Healthy Buildings

Abstract

I wrote this some time ago, as a research document to be part of the rewrite of Mitchells Construction, It got pulled apart a little to save on the word count, but remained true, I hope, to its main theme, of “Some building just do not like us”

As always please use this to create your own notes and thoughts on the subject, as part of your knowledgebase, please export to markdown and add freely notes and ideas, link to photos even a sound clip.

Healthy Buildings

The effects of a building on the human or animal occupancy is often not part of a design, In this article, I look at the effects of design and specification on the well being of the occupant both internal and externally. We will look at the effect of various materials we use, and the effects of those materials on the occupants of the building, looking at smell, sight, sound, Colour, and physical touch, or as Pat Thomas put it the exposure to a multitude of environmental poisons. (Thomas, P., 2003. Living dangerously: are everyday toxins making you sick? Newleaf, Dublin.)

Sick Building Syndrome

It seems to be increasingly common, some people walk into a building, and after even a short period of time, they feel sick, uncomfortable, sluggish or just plain ill. Treatment, often involves both the occupant, and so often the building, Often good ventilation, plants, air filters local to the occupant[1]. Even the occupant being forced to leave the building permanently.

Manufacturers

Many manufacturing plants use a variety of chemicals to assist in the manufacture of a product, some remain bound into the product, a lot evaporate or change chemically,

Evaporation at point of manufacture is a danger to the operatives, and they should be made aware of the danger and provided with suitable breathing apparatus, exhausting to atmosphere by extract plant, need specific filters to remove these compounds.

Materials sold to the general public and trade, need specific information on the packaging or container, together with COSH sheets and Product data sheets. Many countries limit the levels of many VOC’s and other chemicals to thats thought of as safe levels. Not all countries agree on the same levels, so where ever you are, check the local law.

COSH Sheets

COSH or (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations sheets help to identify safe products.

Data Sheets

Often a little more detailed than COSH Sheets

VOC’s

Many products emit volatile organic compounds or VOC’s, most are not that friendly, most paints contain some VOC’s as a percent along with water and a host of other binders and anti foaming agents, that make the new products just as bad as the original paints.

Safe Levels

Trade organisations together with local standards such as the BSI in the UK or DIN in Germany publish standards to limit the use of many compounds

Local & International Standards

Many countries have specific standards generated via trade or more commonly independent test institutes, In the UK the British Standards Institute established in 1901 which later received its Royal Charter in 1929. BSI has a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Government, which establishes the position of BSI as the recognised UK National Standards Body.

The ISO or International Organisation for Standardisation help over 170 member countries to develop international standards from either original research, or existing country standards such as BSI British Standards Institute in the UK.

Local or international standards are often built into local law via Health and Safety laws or local building Regulations.

Ventilation

All buildings are made not just of natural materials, but a mix of natural and man made components, if we are lucky, we can keep it to a minimum. Glue, cement, stains, and paint. But inevitably modern cleaning compounds such as bleach, and a variety of chemicals to aid stain removal, or the smothering of smells, are used on a daily basis. Ventilation will reduce the chemical mix and so often the cause of the smell.

Paints

often used as an alternative to wall paper on walls, and on timber as an alternative to a natural finish. There are a host of paint companies that now produce environmentally friendly products to replace the toxic concoctions of the past, but its always wise to check both the tin, and any COSH sheet .

During the 1960s and 70s, paints contained many toxic elements, to either fill out the paint, or give some form of fire resistance, or even coverability. So often the cheaper the pain the worse the paint was.

Lead was often incorporated into paints, to aid drying, increase durability, and aid in a moisture resistant finish. Whilst not a VOC, its removal with a blow touch, released the lead, and often other compounds into the atmosphere as a vapour, to be breathed in by the workman. The alternative of using paint strippers such as Methyl Chloride stopped the release of the lead, but the liquid itself is often breathed in and is just as harmful.

Removing with sand or glass paper is seen as the safe method, but the resultant dust in just as harmful, a good quality mask with an over gown and gloves reduces the harmful dust intake to a minimum.

Stains

As an alternative to paint, stains are often used on timber to colour the timber’s natural pattern, and give some form o f weather resistance. Most are water or oil based. Water based products are mostly inert, the small amounts of natural dyes just need to evaporate, they can cause headaches or norsia,[2] but as usually quite safe, but better to be on the safe side and ventilate the wall when applying and allow plenty of drying time. Oil based products contain products such as alcohol, Formaldehyde, and other toxic products, all of which can be harmful, bust to check again the label and any COSH Sheet.

Sunlight

Sunlight does little to cover up, or remove odours, but its presence offers humans and animals alike a sense of well being, yet too much causes an overload of the body, from excess heat, and the effects of radiation on our skin. Many products fade in colour when exposed to sunlight over a period of time. Take a look at the wall when a painting is taken down, to see the difference in the wall that’s not seen daylight for a while to the rest of the wall.

Air quality

Air quality is often reduced by so many things, from emissions from so many materials, to natural emissions from humans themselves. We tend to use devices that emit pleasant chemical smell to cover or drown out these unwanted smell, when good ventilation is all thats required.

Plant or Holistic approach to modern indoor living

Some times called Biophilic design, its not merely adding plants to your indoor living space, its a whole philosophy of adding plants to both the indoor living space, your garden as an extension, and if you living in a flat with a balcony, the extension of greenery with small trees, bushes and plants (Bioliving by Design [WWW Document], n.d. . Bioliving by Design. URL [https://www.biolivingbydesign.com.au](https://www.biolivingbydesign.com.au) (accessed 7.8.24). )

Design

A badly designed building can often have a mental and physical impact on humans, small rooms with little or no window space, low ceilings, are so often claustrophobic.

Colour

Colour is so often seen as a very individual experience on occupants, one colour might be a calming component, on one individual, yet cause anxiety in another. Plus the paints chemical makeup, so often emits vapour that might be unseen, but could be the root cause, not the colour.

Emissions from equipment

This whole area of emissions is a mine field of unwanted chemical releases, from manufacturers products, used for often good reasons in manufacture, and application, but continue to be released long after its application of use.

Waste Removal

Often not thought of at the design stage, is the removal of old paint or similar surfaces, particularly in refurbishment work, where old lead based paint is removed and just bagged for the local tip, consisting of not only the old paint, but often some pretty aggressive chemicals to aid the stripping process.

Heating methods

Heating for many homes comes from a variety of sources, from coal or timber fires to open gas fires to enclosed combustion units distributing the heat via hot air, or water in pipes, or even wires embedded just below the surface.

Use

One ideal does not fit all, so often a fix for one problem may affect no one in the immediate vicinity but a visitor can easily be affected.

Multi use or occupancy buildings such as hotels or offices are often the cause of so many people feeling unwell.

People

There is an old saying,”there’s nothing more fickle than folk” age might be to blame for this quote, but the young may not be affected by a multitude of chemical attacks, and go about their daily lives, blissfully unaware that older people may be suffering.

Occupation

Homes are not the only cause neither can hotels or offices, but a person’s occupation may be the route cause of feeling unwell, from being in a building that you may never have been in before, and come out feeling unwell, this may be the first time you have been exposed to certain stimuli that the main occupants has some immunity or just got used to it.

Cleaning

Often a building is cleaned by either its owner occupier or a staff of cleaners, the use of cleaning products is never specified by the designer of the building., leaving it up to the staff or home owner to choose products based so often on personal choice, cost, or medical recommendations. Most if not all cleaning products are well regulated by law. However some materials used such as bespoke finishes, need very specific cleaning. In such cases trials on a small area should be conducted to test compatibility effective cleaning and the emissions.

Large commercial buildings often use automated cleaning machines, again these might not be compatible with some materials and tests conducted to the machines suitability.

Pets

We are a nation of pet lovers and often live with one or more pets, from their close contacts we are exposed to so many different ailments from flees, to many diseases that might not affect humans, but do have an impact, yet the calming effect of a pet, is often a main reason we overlook the other problems.

Alternatives

It’s not hard to find alternative paints or other finishes together with other building products or methods. Good research and tight specification of products will help to eliminate none compatible products. But so often even small changes in fixing or application can change the environment, good site education, inspection and control can often eliminate these changes.

Feng Shui

I have no idea if this works of not, but its not to be discounted, a lot of people spend a lot of money using this age old method of harmony, I can see why when you enter a building thats had this applied to it, there is a calmness.

Smart homes

The age of the smart home and so many different sensors now available can and will help us to limit many of these so-called bio hazards in homes, and commercial buildings. Tracking changes, air quality and many other often specific compounds.

Maintenance can easily track these via specific sensors, or linking a building back to the designer with a Digital Twin CAD model.

Todays photo

Well thats Tango, my Flat Coated Retriever, if you live with a dog, there is no getting away from the hair, mud and toys, plus Poop.

Bibliography

1. Living Dangerously - Are Everyday Toxins making you feel sick - Pat Thomas

2. Natural Building - Tom Woolley (chapter 9 page 193

Further Reading

3. Design A Healthy Home: 100 Ways to Transform Your Space for Physical and Mental Wellbeing - Oliver Heath

4. Building Biology - Nurgül Ece

5. How Buildings Learn - Stewart Brand

6. Green Building Handbook - Tom Woolley

7. Natural Building - Tom Wooley

8. Natural Building Techniques - Tom Woolley

9. Curated Decay - Caitlin Desilvey

Academic papers not listed

Finnegan, M.J., Pickering, C.A. and Burge, P.S., 1984. The sick building syndrome: prevalence studies. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed), 289(6458), pp.1573-1575.

Apter, A., Bracker, A., Hodgson, M., Sidman, J. and Leung, W.Y., 1994. Epidemiology of the sick building syndrome. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 94(2), pp.277-288.

Joshi, S.M., 2008. The sick building syndrome. Indian journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 12(2), pp.61-64.

Burge, S., Hedge, A., Wilson, S., Bass, J.H. and Robertson, A., 1987. Sick building syndrome: a study of 4373 office workers. The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 31(4A), pp.493-504.

Key words

Healthy Buildings, Sick Building Syndrome, Indor Environment, Well-Being, Sustainability, Building Design, Building Occupants, Manufacturing,