Aesthetics, economy, and functionality is all important factors in building practices, yet to ensure a pleasant indoor climate it is essential that materials and furniture do not emit compounds that can irritate the people using the building. Unpleasant odours and poor air quality in commercial buildings are costly as it may cause lower productivity and creativity.

Since the emissions from building materials can be substantial and cause a considerable rise in the ventilation demand in order to sustain an acceptable level of air quality, building materials and furniture can be highly influential on the energy consumption in a building. Hence the choice of sound and non-emitting building materials represent an important part of the design and construction phases.

Labelling of building products is underway in several areas:

• Wall and ceiling systems
• Carpets
• Interior doors and folding partitions
• Windows and exterior doors
• Resilient floors, wood-based floors and laminated floors
• Oils for wood-based floors
• Kitchen, bath and wardrobe cabinets
• Interior building paint
• Furniture

Demonstration Projects:
Low-income housing with reduced energy costs, Houtvenne, Belgium
Introduction of local district heating in spain, Spain - Vilanova Ila Geltru
Energy efficient technology to control costs of modern architecture, Finland - Kuopio

Technology Producers:
www.junckers.com
www.gyproc.com
www.montana.dk