The idea that our built environments can negatively impact human health isn’t a new one – the link between toxic conventional building materials and respiratory complaints is one such well-known impact. But can building green make a positive impact on our health? And can it be a part of a holistic wellness plan, in the way that eating right, exercising, having a vision or hearing test and being attentive to our mental health can do?
We think so, and we’re not alone. Here’s some research to back us up.
Location, Location, Location
Location is a critical part of sustainable building. Although the questions are complex, debates around whether it’s more environmentally sound to build in an urban or a suburban location, tend to come down on the side of urban building. Urban building is less destructive to intact ecosystems, uses fewer resources (connecting homes to water and sewage infrastructure, for example) and creates fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
It also gives people more opportunities to make lifestyle choices that lower their carbon footprint, like using public transportation, living in a smaller home or walking to work or school.
Choices that are good for the environment tend to also be choices that are good for human health. The City of Toronto explains that where we live also has “a significant impact on human health because it can influence people’s levels of physical activity, the safety of travel, the quality of outdoor air” and a host of other factors that demonstrate that environmental benefits go hand in hand with positive health outlooks.
As we well know, the environment hasn’t historically been prioritized in the planning of urban spaces. Eco-friendly planning, however, can skew health factors in our favour. The City of Toronto cites green infrastructure such as parks, green spaces, trails, bike lanes and public transit access as specific elements that contribute positively to human health, while the lack of that infrastructure increases the risks of chronic “illness and injury,” particularly in low-income communities.
Biophilic Design
Get the Green Building Project Checklist
Use this handy checklist on your next project to keep track of all the ways you can make your home more energy-efficient and sustainable.
Biophilia is a term that literally means a love of life. As it’s been used by architects, designers, philosophers and scientists across disciplines, it’s come to refer to our connections with natural environments as a whole and to the ways humans are drawn to nature.
Biophilic design approaches building with the goal of integrating natural forms, features, materials, textures and patterns into human-built spaces in sustained ways that (re)connect humans and the non-human environment.
A 2014 report argues that biophilic design has great potential to improve not just our physical health, but our cognitive and psychological health, as well. The authors explain that natural environments produce “greater emotional restoration, with lower instances of tension, anxiety, anger, fatigue, confusion and total mood disturbance;” effects which biophilic design seeks to replicate by bringing features of the natural world indoors.
The connections between immersion in nature and improved health outcomes are well-documented. Roger Ulrich’s seminal 1984 study on window views found that patients recovering from gallbladder surgery used less pain medication and were released from hospital earlier when they had a view of “a natural scene” from their window, as compared to patients whose windows faced a brick wall.
Copious evidence tells us that being in green spaces lowers our cortisol levels, increases our senses of positivity and self-esteem, improves cognitive function, reduces anxiety and alleviates symptoms of depression.
When we add to that the number of physical issues that tend to be improved when our mental health is in a positive state (symptoms like high blood pressure, muscle tension and headaches, to start), it makes a good case for building with natural materials and designs that foster a sense of connection to nature.
The Air We Breathe
Indoor air quality (IAQ) has an enormous and direct impact on human health, for good or bad. As we suggested at the start, IAQ can be negatively impacted by indoor air pollution generated by toxic chemicals used in conventional building finishings and furnishings.
These toxic chemicals can be hard to avoid. VOCs, benzene, formaldehyde and phthalates, to mention just a few, are typical to find in everything from flooring to countertops to furniture to sealants. These chemicals don’t stay where they’re put, however – they off-gas, polluting our indoor spaces.
A 2018 study in the Annual Review of Public Health explains that poor IAQ “has been associated with both acute effects such as asthma, fatigue, irritation and headache, as well as chronic effects such as cancer, depending on the pollutant, pollutant concentration and exposure duration.”
Prioritizing IAQ is a core feature of green building. Making use of non-toxic building materials and improving ventilation can reduce or even eliminate many sources of indoor air pollution, leading to better health for building occupants.
2017 research has shown that cognitive function was 61 percent better for people working in green building conditions than in conventional buildings with typical levels of indoor air pollution. Those in green buildings also reported 30 percent fewer “sick building symptoms” (i.e. headache, dizziness, nausea, skin or other physical irritations, which are often reported by people living or working in buildings). They also slept better.
The Big Picture
Finally, if we turn our attention to the larger picture, we can imagine how building green might contribute to better health outlooks for more people than just the ones who will live or work in the building itself.
Buildings are responsible for 18 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions (when including electricity-related emissions). Green building practices are aimed at reducing energy, resource and water consumption, as well as the waste associated with the industry. The spin-off effects of these practices, from lowering carbon emissions to more responsible harvesting of resources to protecting natural habitats and biodiversity, make for a healthier planet for all of us.
Read more about this topic in our Green Building Guide to Indoor Environmental Quality»
Feature image: Defleur Magali; Image 1: Pixabay
