# IEQ

Australians spend on average 90 percent of their time indoors, therefore the quality of the indoor environment is vital to our health and wellbeing. Building design and material choices impact on indoor environment quality and are considered during the early design stages, making IEQ a core category of the BESS tool. Design for IEQ will also deliver other benefits such as reduced energy use for heating, cooling and lighting.

In the IEQ category, BESS includes actions regarding daylight, ventilation, solar access and thermal comfort. Information required and points available are dependent on type and scale of the project. IEQ considerations that are not captured in BESS but are also important include:

Acoustic privacy
External views
Air quality
Toxicity of materials, e.g. Low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, sealants and adhesives

# DtS Method

For multi unit residential developments, you can opt to use the DtS method for IEQ credits 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3. You must satisfy all the DtS criteria to achieve these credits.

To satisfy the DtS requirements, your building must comply with the requirements of the building separation tables.