Many years before Covid rocked our world, some architects and designers recognized that we humans in the US spend around 86.9% of our lives indoors on average. Many of us (over 80% of Americans), live in urban areas, many in close proximity to highways, airports, manufacturing, etc. An idling diesel truck on a quiet street can create really bad fumes too, as can lawn mowers and leaf-blowers. I promise you the air we breathe outdoors is far from clean, simply wiping down the outdoor furniture with a white cloth that turns black would convince anyone, fast.  

The WHO reports that 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds WHO pollution guidelines and recently declared air pollution to be a global public health emergency. Air pollution is the largest cause of environmental fatalities worldwide, leading to 1 in 9 deaths. A 2016 study found that this situation results in about $225 billion in lost labor income. Lots of the air in the US is clean compared to other parts of the world (such as Chad, Iraq and Pakistan), that burn wood and coal for energy. The air in the US is actually cleaner than in Italy or France (IQ Air).

When air travels indoors it's often trapped and mixes with toxic paints, cleaning products, carpets, dust, pets, cooking gas, etc. Lots of indoor air is bad and up to 5x worse than the air outdoors. Plants help for sure, but there are many sophisticated air purification systems for homes and buildings and their popularity is growing. While the use of independent units/appliances grew dramatically in 2020 onwards, whole-home systems are increasingly popular. A recent story in the Wall Street Journal speaks to this subject, although a little late to the game.

Legendary architect Rick Cook insisted on a whole-building fresh air filtration system when designing 150 Charles Street in NYC over a decade ago. His firm CookFox are leading proponents of healthy buildings and have included air filtration systems in their exceptional projects including the Bank of America Tower and Google's new mega-building in Hudson Square. Clean air and ventilation systems have contributed to a decrease in office sick days by up to 35%.

A HEPA filter in an HVAC system helps dramatically. UV-lights in HVAC systems can also prevent mold. The air we breathe matters. Tightly sealed homes with air filtration are also practical in areas prone to wildfires. Even if there are no fires in your area, smoke travels far as we have recently witnessed. Home air filtration systems are becoming a very desirable amenity.