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Healthy Buildings and IEQ: 2025–2026 Presidential Theme & Tools

Posted by Catherine Wood on Nov. 21, 2025  /  Features, ASHRAE Society  /  Subscribe 0

This year, ASHRAE focuses on the vital role of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in shaping healthier, more resilient communities. The theme, “Healthy Buildings: Designing for Life,” introduced by ASHRAE President Bill McQuade, P.E., CDP, Fellow Member ASHRAE, LEED AP, reminds us that buildings are more than structures.

In his inaugural presidential address, he emphasized the critical role of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in reducing environmental impacts to the built environment while supporting healthier, more resilient communities. “Today, shelter is more than just a roof over one’s head,” said McQuade. “Shelter encompasses the hospitals we are born in, the homes where we find comfort, the schools where we learn, and the buildings we work in. A well-designed shelter prioritizes indoor environmental quality, ensuring good air quality, proper lighting, thermal comfort, acoustics and access to safe water, all essential for health and comfort. Providing safe, stable, and sustainable shelter is not just a basic human need, it is a fundamental pillar of societal advancement and long-term development.”

McQuade’s theme highlights the interplay between energy efficiency and IEQ and presents practical solutions to enhance air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics, lighting and water quality in buildings

ASHRAE provides a wealth of tools and educational materials to help professionals design and maintain healthy indoor environments. Check out these resources:

• IEQ Resource Center: ashrae.org/technical-resources/ieq-resources
  Access guidelines, best practices, and technical documents on Indoor Environmental Quality.
• IEQ Video Library: ashrae.org/technical-resources/ieq-resources/ieq-resources-videos
  Watch expert-led videos covering topics like air quality, thermal comfort, and acoustics.

Want to dive deeper into the theme? Check out the podcast below! Bill McQuade was hosted by HPAC On The Air to explain how ASHRAE is collaborating with industry groups, both domestically and internationally, to elevate the cause of improving IEQ for the benefit of building occupant health.

Learn more about this year’s theme and ASHRAE’s vision by visiting the official ASHRAE Society Theme page.

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