Journal:  Indoor Air Quality and Building Materials

The built environment consists not only of the physical spaces defined by a building's structure, but the indoor materials, furnishings, and the myriad of products used in the maintenance of the facility.  As building occupants we are consistently exposed to a variety of materials in our daily living - some we notice and others we don't.  The goal of this assignment is three-fold: 1) to begin to increase your awareness of your surroundings, especially concerning time spent inside buildings;  2) to identify possible sources of indoor air contaminants in order to inform future materials selections, and 3) to explore how the built environment frames our activities and perceptions about daily living.
 

The Assignment

During the next three weeks maintain a journal that focuses its content on the indoor air quality and materials of the built environments you occupy each day.  Pay specific attention to what your senses tell you about the spaces.  What does your vision, hearing, smell and touch tell you about the space?  Think about the design of the space, its contents, any chemical products used within the space, and your impressions or feelings about being in that space.  Does some characteristic or characteristics of the space make you wish to stay (or leave)? Do some investigative work on the material aspects of the space that instill some positive or negative reaction. Report on the results of those investigative efforts. DO NOT USE THE WEB FOR EXCLUSIVE INFORMATION!

Each journal entry must include the following features:

• Location (room number or space name, building, city, state)
• Date and Time space was occupied
• Brief description of the space
• approximate size
• furnishings
• flooring
• ceiling
• walls
• finishes
• other chemical products
• Brief description of your sense, impressions or feelings about being in the space
• Results of your investigative efforts, including reference information on any materials that have made an impact on your perceptions of the space.
• Manufacturer information
• Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) information
• WWW or library resources
• Any "Take Home Message" you wish to share about the given space and your rationale for it (i.e., enjoy the natural light of the space provided by the 6 large windows because you don't feel like you are confined inside a small space and don't need to use much indoor lighting).

A journal entry may also include the following:

• Digital picture(s) of the space or specific materials in the space
• Description of any specific odor (if it exists)
• Description of any physical symptoms experienced by occupants (if it exists)
• Possible or definitive source of odor or cause of physical symptoms (if it exists)

Submission criteria

• Word processed (MS Word or compatible processor)
• 12 point font
• 1 inch page margins
• Line spacing = double
• Electronic submission by 5 pm on Friday, January 21st
• email as an attachment to: jackson@stolaf.edu
• copy into "Drop Box" folder on Brit L:\Classes\Interim2005\Chem119

Criteria Used to Evaluate the Journal

3.  Grammar and spelling

4.  Use of references (if any), including suitable citation format

Any professional citation format will be accepted as long as the author is consistent throughout the journal.  Some format examples include:  MLA, APA, Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), and the Proceedings of the National  Academy of Science (PNAS).  Note that any web site sources must also be cited in appropriate format!

5.  General quality of the observations, arguments, and assessments of the spaces included in the journal.

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