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Last month we talked about mould in ductwork – a big problem in the US, that might just find its way over here – and now it is classroom design that tops both agendas.

A recent study carried out by the US government showed that 20% of schools suffer from poor indoor air quality and 36% were considered to have 'less than adequate' heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.

The US Department of Energy also studied the impact of humidity control and ventilation in ten Georgia schools. The research revealed some schools had relative humidity levels exceeding 70% at least some of the time, with ventilation rates as low as 5 ft³ per student.

ASHRAE's Standard 62 (Indoor Air Quality) recommends 15 ft³ per person of outdoor air for school classrooms and that indoor spaces should be maintained between 30% and 60% relative humidity. While many facilities are designed in accordance with the standard, actually maintaining them at the right levels can be a problem for facilities managers. But it is clearly worth it, as average absenteeism was reported to be 9% lower for schools that maintain ASHRAE recommended ventilation rates.

In the UK classroom air quality is equally important, but noise levels are also creating serious concern. From this July, consultants will face a legal obligation to integrate acoustic measures into all new and refurbished school buildings.

Acoustic design criteria are now part of the revised ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Regulations, and the publication of ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Bulletin 93 (BB93): Acoustic design of schools on 1 July triggers greater responsibility for designers.

Research carried out by South Bank University and the Institute of Education revealed that background noise in classrooms was having an even more serious effect on the health of pupils and teachers than previously thought and that noise pollution in UK schools is far above World Health Organisation guidelines.

Long-term memory, reading ability and attention span are all affected and the research also established a link between noise levels and poor results in SATs.

"Acoustic design is often given a low priority by designers, contractors and their clients," said Bridget Shield, professor of acoustics at South Bank University. "But from July they will have to address this issue.

"If the budget on a project is cut, it is often the acoustic elements that are the first things to go," she told a meeting of the CIBSE/ASHRAE Group at the university. "Most people now accept that it is important, but argue they can't afford to do it. Yet millions of pounds are spent on getting the acoustics right in concert halls, but isn't the education of our children more important?"

Recruiting and retaining young building services engineers is another area which concerns members of the US profession as much as their counterparts in the UK.

"Lots of people drift away from the industry – they lose their way and they lose the spirit of building services. It's our job to make sure they don't," said an organiser of student events during the society's annual Winter Meeting earlier this year in Chicago.

ASHRAE president Don Colliver, who is preparing to hand the presidency over to Richard Rooley at this month's society annual meeting in Kansas City, has spent much of his time in office promoting the industry to a new generation of potential engineers.

"People spend 95% of their time indoors, and there aren't many people who have the chance to work in a profession that has so much influence on the quality of people's lives," he told an audience in Chicago.

"There will always be a market for engineers, and there will always be hvacr plant – so the prospects for young people considering this profession are very good right now."

For those visiting the conference in September there will doubtless be a lot of common ground, and many ideas on solving engineering problems to share.