While most indoor spaces have a thermostat indicating the indoor temperature, relatively few have air quality sensors and the means to display the information. This lack of information about the quality of indoor air makes it challenging to know whether the air in a particular indoor space is safer than the outdoor air. To address this gap in information and to improve public confidence in public safer air spaces, the Gonzaga Climate Institute and its partners in the Gonzaga School of Engineering and Applied Sciences created a real-time air quality dashboard to visualize and compare the indoor and outdoor air quality at a site.
Trends in air quality in the Spokane region
While annual ambient air pollution levels have been in decline across many regions of the US, the Northwest has seen worsening air quality as a result of wildfire activity. Wildfire season has grown in length and severity in the western United States due to decades of fire suppression and climate change. Spokane and Spokane Valley residents are particularly impacted by air pollution, including PM2.5 contributions from wildfire smoke. The area has recently been identified as one of 16 communities in Washington State considered to be overburdened by air pollution.1 Comparing the period from 2000-2014 to 2015-2024, there has been a 353% increase in the average number of days with unhealthy air quality (AQI greater than 100).2
Developing the dashboards
The goal of the dashboards created in this project was to display real-time, local air quality information in public community centers that serve as cleaner air centers during wildfire events. By making air quality conditions visible and easy to understand, these dashboards should help individuals and families make informed decisions about staying indoors, limiting activity, or seeking filtered air environments.
To make the air quality data accessible and engaging, our team designed and built visual “dashboards” consisting of a Raspberry Pi microcomputer connected to a 15.6” display, all housed in a secure and durable enclosure. The display units are mounted using custom 3D-printed brackets, designed and fabricated in Gonzaga’s Maker Space. These mounts are printed from high-strength “tough PLA” filament and include acrylic face shields (etched with the Gonzaga logo).
Because every installation site had different wall materials, room layouts, and public access patterns, flexible mounting systems and power solutions were needed. Some walls required concrete anchors, while others worked with standard drywall fasteners. The specific power supplies and cabling used were selected to ensure they could reliably supply both the Pi and monitor and still fit within lockable outlet covers to avoid disruption from accidental unplugging or tampering.
All systems were fully assembled and tested on campus before installation to make sure each component worked as expected — including WiFi connectivity, power stability, and live data display — helping ensure a smooth experience for the public once installed.
How does the dashboard work?
Each dashboard unit was designed to display real-time air quality conditions at a specific location. As such, each system is connected to two nearby PurpleAir sensors, one installed inside and one outside each community center. Indoor sensors were mounted at breathing height in high-use spaces like entryways, gyms, and hallways, where they reflect the air quality people are actually experiencing. Outdoor sensors were installed high enough to avoid tampering but low enough to capture representative data, while being positioned for good airflow and reliable wireless connectivity.The dashboards retrieve this sensor data through a secure internet connection and display it using a simplified color-coded interface based on EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) guidelines. Users can see not only the current air quality but also how conditions have changed over the past several hours or days.
By providing easy-to-understand, real-time data, these systems turn scientific monitoring into a practical tool for public health and resilience.
Dashboard Locations*
- Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment
- Dr. Marc Baumgartner's Office, Bollier Center, Gonzaga University
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center
- West Central Community Center
- Northeast Community Center
- Carl Maxey Center
(*Last updated June 2025)
Acknowledgements
This project was made possible by the Smoke Ready Spokane initiative, with funding provided by Environmental Protection Agency grant number 84075201. This initiative is led by the Gonzaga Climate Institute in collaboration with the following partners:
- Dr. Marc Baumgartner, Gonzaga University Professor of Mechanical Engineering
- Dr. Aaron Crandall, Gonzaga University Associate Professor of Computer Science (now at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Germany)
Questions?
Contact ClimateInstitute@gonzaga.edu
1Washington State Department of Ecology. Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities Highly
Impacted by Air Pollution [Internet]. Olympia, Washington; 2023 Dec. Available from:
https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/documents/2302115.pdf
2Based on an analysis of data provided by Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. Message to: Henning, B. G. 2025.