Kailash Viswanathan
Username
Kailash Viswanathan
Proposer First Name
Kailash
Proposer Email
kviswanathan@consigli.com
Proposer Last Name
Viswanathan
Proposer Job Title
Director of Energy
Proposer Additional Info
Passionate about healthy buildings while driving a low carbon infrastructure
Proposed Session Description
With the majority of our time spent indoors—in homes, offices, hospitals, hotels, and educational and recreational facilities—we should feel confident that these spaces and buildings are healthy and efficient with regard to air quality, thermal health, moisture control and more.
Healthy buildings with well-functioning infrastructure are a priority: at no time in history have we found this to be truer, given the COVID-19 pandemic and how the disease spreads. We have to think logically, investing upstream, i.e. healthy buildings with low carbon infrastructure has a huge impact downstream. Return on Investment has to be measured, but not only in dollars, but also with the impact one can create on our kids, students and employees.
Why is this session important?
Healthy buildings benefit industries and institutions across all markets: office building owners and facilities managers can realize tangible reductions of maintenance and energy costs; users in healthy commercial buildings report decreased sick days, leading to increased productivity and satisfaction; and students study better and stay more alert with proper lighting and ventilation in schools. Investing in health, infrastructure and proper building controls benefits our population, economy and way of life now and in the future, especially with the possibility of future health emergencies.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
A lot of schools in low income neighborhoods and large cities cannot study in the right environments. How are we expecting them to be the future leaders if they are not provided with the learning environment they deserve. This session will address that topic and the speakers and the company we represent take this very seriously.
Learning Objectives
Be able to communicate the effectiveness of healthy buildings and its impact
Have a tool that they will be able to show to their peers and managers to justify why this is important
Understand the best way to evaluate the health of their building
Learn about thinking how to make infrastructure changes as a whole than in parts and be resilient
Has this session been presented before?
No
NYC 2021 Areas of Focus
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 2 - Some prior knowledge helpful.
Session Format
Interview or structured conversation among panelists
Workshop or skill-building session
Recommended Length
60-minute session
Strongest Content Connection - NYC 2021
Comments about your speaker roster
Steve is a Certified Passive House Consultant and a WELL Faculty Member and we share the same passion on High Performance Buildings
Anything else you'd like to tell us about your session proposal?
We have to change. We have to invest in healthy buildings, not just emission reductions. We have to think about the future of our kids and employees and the environment they will be in.
Reviewer 1
Bayer, Sara
Proposal #
144
Committee Decision
Rejected