Air quality is top of mind for office owners and tenants

As we have learned more about how the novel coronavirus spreads, health and safety precautions have achieved more clarity. Air purification, and air quality in general, for example, is of prime importance — and that may mean expectations for building retrofits and tenant preferences for newer buildings.

“Air quality is going to be huge,” says Kirsten Beck, principal and vice president – project management at Avison Young. Regarding shared air, “savvy tenants are asking about that,” says Beck.

“Air quality is top of mind,” agrees Jeff Eckert, president of U.S. agency leasing at JLL. He says occupiers are asking about systems, testing and upgrades, and want to know what the landlord is doing with respect to air purification.

Both tenants and owners need to consider air quality and filtration. There is a trade-off, however, in that better filters require more power to push air through them, which means energy costs increase. Other elements include u