Built Environment Research: How Delos and the Well Living Lab Study the Great Indoors
We spend 90% of our time indoors. It is important to understand how the environments
around us affect our health, productivity and overall well-being.
DECEMBER 06, 2021 - FIRST SHARED ON DELOS LIVING HERE
Research and the Indoor Environment
Our physical and social environments—and the behaviors they promote—have a profound impact on our health and well-being. The ways in which we interact with the spaces in our lives can help improve our health—or work against it. At Delos, for the past 10 years, we have dedicated our focus to understanding how health and well-being can be improved in the spaces where we live, work, learn and play. To do that, we rely on scientific research, collaborations with leading institutions and subject matter experts, and a unique approach to evaluating products and technologies designed for improving the health of indoor environments.
The research that we do falls broadly into one of three categories: scientific research, product innovation and evaluation, and translation of research with the goal of popularizing it and educating the general public.
Scientific Research and the Well Living Lab
The goal of our scientific research is to advance the understanding of how indoor environments impact human health and well-being, and discover new frontiers in the interdisciplinary field of human-building interaction.
The Well Living Lab, founded in 2016 as a collaboration between Delos and Mayo Clinic, brings together building science and health science to conduct academic research on optimizing indoor environments to promote human health and well-being. To date, it has completed 21 studies and published 18 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals. The peer-review process subjects an author's research to the scrutiny of others who are experts in the same field (peers) and is considered necessary to ensure academic scientific quality.
Our researchers at the Well Living Lab aim to understand how indoor environments affect human health. We embrace the same research framework as Mayo Clinic – Discovery, Translation, Application – for rapid translation and application of scientific discoveries for personal, societal and commercial benefit. While we do not perform product testing or endorsement at the Well Living Lab, we utilize only best-in-class products and technologies to conduct our research. For each study, we examine which specific product features and capabilities are needed to effectively conduct our research, then use these data points to select the product or technology that best meets our unique study needs.
The Well Living Lab has employed the expertise of highly renowned collaborators and researchers since its inception. Our Scientific Advisory Council engages 10 prominent scientists from around the world who provide oversight and guidance to inform our research agenda, methods and activity. Likewise, we have collaborated with Mayo Clinic since the Lab was founded. Today, the Well Living Lab collaborates with Mayo Clinic for leadership and operational support, including Dr. Nicholas LaRusso as Well Living Lab Scientific Advisory Council Chair, Dr. Bruce Johnson as Well Living Lab Research Director, and Dr. Win Shen as Well Living Lab Medical Director, along with other experts such as Mayo Clinic study coordinators and biostatisticians. Well Living Lab experiments are reviewed, approved, and monitored by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board (IRB); each of the Lab’s human subjects is protected under the law by the IRB.
Scientific integrity is imperative to us at the Well Living Lab. We only share research that is supported by science, and strictly follow the peer-review publication process. We have developed and utilize Good Publication Practices framework that ensures:
The highest integrity in the Well Living Lab’s scholarly work, with the proper and timely report of research results in a complete, responsible, accurate and transparent manner.
Proper interactions with sponsors, collaborators and other relevant third-parties, as well as the conducting of internal legal reviews, to ensure alignment of scholarly work with related agreements and internal marketing/communications reviews to ensure proper dissemination.
Proper protection, sharing and use of the data generated or otherwise collected by the Well Living Lab as part of our research or collaboration with others, in addition to the identification of intellectual property.
Alignment of Well Living Lab’s scholarly endeavors with the broader needs of the Lab and Delos.
The Well Living Lab research roadmap is geared towards three key themes – Healthy Living, Healthy Working and Healthy Aging. To date, we have conducted our human subject studies in the Lab’s simulated, real-world environment, adjusting various surroundings such as sound, lighting, biophilia, temperature, air quality and more, then assessing participants’ response. Unobtrusive sensors in the Lab monitor biometric reactions, and tools for self-reporting offer additional scientific insights.
As we move into the coming year, we plan to expand the testing and research beyond the walls of the Lab directly into field-based locations such as hospitals, homes and senior living communities. Using the advanced capabilities of our field study platform, we will be able to accurately monitor the impact of environmental factors such as air quality on human health and well-being.
Product Innovation and Evaluation
At Delos, research is part of every step in our product evaluation process. We utilize scientific, technical and market research to inform both product innovation and evaluation. For example, when looking at products that are available on the market, we focus on the facts in order to assess them and advise our clients what products may be best for them based on their needs. To evaluate whether products stand up to their claims on performance, safety, efficacy and user experience, we review independent, third-party product testing results, apply evidence-based and data-driven research, and consult industry best practices.
Our unique approach to product review encompasses three steps. First, we create robust, research-based product technology position statements. Second, we develop a comprehensive set of evaluation criteria derived from the position statements, as well as other sources. Finally, we assess the products based on the product evaluation criteria.
In creating position statements on different product technologies, our subject matter experts examine various standards, regulations and peer-reviewed research. This enables us to compare products based on factors such as their mechanisms, performance, advantages, disadvantages and potential health risks and concerns. We also provide suggestions for practical applications, such as use cases, installation and maintenance.
Informed by our position statements, we have developed product evaluation criteria that assess four key product features:
Material safety: Based on the review of different standards, regulations and guidelines related to material safety from reputable standard-setting agencies and authorities — such as National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA), California Air Resources Board (CARB), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), and others — we review the material composition of the product, as provided by the product manufacturer, to determine whether the materials within it pose risks to human health. For example, in reviewing air purification products, we focus on the material properties of filter media and make sure it does not release toxic chemicals or harmful by-products.
Functionality: Based on the position statements we have developed for different product technologies, and based on the information provided by the manufacturer, we review the functionality of the product to determine whether the product works as intended. For example, because filter efficiency is a key performance metric for air purifiers as indicated by our position statements; we review third-party filter efficiency test reports of the product, and check if the test results are from reliable laboratories based on well-established industry standards.
Claims: Based on applicable regulations and industry guidelines, we evaluate the scientific accuracy of claims made by manufacturers about their products as well as any statements on product labels, packaging, user manuals or other documentation, such as Proposition 65 warnings or UL2998 certification.
User experience: The three criteria mentioned above help to evaluate whether the product is safe (from a material safety perspective), performs well, and is described accurately from a marketing standpoint. However, in real-world applications, the design, color, ease of use, control methods and other aspects of the product matter too. Therefore, we conduct hands-on testing and user studies to evaluate the product’s user experience for different use cases.
In some instances, the technologies we review are very new—so there may be no widely used industry standards available. In such cases, we review available scientific literature on the technology and consult with outside experts. If we believe that the product has promise, we may then directly work with manufacturers and reputable laboratories to help facilitate product testing, and may even develop our own testing methodologies
Research Translation and Market Education
Most people — including many consumers and our clients — do not have access to scientific research publications, or are not sure how to correctly interpret them or determine which sources to trust. Part of our mission is to popularize the science on indoor environments and health. To do that, we aim to translate our research findings, including from the Well Living Lab, Delos Labs and reputable academic institutions, into information that the general public can easily understand. Our translated research/market education comes in many different formats, including white papers, presentations in academic and industry conferences, industry insights and blog articles.
To learn more about Delos and explore our news, announcements, publications and blog articles, check out on the Delos website.