification. The results show a good adhesion between the numerical model and the BIM implementation, providing the designer with a tool for rapid control of the IAQ in the steps of the building design process. The present study is the first development focused on TVOC, but implementable on other IAQ aspects, as needed for the effectiveness of Healthy Building design. What is presented here is part of a line of researches focused on the theme of Healthy Buildings developed in partnership of effective collaboration between the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and the company RI.EL.CO IMPIANTI S.R.L., including “BIM4H&W: BIM for Health and Wellbeing” (POR FESR LAZIO 2014/2020-Integrated projects) and “AURORA – digital tools for the health of buildings and environmental improvements towards green deAl” (PON Research and Innovation 2014-2020).