The State of Minnesota
Sustainable Building Guidelines (MSBG) Version 2.0

Buildings, Benchmarks and Beyond

Indoor Environmental Quality Guidelines

Required Guidelines

I.1 Restrict Environmental Tobacco Smoke
I.2 Specify Low-emitting Materials
I.3 Moisture Control
I.4 Ventilation Design
I.5 Thermal Comfort
I.6 Quality Lighting
I.7 Effective Acoustics
I.8 Reduce Vibration in Buildings
I.9 Daylight

Recommended Guidelines

I.10 View Space and Window Access
I.11 Personal Control of IEQ Conditions and Impacts
I.12 Encourage Healthful Physical Activity

Related Documentation

Section 2 - Form P-5 Indoor Environmental Quality Documentation

Worksheets and Appendices

Appendix I-1 Suggested Implementation for all Indoor Environmental Quality Guidelines
Appendix I-2 Calculating CO2 Concentrations in a Zone
Appendix I-3 Daylighting Factor Calculator
Appendix I-4 View Space Diagrams and Tables for I.10

Overview

The provision of indoor environmental quality at levels that support productive human habitation both complements and supports the environmental and economic goals for sustainable building. Appropriate indoor environmental qualities of air, temperature, sound, light, visible and physical space and occupants' ability to personally control these are the building's contributions to the biological bases of occupant comfort, health and well-being. Harmful effects on occupants of poor indoor environmental quality are well documented in laboratory and field studies. Similarly, enhanced indoor environmental quality helps occupants feel and perform at their best, with subsequent health, well-being and productivity benefits for themselves and their work organizations. These indoor environmental quality guidelines are constructed to first and foremost help prevent harm coming to occupants, then to optimize environmental quality conditions to correspond with human physiological processes, and finally to fine tune environmental conditions to work activities in a way that further enhances personal and organizational productivity.

Goal

The goal of the guidelines in this section is to provide exemplary indoor air quality and other interior environmental conditions to promote occupant health, well-being and productivity. Here, "health" is more than the absence of disease and "well-being" includes provision of physical comfort and psychological satisfaction with the physical work environment.

Objectives