Notes on Building Health and Environmental Design

Introduction

• Focus on strategies to improve lives of people inside buildings.
• Discussing air quality and factors affecting it in our classroom.

Key Concepts of Green Buildings

• Business Case for Green Buildings:
  • Tenants benefit more in green buildings than non-green buildings.
  • Benefits include:
    • Lower energy costs
    • Reduced environmental damages
    • Increased employee productivity, health, and comfort.
• Market Dynamics:
  • Exploration of whether market conditions support these theories.
  • Different regions may have varying degrees of appreciation for green buildings.
• Historical Context of Green Building Certification:
  • Early focus on energy saving in response to the 1970s energy crisis.
  • Increasing emphasis on health and well-being.
  • Expansion of certification standards to prioritize health post-COVID-19.

Health Impacts of Buildings

• Studies on Sick Days and Health:
  • Research indicates healthier buildings correlate with fewer sick days.
  • Harvard School of Public Health is conducting relevant studies on the impact of buildings on human health.

Importance of Indoor Air Quality

• Historical Issues:
  • Issues from the 1970s/80s led to "Sick Building Syndrome" due to poor air quality.
  • Lower ventilation rates historically used to save energy led to compromises in air quality.
• Current Guidelines:
  • WHO data indicates high levels of air pollution leading to serious health risks.
  • Need for buildings to filter outdoor air effectively to reduce exposure pollutants (e.g., from transportation).

Environmental Threats to Health

• Air Quality Monitoring:
  • Use of sensors to monitor air quality in real-time.
• Temperature Control:
  • Buildings help manage heat exposure and cold discomfort.
• Designing Healthy Buildings:
  • Concepts of building creating environments better than external conditions.
  • Importance of facilities promoting movement and air quality management.

Building Design Insights

• Indoor Environment Factors:
  • Majority of time spent indoors affects temperature, light, and overall well-being.
  • Statistical Insight:
    • 5% population lives in unhealthy housing; the situation worsens in low-income renters.
• Investment in Healthier Spaces:
  • Consideration of health implications of investment strategies for building technologies will yield significant returns.

Financial Implications of Building Health Investments

• Healthcare Spending:
  • Healthcare spending in various countries is substantial, underlining the importance of healthy environments.
  • Costs associated with unhealthy workers and sick building syndrome can be significant.

The Role of Market Trends in Healthy Buildings

• Investor Outlook:
  • Connection between employee health and corporate spending.
  • 10% of GDP in the U.S. is tied to healthcare, implicating large financial balance sheet impacts from health-determinant buildings.

Key Factors for Building Impact Assessment

• Exposure and Concentration Understanding:
  • Importance of evaluating both exposure levels and harmful concentrations when assessing health benefits of building investment.
• Conducting Studies:
  • Utilization of research techniques to observe impacts of ventilation and air quality on health, cognitive performance, and productivity.

Summary

• Longitudinal studies can substantiate the connection between healthy buildings and lower healthcare costs, absenteeism, sustainability, rent pricing, and ultimately the overall market valuation.

Questions for Further Discussion

• Insights into ventilation effects, lighting, ergonomics, and sustainable materials in building design.
• Understanding market decisions regarding public and private sector adaptations to health-focused investments.