Healthy Building Solutions
Sustainable Building Products and Materials
Activate a Healthy Building Experience with Mecho
Mecho’s solar shading systems facilitate and promote health and wellness strategies for building occupants while addressing long-term sustainability and near-term COVID-19 considerations. Mecho’s greatest environmental building impacts are associated with daylight harvesting and material health, creating sustainable building materials to positively support people and the planet.
In reference with Harvard’s Healthy Buildings Foundations, IWBI, and Fitwel, Mecho outlines the most impactful methods of promoting Healthy Building Solutions utilizing automated shading systems and optimized sustainable building materials.
Automated Shade Solutions
Sustainable Building Material Solutions
Work, Learn, Heal + Stay with Mecho
Healthy Building Resources
Automated Shade Solutions
Automated shading systems are an active component of the building façade and are responsible for connecting occupants with the outdoor environment. Research supports that when people have access to daylight and outdoor views in an indoor setting, occupants experience positive outcomes.
With improved daylighting, building occupants are more productive in an office environment, achieve improved learning outcomes in a school, and experience quicker recovery rates in a hospital. In addition, occupancy and daylight sensors can automate shade movements, optimize the efficiency of complementary building systems, and provide touchless shade solutions for high traffic spaces.
Healthy Building Strategies with Automated Shades
Daylight
Automated shade solutions are designed to maximize daylight for occupants without the risk of glare by automatically raising and lowering shades to support occupant privacy and building insulation.
Views
A key benefit of solar shading systems is the ability to preserve views and a connection to the outdoor environment even when the shades are fully deployed.
Energy Efficiency
Mecho’s solar shading material and automated shade systems directly contribute to a reduction in energy consumption by optimizing HVAC and automated lighting.
Comfort
Thermal and visual comfort are priorities for every space. Automated window shades not only maximizes daylight and views but protect occupants from unwanted heat and glare throughout the day, prioritizing occupancy comfort.
Touchless
Automated shade systems reduce touchpoints that are associated with manual shading. Scalable automated solutions ensure that you can prioritize touchless technologies in high-traffic and shared spaces in any setting. This is a critical strategy to ensure people feel safe as they return to buildings shared by other occupants.
Sustainable Building Material Solutions
As people continue to stay indoors for longer periods of time, the health and wellness of building materials elevate in importance. Human and environmental health remains a top priority in Mecho’s design process, as well as the ability to clean and disinfect materials without compromising quality.
From high-performing shade systems that contribute to LEED-certified projects to Cradle to Cradle certified products, Mecho’s sustainable solutions optimize building performance. Rigorous acoustic, material health, antimicrobial, and air quality tests ensure that Mecho offers environmentally sustainable building materials.
Shade Cloth
Overview of Cradle to Cradle certified products + products that support LEED certification
View complete solar collections including blackout and sustainable shade cloths
Tool to find collections that meet your project specifications
Shade Cloth Cleaning + Disinfecting Guidelines
Cleaning tips and overview of antimicrobial products available
Healthy Building Strategies with Sustainable Materials
Material Health
Mecho’s material health achievements include Cradle to Cradle Certified EcoVeil Shade Cloth, HHI compliant EcoVeil Sheer, and Cradle to Cradle Certified hardware systems. All certifications can be found on our Shadecloth Selector and Mindful Materials.
Material Circularity
Mecho’s circularity initiatives include designing all systems for longevity, disassembly, and circularity. Mecho is currently piloting the Cradle to Cradle v4 Pilot Standard demonstrating its leadership in this field.
Acoustics
Mecho’s products reduce noise from both our quiet motors and our sound absorbing shade cloths. The impacts of noise range from hindered healing in a healthcare setting to causing distractions in commercial offices. Our product pages outline the acoustical performance for each shade cloth.
Air Quality
All shade cloths and hardware systems have earned Greenguard Gold or Clean Air Gold. These certifications comply with CDPH v1.2 to help identify products and materials that improve indoor air quality with low VOC emissions.
Cleaning and Disinfecting
All shade cloths are designed for cleanability, using soap and water, and disinfecting, with hydrogen peroxide. Third-party testing ensures that product quality and durability will not be compromised even in the most rigorous conditions.
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Work
As we return to the office setting, employees need to feel safe in their new environment.
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Touchless automated shading solutions in shared spaces reduce touchpoints and maximize daylight + views for optimal productivity
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Shade cloths that can be rigorously cleaned and disinfected support infection control
Learn
From nursery school to higher-education, classroom spaces need to be optimized for mental health and productive learning.
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When classrooms maximize daylight availability and views with products like automated or motorized shades, there is a proven reduction in student stress and increased test-scores.
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Children are one of the most vulnerable populations and it is critical to reduce their exposure to hazardous chemicals. Cradle to Cradle certified shade cloths and systems help schools remain a safe and healthy environment.
Heal
Solar shade solutions are a critical part of ensuring a healing environment for patients and a productive work environment for staff.
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Acoustics is one of the biggest barriers for healing in a healthcare environment. The WHO declares 30-40 dB as ideal for patient rooms. Ultra-quiet solar shades ensure that as the motors raise and lower, it will not cause disruption to patient care.
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Increased access to daylight and views is associated with faster recovery rates and reduced pain management. Daylight is the medicine, automated hospital-grade window shades provide the dose.
Stay
Hospitality will return for both leisure and business. When it does, people will want to stay in spaces that feel clean and healthy.
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Incorporating materials that are cleanable is imperative for the future of hospitality. Mecho’s shade cloths are designed for cleanability and disinfecting.
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Indoor Air Quality has long been important in hospitality spaces and has an impact on human cognition and productivity. All Mecho products are Greenguard Gold or Clean Air Gold certified.
Learn more about how Mecho Healthy Building Solutions can work for you
View our complete CEU course collections including LEED maintenance and Daylighting with Automated Shades courses. Watch online or register for in-person training.
Healthy Building CEUs
Making All Buildings Healthier
Part of our Healthy Building Webinar Series. Join us for a discussion on how perspectives on health and wellness can inform and enrich all forms of sustainable design practice.
View Webinar
The Role Of Daylight In Our New Normal
Part of Mecho's Healthy Building Webinar Series. This video will cover several key categories of Mecho's sustainable building products and materials.
View Webinar