interior balcony looking down to couches by double height windows. Potted plants on both levels

idea

IAQ and Healthy Space Research

May 7, 2020

Healthy Space is a research initiative from DLR Group launch in 2017 that converted all of the firm’s offices to living labs in an effort to quantify indoor air quality.

One monitor per 5,000 SF in each office measured:
- Temperature
- Relative humidity
- Carbon dioxide
- Particulate matter, aka PM 2.5
- Total volatile organic compounds, aka TVOCs.
We pursued RESET certification in all offices. The performance-based standard requires that carbon dioxide, TVOC, and PM 2.5 levels are within an optimized threshold based on best-practices and third-party research.
Early in the study, we collaborated with the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health.
- In Study 1, 24 lab participants took cognitive function tests. The study determined the types of cognitive functions most impacted by cognitive function and TVOCs were:
  - Strategy
  - Information usage
  - Crisis response
- In Study 2, the study expanded to look at a sample of green buildings outside a lab environment.
- In Study 3, 10 participants per 100 buildings provided direct, responsive feedback related to their cognitive function.
Because of the way our initial study was set up, we were able to donate our data set to the Harvard School of Public Health CogFX study.
Ten of the 100 locations in the CogFX study are DLR Group offices.
Those 10 locations also have 10 DLR Group employee-owners each participating in the study.
Results are to come out shortly.

Watch more details about the study.

idea

Building a More Inclusive Future

Mentor-protégé programs help service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses gain experience in public sector design.

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church illuminated in the evening, a white and rounded building at the new World Trade Center in New York City

event

Tour the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York City

Learn how we brought Santiago Calatrava’s vision to life, crafting lighting effects that make St. Nicholas Greek Manhattan gem.

idea

Big Cheer, Small Footprint

In the spirit of the holidays, DLR Group employee-owners took a unique approach to gift-giving by designing an eco-friendly, reusable wrapping fabric.