McQuade takes healthy buildings as presidential theme

USA: Bill McQuade, Baltimore Aircoil’s vice president for government affairs and global sustainability, has been installed as the 2025-26 president of ASHRAE. 

In his inaugural presidential address, McQuade introduced Healthy Buildings: Designing For Life as the theme for the 2025-26 society year. The theme emphasises the critical role of indoor environmental quality in reducing environmental impacts to the built environment while supporting healthier, more resilient communities.

“Today, shelter is more than just a roof over one’s head,” said McQuade. “Shelter encompasses the hospitals we are born in, the homes where we find comfort, the schools where we learn, and the buildings we work in. A well-designed shelter prioritises indoor environmental quality, ensuring good air quality, proper lighting, thermal comfort, acoustics and access to safe water, all essential for health and comfort. Providing safe, stable, and sustainable shelter is not just a basic human need, it is a fundamental pillar of societal advancement and long-term development.”