Roundtable event calls for action on the effects of poor indoor air quality ahead of World Ventil8 Day
Ahead of World Ventil8 Day this weekend (Sunday 8 November), indoor climate specialist, Zehnder Group UK, welcomed key voices from across the social housing, health, and building sectors for an industry roundtable event, hosted in partnership with Healthy Homes Hub, a membership organisation focusing on improving living conditions in social housing properties. The event highlighted the need for greater accountability on ventilation in British homes, emphasising the damaging health consequences of poor indoor air quality, which can make existing health conditions in adults – like asthma and COPD – worse, and restrict the healthy development of children.
To find solutions to this problem, the discussion highlighted the need to move beyond treating ventilation as an isolated building component and instead recognising it as an essential part of a home’s overall design and performance. Participants explored how gaps in knowledge, skills and accountability across the industry can undermine the effectiveness of ventilation systems within social housing – with potential negative consequences for both building performance and occupant health. Moreover, attendees agreed that the responsibility of managing ventilation cannot fall on the resident alone.
Against the backdrop of significant regulatory changes, including the forthcoming Future Homes Standard and the expansion of Awaab’s Law, the roundtable considered how ventilation can be given greater priority within housing design, retrofit, and ongoing property management. A key concern was that ventilation is too often treated as an afterthought, particularly during retrofit projects where improvements to insulation and airtightness can inadvertently affect airflow if ventilation is not considered as part of a joined-up approach.
Attendees included housing directors, compliance and building safety leads, health partners, manufacturers, installers, and technical specialists – all bringing together perspectives from across the built environment.
Stuart Smith, Commercial Director at Zehnder Group UK, said: “Ventilation should be treated in the same way as gas and electrical services, where competent installation, regular checks and specialist maintenance in properties are commonplace. But the threat of poor indoor air quality is simply not taken seriously enough. It is an invisible danger and one that too often is ignored. As an industry, and even broader than that, as a society, and in the way that we work with government, we must ensure ventilation is not an afterthought. Because, as raised at the roundtable discussion, the health consequences can be severe.”
The event was hosted at Zehnder’s new Academy. The programme included a guided tour where attendees explored different ventilation system types and examples of ductwork installation quality. This hands-on session gave participants the opportunity to handle components and see first-hand what effective design, installation, commissioning and maintenance involves. It also provided a practical reference point for the subsequent roundtable discussion, helping participants consider how ventilation standards can be achieved and demonstrated in real-world settings.
The roundtable will inform a series of outputs, including outlining the key findings and priority areas for improvement to the Hub’s housing provider membership highlighting what to ask for at each stage – from design and procurement through to commissioning and handover to reflect the rollout of incoming regulations, like Awaab’s Law Phase 2 at the end of November 2026, and the Future Homes Standard in March 2027.
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