Healthy Spaces

Latest Episodes:

Getting Smart about Schools Oct 26, 2021

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In this episode, co-host Portia Mount from Trane Commercial shares what she learned as she interviewed leaders in research and advocacy who are actively working to address the infrastructure of school buildings, including the quality of their indoor learning environments. In 2019, 41% of school districts in the U.S. needed to upgrade or renew their heating and cooling systems in at least half their schools. And since then, the pandemic has increased our need to address inadequacies. The call to action is clear.

Healthy Workspaces for Now. And Tomorrow. Oct 11, 2021

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Many employers are inviting their workforce back to the office, and it’s raised a lot of questions about the safety and efficacy of the workspace. The good news is that the building industry has learned a lot since the onset of the pandemic. When that new information is combined with pre-pandemic research about the benefits of healthier buildings, companies can make science-backed decisions that improve both employee physical health and create peace of mind.

In this episode, Joanna Frank, president and CEO of the Center for Active Design, and Dr. Alberto Acosta, executive director of Medical Services at Trane Technologies, share some key lessons learned - and a way forward for employers and employees. Joanna also spotlights increasing interest among institutional investors on performance factors of health and overall wellness in the workforce.

The Accelerating Evolution of Healthy Spaces Oct 04, 2021

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As the world opens public spaces amid a lingering global pandemic, the topic of what we breathe is increasingly important. In Season 2, host Rasha Hasaneen, explores specific indoor environments – like office buildings, schools, homes and public transit. She talks to the people who are managing these spaces to see what’s changed in the needs of tenants, as well as researchers who are raising standards to increase safety, maximize performance and build trust with occupants.

But first, Rasha looks back at takeaways from Season 1 that remain relevant for now. And she talks with her colleagues, Jeff Wiseman and Scott Wenger about the acceleration of trends across the industry and the customer-driven demands they see coming. They even share how increased knowledge about their own indoor environmental quality drove them to make some changes in their habits.

The Global Economy of Healthy Spaces Feb 18, 2021

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Why isn't there a single U.S. cabinet position dedicated to buildings? Buildings consume 35% of global energy, but get considerably less attention than transportation and other core infrastructure industries.

In this episode, Russ Carnahan, co-founder of Building Action Coalition, shares how his 8 years in the U.S. Congress led him to create a unified voice across organizations, representing single family homes, skyscrapers, and everything in between. The goal: to help policymakers understand the impact and needs of the built environment, and start looking at healthy spaces as a sustainable economic growth engine.

In this final episode of season 1, Russ shares how this void of representation in the industry hurts individuals, businesses and the environment. As we look to recover from a global pandemic and understand the important role the health of our indoor environments will play, the need has never been so great.

Healthy Spaces and the Changing Social Contract Feb 11, 2021

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Maximising shareholder value is so last century! Stakeholder capitalism is here to stay and it's changing our organizations for the better. So, why does it matter for healthy spaces?

Bill Sisson, Executive Director of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in North America, joins us to explain how this powerful social contract that includes employees and customers is transforming business approaches to the role of indoor environments.

In this episode, Bill gives an insider’s view on how business leaders are rising to the challenge. We discuss the evolving health and wellbeing demands of society and the planet, and why addressing core social and environmental issues is ultimately good for business too.

A Symphony without a Conductor Jan 14, 2021

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How would a symphony sound without a conductor? Uncoordinated, out of rhythm... you wouldn't pay to listen to them! So why do people still invest in buildings that are so unharmonious?

In this episode, we unpack how buildings continue to be designed and managed as a set of independent systems, where it's impossible to make beautiful music without a serious design intervention. Plus, the wondrous possibilities of a world where buildings and indoor environmental quality are monitored with the same level of performance scrutiny as cars and planes.

Join industry expert Jim Freihaut, Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering at Penn State, and host Rasha Hasaneen as they discuss why advancing the way we look at the air around us is paramount to our health – and it all starts with how we design, build and operate buildings.

Seeing the Future through Lessons of the Past Jan 07, 2021

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15 years ago, Lidia Morawska from Queensland University gave a presentation on strategies to prevent the global spread of an invisible but deadly enemy - SARS. Years later, that same presentation has remained unnervingly relevant as she talks with global leaders about preventative measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. But this time she’s hopeful: if society bands together, our lessons of the past can pave the way for a better future.

Together with host Rasha Hasaneen, Lidia lays out what must change in the planning and development of indoor environments, and the essential coordination among multidisciplinary groups to make a transformational shift. And, if appointed Queen of the World for a day, she shares a recipe for what a better world could look like.

Transparency is the New Green Dec 10, 2020

Show notes

What if you knew how the spaces you occupy were performing? Would your expectations change if you could read the carbon dioxide level in any given room of your house? What about humidity or acoustics? So many of these elements that are invisible to us impact our quality of life and our performance in our spaces.

Today's guest, Memo Cedeno Laurent, Associate Director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard University, gets up every morning thinking about the spaces we occupy. In conversation with host, Rasha Hasaneen, Memo shares his unique insights on the foundational elements of a healthy building and his research into the impact of the invisible.

Smart buildings need smart occupants – and it all starts with transparency. #healthyspaces

At the Intersection of Healthy and Efficient Spaces Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

How healthy is your indoor environment? On average, we spend an incredible 94% of our time indoors! Factors like air, temperature, lighting and noise have sizeable, yet unseen impacts on our lives. The quality of our indoor spaces has never been more important. But do we need to sacrifice efficiency for quality when it comes to the air we breathe?

Join your host, Rasha Hasaneen, as we dive into the realm of possibilities that exist today to build spaces that are good for tomorrow. Featuring our guest, Scott Tew, who spends his days focused on sustainability and thinking of ingenious ways Trane Technologies can put the planet first.

Today, Rasha and Scott Tew have a no-trade-offs conversation based on what’s at stake for people and the planet. #healthyspaces

Introducing Healthy Spaces Nov 20, 2020

Show notes

Introducing Healthy Spaces, launching December 2020.

For more information, visit https://tranetechnologies.com/healthyspacespodcast

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