What is a sustainable building? We know it must be an energy-efficient, high-performance building and emit as little carbon as possible to protect the environment. But a sustainable building must also be a healthy building that protects people and communities.
A building can’t be considered sustainable if it doesn’t sustain the physical and mental health of all its intended occupants and sustain the community around it.
Healthy buildings require a holistic approach that accounts for how every building material, system, and technology affects the wellbeing of occupants.
This is an important topic at SWA, so we asked our interns to explore it! They talked to our experienced building systems, sustainability, and Passive House consultants and put together this blog post as a resource on designing and maintaining a healthy built environment.
Keep reading to learn more about the following considerations for healthy buildings:
- Occupant comfort and productivity
- Optimal indoor air quality (IAQ)
- Ventilation system upgrades in existing buildings
- Healthy building certifications (Fitwel, WELL, etc.)
- Building operations and maintenance staff training