Case Studies
Hotel Case Studies
This is a set of case studies surrounding mold assessments in hotels. There are three separate cases in this report.
Crisis Management
Fear of the unknown and health effects related to possible occupant exposure to airborne asbestos particles during a planned four year extensive, staged occupancy renovation of an organization’s headquarters building presented a crisis situation.
Decommissioning for Sustainable, Idle Building Operation
Increased commercial tenant vacancies caused by the prevailing economic hardships have led to tough decisions for sustainable and efficient building operation.
Medical Interviews Compliment Building Diagnostics
Critical to the retention of quality tenants is the level of service and responsiveness provided by the property manager. Indoor environmental and air quality issues can test the relationships among building owners, management, staff and occupants.
Congressionally-Mandated Epidemiological Study
For many years, National Security Agency employees at the Fort Meade complex had reported discomfort and health symptoms which were difficult to correlate with specific illnesses or building elements. Lack of resolution, plus the vital national mission served by NSA, led to a Congressional mandate to determine whether building conditions at the Campus were causing employee illnesses.
Root Cause Investigation
In a low profile, highly-secure facility, BHS performed a root cause investigation into the existing conditions, activities, multiple HVAC systems and circumstances which may have contributed to fungal growth in the sound-lined return air ductwork systems and overall undesirable indoor environmental and air quality.
Indoor Environmental and Air Quality Planning
A high profile, publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT), was focused on strategic customer relationships and very specialized, demanding tenants in approximately 200 buildings, with over 16,000,000 square feet. Recognizing the need for...
Residential Crawlspaces
Residential crawlspaces are one of the most complicated, dynamic and geographically-influenced assemblies in residential construction. In addition, they are intimately associated with the indoor living environment’s performance. However the ...
Water Damage in Self-Storage Facility
BHS experts were engaged by a sprinkler contractor to investigate water damage consequences and to develop alternative liability theories.
Crisis Management & Risk Communication
Mold amplification appeared across 300 newly constructed homes in a subdivision where the escalating value of homes was creating tremendous gains in homeowner equity. Interesti...
Mold in Senior Living Facility
A newly constructed three story senior living facility with 150 rooms developed visible mold amplification in a few of the initially occupied units
Mold Growth in Assisted Living Facility
Following the flooding of an assisted-living facility, significant mold growth, Stachybotrys included, resulted. Decisions had to be made about the occupants, their accommodations and their possessions with respect to the extent of remediation req...
"Toxic Mold" or Just Construction Dust?
An atopic (one with multiple environmental allergies) instructor reported asthma-like symptoms when working in his classroom. He complained of "toxic mold" in his classroom and formaldehyde off-gassing from furniture as the cause of his problems. ...
Medical Communication Prevents Aspergillus Panic in School
A child developed bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (a serious mold-induced lung disorder). When the school was found to have some Aspergillus contamination, the parents and faculty panicked, certain that the school was the source of the child’s il...
Another Unlikely Source of a Nuisance Odor
A building owner was faced with a nagging problem of a localized odor on one floor of a high-rise office building housing a major, long term tenant who occupied the entire facility. After a thorough, but unproductive, investigati...
The Unlikely Nuisance Odor Source
During the work activities for a well-managed, off-hours, highly-publicized, ductwork sound liner remediation program in an office building, an odor caused an early morning panic among the arriving employees which rapidly escalat...