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Walls of Air: A Retrofit for Equitable Indoor Air Quality

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Damus_Charlotte.pdf (18.85 MB)

Date

2022-04-04

Authors

Damus, Charlotte Elizabeth

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Publisher

University of Waterloo

Abstract

Poor indoor air quality and lack of space for adequate isolation within postwar towers increase the risk of negative effects on resident health leaving them more vulnerable to infectious diseases. The unequal ability to isolate safely within residential spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic is worsened by the assumption that isolation is a purely spatial issue.Ventilation and filtration mitigation strategies are already common in spaces with a high risk of contaminant spread, such as hospitals and labs, however, their active use in preventing the spread of infectious diseases in residential spaces is less common. Recognition of the airborne nature of the Covid-19 virus strengthened the importance of focusing on indoor air quality and airflow management to hinder the spread of the virus while designing a flexible space for living and isolation. While working parallel to the ever-changing information about Covid-19, an analysis of domiciliary Covid-19 mitigation strategies, and a discussion of overcrowding, tower renewal, and air quality in relation to health narrowed the scope of research to exploring how the retrofit of postwar towers can improve occupant health and well-being. This thesis expands upon the agenda of the Tower Renewal Partnership with a postwar tower retrofit that incorporates flexible living spaces within units while prioritizing occupant physical and mental health through a focus on air quality and management to decrease occupant vulnerability to the spread of infectious disease. The versatile components of the retrofit design allow for ease of application across Toronto’s postwar tower stock and thereby provide over half a million people with strategies to maintain good indoor air quality and improve occupant health.

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Keywords

covid-19, indoor air quality, tower renewal, ventilation, filtration

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URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10012/18130

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Architecture