From Feng Shui to sick building syndrome,
we are interested increasingly in whether buildings can affect our health.
Experts have now linked the increased use of synthetic materials, chemicals,
and levels of toxins in our built environment to specific cancers, allergies
and respiratory diseases such as asthma. Paints, carpets and wood treatments
can all lead to unwelcome exposure to foreign chemicals and particles. Poor
design of buildings has also led to increased reliance on artificial light and
poor natural ventilation. In some areas poor building design can mean that
people can be exposed to radon gas. We now realise that large numbers of people
are being affected, costing the national economy dear.
In addition, manufacturing processes
involved in the chemical industry often lead to undesirable pollution or are
very reliant upon fossil fuels, creating more damage to the environment and to
people’s health. Given the cost of clearing up and compensation, seeking
sustainable alternatives makes good sense all round. A more intelligent
approach to designing, living and working in buildings is to use materials and
methods that we know are safe, which do not pollute and destroy our environment,
and for us all to remember that the true environmental and health costs are not
on the price tag. Alternative products and building techniques like this are on
hand and we can bring them to bear by asking the right questions:
- Does the design show how a healthy indoor environment
will be maintained for the occupants? To what level of detail? For example, can
the occupants access fresh air and natural daylight, can they control the
temperature and humidity, simply without overcomplicated controls?
- Are materials specified, and can you ensure they will
not have health hazards associated with them? (eg formaldehyde in processed
wood products, pesticides in carpets)
- Have you considered whether future occupants might have
specific health problems associated with allergies, respiratory disease,
chemical sensitivities, physical needs, exposure to radon gas etc?
- Have potential emissions from the development been
assessed for their potential harm to human health and to animals and plants?
- Have monitoring and preventative measures been put in place?
- Better places to live and work
- Accessibility to all buildings by all people
- Buildings that users can control simply
- Reduced sickness and time off due to sick building syndrome
- Reduced pollution to our environment
- Reduced occurrences of allergies and asthma related problems
- Wessex Water - New Operations Centre, Bath
- Association for Environment Conscious Building 01559 370908,
website www.aecb.net
- Centre for Alternative Technology Tel: 01654 702400
www.cat.org.uk
- Pesticide Action Network Tel: 020 7274 8895 www.pan-uk.org
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