Designing a Healthier Exposome for Building Occupants
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- Attendees - $45
An occupant's exposome encompasses the totality of environmental exposures within the indoor setting, encapsulating diverse factors that influence both comfort and health, ranging from air quality and humidity to spatial design and building materials. Join Dr. McKeon, a medical doctor and renowned expert in indoor air quality and health-based building design, for an enlightening session that will empower attendees with measurable and actionable knowledge. Discover the crucial link between human health and the built environment, focusing on indoor air quality and its impact on occupant well-being. Dr. McKeon will guide you through practical approaches, inspired by the indoor "exposome" concept, merging insights from the healthy homes movement with emerging medical research. Explore real-world collaborative solutions involving architecture, engineering, building management, and medicine to enhance indoor air quality and nurture healthier indoor spaces in both residential and public buildings. By the end of this session, participants will possess comprehensive knowledge about the spectrum of physical, biological, and chemical pollutants, as well as asthmagens and irritants which can be present within the exposome. Additionally, attendees will gain insights into design features and strategies essential for enhancing indoor air quality, review how to efficiently apply this information for building standards such as ASHRAE 241, and acquire fundamental knowledge empowering them to prioritize health and wellness throughout the lifecycle of designing, building, or maintaining buildings.
John McKeon, FRCSI, MB, Bch, BAO, BA
CEO and Founder
iAIR Institute and Allergy Standards Ltd
John is currently the CEO of Allergy Standards Ltd, an international standards and Certification Body, a company he founded while working as an Emergency Room Doctor. He is also the Principal at the Indoor Air Innovation and Research (iAIR) Institute. John’s initial curiosity was sparked by the interplay between the built environment and asthma and allergy trigger factors within indoor spaces. His attention was drawn to the significant amount of time individuals spend indoors, amounting to approximately 80% of their time, juxtaposed with EPA findings indicating indoor air pollution levels may be up to five times higher than outdoor air. Recognizing his role as a clinician primarily addressing the downstream effects of poor indoor air quality through pharmaceutical interventions, John realized the necessity of shifting towards a proactive ‘upstream’ approach centred on patient education and environmental control. This realization marked the inception of John’s journey into exploring the interconnectedness between the built environment and health outcomes. Initially focusing on individuals affected by asthma and allergies, John expanded his research endeavours to serve as a liaison between construction professionals, interior design experts, and healthcare professionals. His mission is to facilitate collaboration and promote holistic solutions aimed at optimizing indoor environments for enhanced health and well-being. Throughout his career, he has led the development of an international intellectual property portfolio of patents and trademark applications and negotiated complex licensing agreements with large multinationals. John is a medical entrepreneur who qualified as a doctor from Trinity College Dublin in 1996, is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and also holds his United States Medical Licensing exams. In addition to his entrepreneurial and business activities, John also maintains an interest in University research and knowledge exchange practices. He is the Entrepreneur in Residence at the Centre for Practice and Healthcare Innovation in the Faculty of Health Sciences as well as a member of the Knowledge Transfer & Innovation Committee, in Trinity College Dublin. He is married to Anna, also a medical doctor, and they have three young children.
