Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Procedia Engineering 118 ( 2015 ) 109 – 119 International Conference on Sustainable Design, Engineering and Construction Spatial Design for Healthy and Effective Electromagnetic Wave Propagation Serhan Hakgudener Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW Calgary T2N 1N4, Alberta, Canada Abstract Our ancestors have been designing and building structures for centuries to protect themselves from the environment and to sustain the well-being of their occupants. Achieving a healthy indoor environment has become a challenge among design professionals, such as architects, engineers and scientists, due to chemical and physical indoor environmental parameters. Nowadays, we face a new challenge: providing healthy and effective wireless communication in the building environment that pushes the envelope of building design. Wireless communication systems emit Electromagnetic Waves. These high frequency waves exist both inside buildings and the free space around us. There are a variety of RF sources and they cover a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as cell towers (masts), cordless DECT phones, smart meters, Wi-Fi router/modems, WiMAX networks, cellular phones (mobiles), video games, digital baby monitors, digital TV, audio/video sender receivers, tetra emissions, and wireless burglar alarms and so on. The range of radio frequency (RF) spectrum spans 3 kHz to several hundred GHz. The microwave ranges from 1 GHz to 40 GHz and is used in contemporary point-to-point, wireless, and satellite communications. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate current power intensity levels in building environments and develop guidelines for design professionals by understanding building materials` properties. In building design, there are diverse approaches to provisions of wireless communication and constant innovation; however, the construction materials and EMW propagation relationship remains a secondary consideration. Researching EMW propagation issues to develop guidelines for incorporating wireless communication systems into Architectural Design will promote healthy and effective indoor environments. © 20152015 The The Authors. Authors. Published Published by Elsevier by Elsevier Ltd. This Ltd is. an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review-review under under responsibility responsibility of organizing of organizing committee committee of the International of the International Conference onConference Sustainable on Design, Sustainable Engineering Design, and Engineering Constructionand Construction 2015 2015. Keywords: Healthy Building Design; Electromagnetic Wave Propagation; Wireless Communication; WLAN; Power intensity levels 1877-7058 © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of organizing committee of the International Conference on Sustainable Design, Engineering and Construction 2015 doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2015.08.409 110 Serhan Hakgudener / Procedia Engineering 118 ( 2015 ) 109 – 119 1. Introduction Recently, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Networking) has become a significant element that delivers Internet service to both residential and commercial buildings. Internet fosters low-cost wireless technologies that provide global access anytime (Kwok, Y.; Lau, V., 2007). The free accessibility of Internet leads to the need to address issues of functionality, sustainability and usability in the building environment. Whilst some research has started to focus on surveying the energy efficiency of buildings, little attention has been paid to EMW (Electromagnetic Wave) propagation, its relationship to building design before construction, and in particular the measurement of EMW propagation issues during design phases (Hens, Hugo S.L.C., 2012). Conventional WLAN allows accessibility according to technical specifications and interface design; however, it remains to be seen how far building materials are integrated into these standards, and where the conflicts might arises between the functionality of the amount EMW in a specific space. How can we bridge EMW Propagation and Architecture? The first step is to define the meaning of green buildings; Cynamon argues, "They are created to provide healthy and productive indoor environments for their occupants," as well as energy saving and good indoor air quality. Moreover, he suggests that the goals should be defined in the design phase before executing the construction (Cynamon, 1996). On the other hand, EMW propagation (radiation) needs to be included in the definition of green building because this invisible effect provokes an impact on the quality of the indoor environment. How does EMW propagation affect the occupants? Bioelectromagnetics, as a field of study, works on finding the impacts on human health (Kato, 2006). Environmental sensitivities such as fatigue, pain, headaches are a concern in the building environment and need to be accounted for in EMW propagation (Margaret, 2007). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate current WLAN power intensity levels in the building environment and develop basic guidelines for design professionals by understanding Building Materials` properties. Another question might be: how can Building Materials affect Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in WLAN environments? If transmission coefficients of Building Materials are analyzed, guidelines for design professionals can be developed. Investigating electronics engineering supplements architectural design. In other words, using design knowledge may help to make EMW Propagation more efficient in the building environment. The architecture society currently has overlooked this phenomenon. In fact, Internet and building design have evolved simultaneously in the last decade; the relationship between EMW propagation and Sustainable Construction remains a mystery for the Architecture Society. The second aspect to solve EMW Propagation issues employs engineering. To produce indoor Radio Coverage Models for WLAN design, engineers use constructed buildings (Lloret and López, 2004). Using constructed buildings clarifies the problem, but it fails to consider the intensity of these issues on human health. Lawson asserts that the problem between engineers and architects is an understanding of different materials and requirements (Lawson, 2004). Consequently, in building design, there is evidence of constant innovation and changing approaches to provisions of WLAN; however, the construction materials and EMW propagation relationship remains a secondary consideration. Researching EMW Propagation issues to develop guidelines to incorporate WLAN into Sustainable Architectural Design will improve upon this status quo. The paper has been divided into five sections to answer the following research questions: x What are the current Power Intensity levels in building environments? (Case study in residential and the different locations in Calgary.) x How do Building Materials affect EMW Propagation? x How can design options for buildings be developed considering the wireless communication technologies currently available? The first section underlines the problem stated in the introduction. The second section provides background information about the history of the Electromagnetic Wave phenomenon, Wireless Networking, EMW-frequency relation, and WLAN coverage challenges. The third section is a case study that investigates the power intensity levels in a building environment. The fourth section provides basic guidelines for design professionals about how construction materials can have an impact on health and effective wireless communication. Lastly, the fifth section provides conclusions and further research goals. Serhan Hakgudener / Procedia Engineering 118 ( 2015 ) 109 – 119 111 2. Background information Section two provides an overview behind the history of the EMW phenomenon. The main purpose of the section is to answer two questions specifically: How do these developments bring new challenges for humans? And, how can we bridge between engineering and architecture? 2.1. History EMW spectrum conceptualizes the link between light, electricity, and magnetism. Infrared light, the first "invisible" form of electromagnetic radiation, was discovered by British scientist and astronomer Sir William Herschel (Barr, 1961), and ultraviolet radiation, the other part of the visible spectrum, was discovered by Wilhelm Ritter. Ritter was investigating the energy relation of visible light that has various colors, when he discovered another invisible form of light that is beyond the blue end of the spectrum (Frercks et al., 2009). Moreover, in 1820, Danish physicist Hans Christian Ørsted linked electricity and magnetism. Ørsted discovered that electrical current flowing through a wire could deflect a compass needle (Wilson, 2008). In addition, French scientist André-Marie Ampère`s demonstration that electrical currents passing through two wires could attract or repel each other, showed strong evidence that electricity and magnetism are closely related (Dibner, 1984). Consequently, in 1865, Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell managed to explain, mathematically, his kinetic theory of gases that clarifies the relationship between electricity and magnetism. They often act together as electromagnetism that demonstrates their bond.