Reader Response Draft 1

An excerpt from Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises (1996) stated that indoor air quality (IAQ) can be improved through the initial stage of design and construction of the building. The air conditioning and mechanical ventilation system (ACMV) should be designed in a way that prevents the spread of contaminants. Building materials used should not produce any chemicals that will affect the IAQ. To ensure acceptable IAQ, an inspection should be continuously done by professional, making sure the materials used for air ducts were able to withstand daily usage and maintenance. The guideline also mentioned that placement of the outdoor air intakes should be far away from any form of pollutions, while the air filter should be situated near air intakes with protection from outdoor elements. Any systems do not belong to ACMV should not be found in AHU room.

However, these guidelines are not applicable now as the standard requirement for IAQ had changed since 1996 with the newest edition in 2015. Furthermore, the guidelines only mentioned the IAQ management during the design and construction phase, which does not include the benefits of maintaining the IAQ level and the relevant health issues regarding the topics.

Firstly, the Building Construction Authority came out with Green Mark NRB2015 Technical Guide & Requirements (2015). It is the newest edition of the criteria for green mark certification, which includes IAQ documentation requirements during the design stage. In the excerpt from the new edition, the design stage should also include occupant comfort. It stated that it is a requirement to conduct an IAQ audit by a qualified laboratory in the first year of occupancy to ensure the IAQ is within the acceptable limit. Thus, it clear that the initial guidelines are outdated and shouldn’t continue to be used.

Secondly, there are benefits in maintaining a good IAQ. Based on the article “3 Major Benefits of Good Indoor Air Quality” (2017), it stated that it will cost a lot financially for the building to clear out pollutants as the stress on HVAC will increase and efficiency will decrease, leading to more repairs and upgrades to tackle the situation. It also mentioned that having bad air quality in the building also makes life difficult. Occupants will have to experience bad smell and most likely will experience sneezing frequently. Through this article, I believed that having good air quality in the building will not only save cost for the electricity bill, but it will also make life more convenient.

Lastly, having a bad air quality will cause health implications. The article “Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution” (2018) stated the short-term symptoms and long-term health implications of having indoor air pollutants in the building. Some of the short-term symptoms consist of coughing, sneezing, watery eyes and these symptoms will be relieved once the occupants leave the building. However, some cases have led to severe health issues like wheezing, severe lung disease and fever. Through this article, I can understand the importance of having good indoor air quality and the consequences of not having.

Overall, the article covered the ways which a building could improve in their IAQ through the initial design and construction stage. However, it would be better if they used something that’s more recent so that it will be more applicable to the new buildings. Furthermore, they can also include the benefits of having good indoor air quality and the relevant health issues so that occupants will have more awareness about it.

Ministry of the Environment. (1996).  Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises.
Retrieved from https://www.bca.gov.sg/GreenMark/others/NEA_Office_IAQ_Guidelines.pdf

Building Construction Authority (2015). Green Mark NRB2015 Technical Guide & Requirements.

Retrieved from https://www.bca.gov.sg/GreenMark/others/GM_NRB2015_Technical_Guide_Requirements_R3.pdf

Temperature Pro Milwaukee (2017). 3 Major Benefits of Good Indoor Air Quality

Retrieved from https://temperaturepromilwaukee.com/110-3-major-benefits-of-good-indoor-air-quality/

Blue Point Environmental (2018). Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution

Retrieved from https://www.bluepointenvironmental.com/indoor-air-quality-health-effects/

Summary (Draft 3)

An excerpt from Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises (1996) stated that indoor air quality (IAQ) can be improved through the initial stage of design and construction of the building. The air conditioning and mechanical ventilation system (ACMV) should be designed in a way that prevents the spread of contaminants. Building materials used should not produce any chemicals that will affect the IAQ. To ensure acceptable IAQ, inspection were to be done constantly by professional, making sure the materials used for air ducts were able to withstand daily usage and maintenance. The guideline also mentioned that placement of the outdoor air intakes should be far away from any form of pollution, while the air filter to be situated near air intakes with protection from outdoor elements. Any systems did not belong to ACMV should not be found in AHU room. However, this guidelines may not be applicable now as the standard requirement for IAQ might had changed.

Ministry of the Environment. (1996).  Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises.
Retrieved from https://www.bca.gov.sg/GreenMark/others/NEA_Office_IAQ_Guidelines.pdf

https://www.bca.gov.sg/EnvSusLegislation/others/Env_Sus_Code2010.pdf

Summary (Draft 2)

An excerpt from Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises (1996), stated that indoor air quality (IAQ) can be improved through the initial stage of design and construction of the building. The air conditioning and mechanical ventilation system (ACMV) should be designed in a way that prevents the spread of contaminants. Building materials used should not produce any chemicals that will affect the IAQ. To ensure acceptable IAQ, inspection were to be done constantly by professional, making sure the materials used for air ducts were able to withstand daily usage and maintenance. The guideline also mentioned that placement of the outdoor air intakes should be far away from any form of pollution, while the air filter to be situated near air intakes with protection from outdoor elements. Any systems did not belong to ACMV should not be found in AHU room.

Summary (Draft 1)

An excerpt from Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises (1996), stated that improving indoor air quality (IAQ) can be done through the initial design and construction of the building. The ACMV system (Air Conditioning and Mechanical Ventilation) should be designed in a way that prevent the spread of contaminants. Building materials used should not produce any chemicals that will affect the IAQ. To ensure acceptable IAQ, inspection was to be done constantly by professional, making sure the materials used for air ducts were able to withstand daily usage and maintenance. The placement of the outdoor air intakes should be far away from any form of pollution, while the air filter to be situated near air intakes with protection from outdoor elements. Any systems did not belong to ACMV should not be found in AHU room.

Descriptive Reflection: Strength & Challenges in Communicating

Subject: Self-introduction

Dear Professor Brad,

My name is Victor, and I’m from Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Building Services) course. I’m writing to formal introduce myself to you as a student in your Effective Communication class. I graduated from Republic Polytechnic in 2016 with a Diploma in Renewable Energy Engineering prior to serve in the National Service for two years. As such, I made the decision to further my studies in the course mentioned offered by SIT.

In Polytechnic, I learnt about building mechanical knowledge and the different types of renewable energy available in the world. Also, I’m taught of how to work in a team with people from different backgrounds. During my final year project, my teammates and I worked together to resolve many obstacles and difficulties that came in our way that we were able to achieve good result for our project. Through all these, I became a better team player and it helped me to grow in my character.

However, my ability to communicate effectively in front of a crowd is still lacking. I still have difficulty expressing myself confidently in public speaking and report writing. English Language has never been my strength because I’m used to speaking in Mandarin with my family and friends.

As far as a strength, I’m not afraid of speaking up and sharing in a group setting due to the learning experience I had in polytechnic. During those days, I had to give a presentation everyday on the related topics to the lecture and the whole class. This allowed me to understand the importance of effective oral communication, and I’m glad that I’m able to practice daily.

Through this module, I hope to improve my standard of English Language so that I will be able to relay my thoughts and speech better during public speaking. Communicating effectively in front of a crowd with confident is my long-term goal and I believed I will have the opportunities to do it in your classes.  

Best regards,

Victor

Unit 3, Task 2, Reflection in real life

During my army days, there were 2 things that I did regularly, running & static physical training. My ideal target was to incubate a habit of exercising regularly. However, after I left the force, I didn’t had the chance to do it regularly as I went for a long overseas trip. When I came back, I went for Lasik surgery and hence unable to exercise for a month or so. During that period, I became very lazy as I didn’t have much things to do. I always went out with friends for meals and celebrations. Thus, I became weaker in terms of fitness level, I also gained a lot of unwanted weights. Looking back, I think that the direct cause for this problem was not having enough self-discipline to carry on with the exercise routine. I believe the reason why so many people are able to keep fit is not because that they like to exercise, but they will always exercise regularly even if they don’t feel like it, because they have strong self-discipline.

Currently, I’m working towards the goal of exercising regularly, even as I started my University life now, where I’m going to get quite busy with school work. I believe I need to have the self-discipline to follow through it, even if I don’t feel like it. That’s the only way I will be able to achieve my target. However, the challenges I’m facing with right now are time and weather. So I’ll say that it’s work-in-progress right now.

(Edited)