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Indoor Air Quality

Each of Our 1,400+ Buildings Performs Differently

We have over 1,400 buildings on the Davis campus and they perform well. However, each building performs differently based on its age, the equipment in the building and critical human factors. 

Learn more about building ventilation and filtration.

"It Smells Smokey in Here..."

A common complaint Facilities receives during a smoke event is that the air in a customer’s building smells smoky. Indoor air will commonly smell of smoke during a wildfire event, but when we test it, we find it’s consistently better (i.e., containing lower particulate matter) than being outdoors.

We also can't stress enough the importance of keeping doors and windows closed when it's smoky outdoors.

Facilities' Role During a Smoke Event

Facilities is responsible for maintaining critical air-conditioning and ventilation systems throughout the year. Their teams are incredibly busy on hot and smoky days: 

  • Monitoring HVAC performance
    Many of our buildings have air conditioning and ventilation systems and we monitor their operation during an event.
  • Recirculating indoor air
    Wherever we can, we recirculate indoor air. This isn’t possible in some spaces, like a laboratory, which require fresh (i.e., outdoor) air.
  • Replacing air filters during smoke events
    We replace air filters on a schedule throughout the year, but may need to swap them sooner during prolonged smoke events.

Employees with indoor air-quality concerns can:

  • Contact Facilities Customer Support and we’ll ensure that the HVAC system is working as designed:

  • Based on operational needs, employees can work with their supervisor to request alternate working arrangements.