SICK BUILDING SYNDROME: IMPACT OF IDEAL ROOFING ON OCCUPANTS HEALTH

Abstract

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) has been defined as a “set of adverse health or discomfort symptoms that individuals experience when they spend time indoors, particularly in office buildings, and that lessen while away from the building” Apte et al. (2000). Various construction elements such as windows, floors, roof designs and construction methods can substantially increase or reduce health and safety levels. This can affect internal and external environments in workplaces. Therefore, the more sustainable the construction elements, the less hazardous or negative impacts on the building construction, the workforce, the environment, the occupants and vice versa. This study aims to use existing building construction elements and designs in North Cyprus to create a framework for developing and evaluating suitable roofing structures for adequate insulation in the North Cyprus residential buildings. This was achieved through research experiments on the construction of building elements, that is, roofing. Most SBS buildings in Cyprus have no roof structure or adequate insulation. Therefore, this experiment was carried out to prove that wrong roof systems contribute to SBS formation in buildings and the rate of SBS effects on the end users.