The focus of this review is on natural ventilation strategies and systems, highlighting design features and associated research. It outlines relevant papers dealing with: the main elements of natural ventilation research; the fundamental equations, driving forces and associated factors; the design and utilisation of windows, purpose provided openings, passive stacks and advances natural systems, with any design guidance where applicable; and case studies showing where such systems can be effectively installed, e.g. industrial buildings and libraries.

A "fungal index" is proposed as a new climate parameter for the characterization of the indoor environment. The index quantifies the environmental conditions in relation to the ability of fungi to grow by means of the response of a xerophilic fungus Eurotium herbarioriun. The growth response of this fungus was found to be climate-dependent. The indoor environment in a residential building in Japan (1991-1992) was quantitatively assessed by this approach. In the assessment, the variation in microclimate, which differs greatly within and between rooms, could be demonstrated.

A field experiment evaluated the effect of a furniture-integrated breathing-zone filtration (BZF) system on indoor air quality, worker comfort, health, and productivity. The BZF system tested filters office air to remove volatile organic compounds and airborne particulates. The BZF system was installed on one floor of a 29 story air-conditioned office building. Another floor of the building served as a control.

In this paper the use of a thin adsorbent sheet composed of activated carbon particles to purify indoor air is modelled. A loose sheet with high porosity appears more effective than a dense one. The carbon sheet can be replaced by a fresh sheet after a certain period of use, thus keeping the volatile organic compound (VOC) level low in the remaining years. The model has been used to predict the optimal replacement time. Binary VOCs are modelled.