In many of the older buildings on the St. John’s campus the mechanical ventilation systems may be exhaust only or are not fully consistent throughout the building. In this case there is a reliance on window opening i.e. natural ventilation, to provide fresh air. The challenges with natural ventilation are that temperature and humidity are often subject to the outdoors conditions. While many older buildings on campus rely on natural ventilation, new building construction is moving toward the use of operable windows. Occupants report greater satisfaction with having control over getting fresh air as required. It is therefore important to follow some general guidelines for natural ventilation.

The Natural Ventilation Guideline outlines how to achieve adequate amounts of fresh air in spaces that rely on natural ventilation as opposed to areas where mechanical ventilation is present.