Energy efficiency in green buildings to reduce energy waste

what is energy efficient architecture? Read on to discover these green building approaches examples

Energy consumption in green buildings and energy solutions to reduce energy consumption

Improve energy performance for a more sustainable future

Buildings and the real estate industry in general contribute around 30% of total global energy consumption, making them a vital consideration in the push for a green energy transition away from fossil fuel dependency.

Energy efficient buildings are, like electric and eventually hydrogen-powered cars, a necessary step for the future of our planet, not least due to the ongoing process of urbanization which will see an estimated 70% of the world’s population living in cities by 2050 (Bratman). 

Green buildings new construction

Key factors to consider in building energy efficiency include building orientation and its footprint but there we step into the realm of site planning and selection, architecture and engineering. Beyond new construction then, how can we as green building consultants help in the refurbishment of our existing buildings - a fundamentally more energy efficient and sustainable approach? 

Green buildings refurbishment

Overarching strategies in a refurb project include reducing energy demand, increasing source efficiency, and tracking the live energy use of the building. Together these provide the building blocks of energy efficient refurbished buildings. The ideal goal of course being net zero or net positive buildings.

Specifically, demand can be reduced through strategies such as passive design and green roofs. Energy source efficiency can involve implementing energy efficient lighting, efficient HVAC (air con ventilation) and elevator systems, as well as renewable energy production on site via solar panels on the roof, for example. 

energy efficient building solutions

With the incorporation of some or all of these energy reducing green building strategies, there is then a requirement for ongoing tracking and monitoring of progress in energy efficiency so that facilities management have a real time picture of the energy consumption patterns in the building.

Demand Reduction in green buildings

Demand reduction in sustainable green buildings involves strategies that reduce the upfront energy needs, lowering the amount of energy consumed and paving the way towards greater energy efficiency overall. Passive design as well as the implementation of green and cool roofs are several strategies to reduce energy demand. 

Passive Design in sustainable buildings - energy saving in construction

Passive design is a concept in which the sustainable building design works with local climate conditions to reduce the need for energy use.  Passive design includes strategies such as daylighting, natural ventilation, and passive heating, which all can reduce energy demand. This is all done in the building modeling phase of a new construction project.

The use of daylighting through windows, skylights and other openings can reduce the need for electrical lights. In addition, in hotter months, the use of daylighting can reduce cooling loads, as on average it produces less heat per unit of illumination than electric lights.

Natural ventilation utilizes outdoor air and winds to bring fresh air into a building. This can help regulate indoor air quality and appease the need for mechanical ventilation, as well as increasing thermal comfort through passive cooling. Most commonly, natural ventilation can be incorporated through the installation of operable windows. This strategy is dependent on the quality of the outdoor air available in the site in question, a factor that can vary by hour, day and season.

energy efficient buildings examples

In addition, solar energy can be used to reduce the need of heating, for example, direct solar gain - which provides places where the sun can enter a space directly - can help to heat a living area.

If paired with thermal mass structures, the sun can heat a mass such as a wall throughout the day and release this heat throughout the evening - a common strategy in traditional buildings in the Middle-East for example.

Green Roofs & Cool Roofs in Sustainable Buildings

Roofs are often an untapped resource in buildings, when in reality they have a lot of potential for energy demand reduction. Roofs are subject to the highest amount of solar irradiance across the entire building envelope (Costanzo).

Cool roofs utilize highly reflective coating such as white paint to increase reflectivity, while green roofs use vegetation as a cover to increase cooling capabilities of a building (Costanzo). 

Although there are pros and cons to green roofs and cool roofs, both reduce building cooling demand (Costanzo). Cool roofs have been found to lower the temperatures of roofs more than green roofs, but green roofs provide some insulation in cooler seasons. 

Green roofs provide additional benefits such as air purification and biophilia benefits if made accessible to building occupants. However, due to the maintenance factor of greenery, cool roofs are an easier practice to implement in terms of initial investment. 

Energy Efficiency Lighting  in Sustainable Buildings

A low hanging fruit of energy efficiency is to incorporate energy efficient lights such as LED bulbs. Generally, this is a very cheap intervention that can provide considerable energy savings. 

Such bulbs consume more than three times less than the energy used by fluorescents and less than a seventh of the energy used by incandescent bulbs. In addition, LEDs provide a higher lumen output, which increases safety and sight, they also have a much longer life span (Taddonio)

In addition to lighting replacements, other strategies such as motion sensors, dimmers and timers can be used to reduce energy and maintenance costs. Hallway lighting can be adjusted based on the time of day and natural light presence.

Desk and office lighting can be adjusted based on hours worked in office and dimmed or turned off when not necessary (“Managing”). These strategies can be very effective at reducing energy consumption, especially when combined.  

Efficient Machinery

Once demand reduction strategies have been implemented, the next step is to make sure that the appliances and machinery that are functioning within the building are as efficient as possible and are consuming less energy. For example, the HVAC systems, elevators, and other machinery within the building. 

HVAC systems generally run on a clock depending on the building use type. For example, an apartment building may need to be run on a 24-hour cycle, while an office building HVAC system can be shut off at night when no one is in the workplace to avoid excess energy use.

energy efficiency solutions

In addition, the systems themselves should be chosen based on those that are designed to consume less energy when in use. Various space types align better with different HVAC systems, so proper planning is required to make the most informed decisions. 

In addition to HVAC systems, other machinery such as elevators tend to be large energy consumers in buildings. It is important to install energy efficient lifts and elevators to avoid excess energy use. 

To aid with the decision-making process, there are various standards and resources. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program designates energy-efficient appliances that contain more high performing systems (“The Science”).

Renewable Energy Production in Green Buildings

In addition to incorporating energy efficient appliances and fixtures, the use of renewable energy and the potential to produce it onsite is a very effective green building strategy. Solar is the most common and easily applied renewable energy source on a building site. 

Panels are commonly placed on roofs and should be angled to best receive the sun, which varies depending on location and building orientation. However, newer technologies are providing ways that solar technology can be incorporated into facades, for example. 

When making sustainable solar energy decisions, it is important to consider location and feasibility of potential solar gain, as well as if there is enough area to install enough panels to provide an ample energy source - at the very least, a green building project team should consider wiring in the cables for future installation of solar panels on the roof during the refurb or construction process, even if funds are not immediately available to purchase them. 

Benchmarking, Tracking and Monitoring green building energy

Once a green building energy efficiency plan has been implemented, there is a need for building energy use monitors to track ongoing performance. Several third-party organizations such as ASHRAE, ANSI, and IESNA provide baselines; for example, ASHRAE 90.1-2010 is the energy efficiency standard. 

After a baseline is set and goals are made, a process known as commissioning is implemented. This process, as described in the LEED green building standard is the “process of verifying and documenting that a building/all of its systems are planned, designed, operated and maintained to meet the owners project requirements” (LEED).

This concept encourages projects to continue to operate according to the initial goals and monitor energy consumption to maintain desired efficiency levels.

The installation of sub-meters and automated building controls allow building operation managers to track energy costs and usage by area, as well as aiding the control of building wide energy use.

Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) are common systems that are used for monitoring and controlling building energy use.

Net + Energy in Green Buildings as a way to go beyond merely saving energy

The ultimate goal for us as sustainability consultants in real estate is to create Net Positive Energy buildings, meaning that more energy is created on site from renewable sources than is consumed by the building—therefore giving back rather than taking from energy sources.

In other words, going further than efforts to merely save energy or improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption in residential buildings, for example. Here we look to go much further than that.

Net Zero Energy buildings, a relatively more attainable yet nonetheless challenging goal, produce the same amount of energy on site as they consume, avoiding energy resource depletion with energy efficient equipment and so on.

To achieve that requires systems thinking, looking at a building in a joined-up manner, exploring how distinct elements of the system can work together to make a more efficient whole.

Sustainable Building, energy conservation and carbon emissions Sources used in this article

Bratman, Gregory, and Gretchen Daily. The Benefits of Nature Experience: Improved Affect and Cognition. Tech. Vol. 138. Stanford: n.p., 2015. Landscape and Urban Planning. Stanford University Libraries. Web. 24 Oct. 2016. 

“Building Energy Management Systems Bems.” Building Energy Management Systems BEMS - Designing Buildings, 27 Oct. 2021, https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Building_energy_management_systems_BEMS. 

Costanzo, V., et al. “Energy Savings in Buildings or UHI Mitigation? Comparison between Green Roofs and Cool Roofs.” Energy and Buildings, Elsevier, 12 May 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778815003527. 

 “Managing Energy Costs in Hospitals.” 2010.

O’Malley, Christopher, et al. “Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigating Strategies: A Case- Based Comparative Analysis.” Sustainable Cities and Society, Elsevier, 14 June 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210670715000657. 

Taddonio, Kristen. “Energy-Efficient Hospital Lighting Strategies Pay Off Quickly.” BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM, July 2011, commercialbuildings.energy.gov/hospital. 

“THE SCIENCE BEHIND HEALTHY HOMES: 25 FACTORS THAT IMPACT YOUR HOME.” Delos, 2020. 

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Further Reading

• The Secrets Of A Healthy Building

• Sustainable Green Building Water Use

• The Best New Green & Healthy Office Buildings In Barcelona, Spain

• The Role Of Rooftops In Healthy Sustainable Building Designs

• Sustainable Office Space - Make Your Office More Eco-Friendly

• Organic Building Materials And Their Benefits

• Introducing The World Green Building Council Health & Wellbeing Framework

• the secrets of a healthy building: ‍9 essential principles for optimal wellness and sustainability

• What Is Circular Economy In Regenerative Real Estate?

• Top Five Real Estate Developers Using Biophilia For Sustainability & Wellbeing

ESG Social Equity in Real Estate Development South Africa

social equity / urban regeneration / student accommodation / real estate development / ESG / our future cities

Welcome to episode 44 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we explore the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate. This time around we have more of an ESG social equity focus as we're talking to Rashiq Fataar, the Founding Director of Our Future Cities in South Africa. 

Rashiq works across disciplines, engaging with city planners, designers, researchers and anthropologists in the quest for promoting more sustainable and inclusive cities not just in South Africa where they are based, but increasingly around the African continent as a whole.

Our conversation covers the weight of South Africa's history of top-down oppression and how that impacted urban development during apartheid, the kind of tactical urban intervention that can turn a handful of parking bays into a parklet, the challenges of developing enough affordable housing, how concerns over safety can be baked into new precinct development plans from the start, examples of successful downtown regeneration in Durban by developers Urban Lime, and the student accommodation opportunity in neglected 1960s era buildings in central Cape Town and Durban in particular.

Social equity is one of the key components of a real estate ESG strategy covering Environmental, Social and Governance.

Rashiq is erudite, determined and fighting on the front line of city development so here he is.

Conversation highlights

we are only 25-26 years into a democratic society here in SA, which is very young, in terms of having these basic rights and freedoms, what we've inherited is an urban project which stems from economic, social and cultural injustice

if you took an aerial view of Cape Town city center, you took an aerial view of Johannesburg, Durban, they're not dense enough in terms of residential population to to be 24/7, walkable, vibrant spaces where restaurants, cafes, schools, and other services start to respond to that demand.

‘walkability’ - not just about having pavements But about sufficient levels of activity, enough destinations and of course decent lighting to make it safe - even the most well landscaped route won’t be used here at night if it's not safe.

Contact info

• Our Future Cities

• Rashiq Fataar / LinkedIn

• Urban Lime SA

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Citylift Foreshore Freeways, Cape Town, Our Future Cities

Full transcription follows:

MM: Rashiq, thanks for being with us on the show today. Great to you have great to have you as a guest.

I thought we could start with an initial introduction to the context in which you're working there in South Africa and the government's policy of black economic empowerment and how that's influencing the work you do around urban regeneration and development.

RF: Thanks, Matt. Great to be here. That's a very large question. But I suppose I'll start by giving some context.

I think in most parts of the world, they've obviously been difficult histories, whether it's Colombia or, or in the years, but Africa is a very particular history where I would say that, over about two to 300 years, there's been top down planning and oppression based on race, in particular, what we call persons of color, or black, African or colored in the South African context.

And so, whereas many cities and towns have developed gradually, and, you know, despite inequality or despite racism in South Africa, it is quite a scientific planning approach, so that all parts of urban life and City Living for the longest time was based on the ideal that the white population deserve space and ownership of land, and a good quality of life. And that everyone else needed to be far away, have less rights and have their movement and and who they marry where they live managed.

Introducing ESG social equity in real estate post-apartheid

According to the sort of ideal of separate development called apartheid, but ultimately that seeped into every aspect of life from the bus you used to the museums you could access to whether your culture could be expressed, or you could even protest.

And so I think that's the point to start with that we are only 25-26 years into a democratic society here in SA, which is very young, in terms of having these basic rights and freedoms, what we've inherited is an urban project which stems from economic, social and cultural injustice, on so many levels of people's psyche, and urban environment.

MM: Thank you for that intro. It's such an interesting topic. And so crucial, I think, for those of us working in this space, where, perhaps, certainly in Europe, that such things are almost taken for granted, that that shouldn't be the case. And yet, there are clearly examples for say, in the south of the US, for example, where similar things happening not that long ago.

And so today, in terms of a positive promotion as a way to rebalance that status quo as a way to empower and provide greater sense of social equity, like, how can your role, how can our future cities, as a business contribute to that and up to now, how have you been going about contributing to that that sort of generational transformation whereby cities are able to find a greater form of social equity for all groups, no matter what race they are coming from?

RF: Yeah, I think we've, we've always taken a quite a sort of pragmatic approach. The first is, you know, collaboration and cooperation with all sectors, so government, businesses, nonprofits, communities, individuals, which is quite difficult to suppose. I think there's the perception that to be on the side of, of people and communities and, and their prosperity, you have to be against government, and you have to be against business. And there are times that we are and we do advocate very clearly, and as an independent group, we do so. That's the first thing, I think it's sort of creative, but messy, tumultuous, and sometimes productive relationships, which are not perfect processes.

And then second, I think is just small steps to a better future. What can we do in the next year or two? Whether it's that's a tactical urbanism, can we take two parking bays away, provide free Wi Fi and a place to sit for those who can't afford coffee shops on high streets? Or can we study the culture in a particular neighborhood of migrants so that the public spaces start to reflect how they trade, how they live, and how they move around spaces? And in that particular case in the in the Bellville Town Center, which is about 20 kilometers from the Centre of Cape Town. Its priority people from across across the African diaspora, so Somalia, Ethiopia and so forth living there safely and in societies that are evolving.

So I think those two are quite key - finding ways to cooperate and taking small steps, be it policy or physical spaces, or getting conversations going, for example, in the affordable housing space.

inclusionary housing model, Our Future Cities, Cape Town

Affordable housing and ESG social equity in real estate

One of the biggest challenges we found, when we joined that field, through a conference we hosted was that developers had never sat in a room with nonprofits and government working in the affordable housing space.

So if you think of London, which has quite an established set of rules and guidelines around affordable housing, in South Africa, despite having some of the highest income inequality in the world, if not the highest in Cape Town and Johannesburg, they haven't sat around a table really to say, how do we make this policy work? What are the requirements and what is possible? So it's in its various sort of layers, I suppose that we do our work.

ESG Social equity in the public realm

MM: Okay, so I pick up on a couple of things, let's just dip back into the public realm discussion, because I think that's a really interesting piece there around how you, in a sense, give even a small slice of the city. And I presume we're talking about sort of downtown urban centers, back to those who perhaps as you say, I'm not in a position to spend the equivalent of 10 US dollars on a milky sweet coffee in a Starbucks equivalent, right. And so you're trying to create these small interventions now is that is that about bringing greenery back into the to the city is that about? Public furniture and safety are one of the main concerns and the drivers, when you're looking at an intervention like that?

RF: I think there's the ambition of the dream. And that is, you know, large amounts of affordable housing for lots of different incomes and groups, in or near the city center, you know, so lots of supply of housing, which, takes a long time, and it's been particularly slow in African inner cities, I think, for political reasons for lack of expertise.

That's the prize, the densities of Spain or elsewhere are based on lots of people living close together, and having quality spaces. So that's the prize. But I think the second, what you touched on was, is how do we provide a positive lived experience based on how somebody occupied space or how, or their sort of mobility needs, and the way we think about it is, as much as possible to have empathy and to understand the lived experience of that person.

So while somebody working close to where I am today, close to Parliament, or the original government buildings in Cape Town, might need community park, of course, where they live, they're probably traveling an hour and a half in the morning, if not more to their place of work, spending about eight to 9 hours, and then traveling another hour and a half, two hours. So for us, safety needs to be incorporated into all aspects.So you know, it's really important that public transport interchanges with our public spaces are clean, well managed wallets, you know, have free Wi Fi, it's really important that we understand that when somebody arrives in the center, it might be the norm for people in London to walk the last two miles of Africa, it's required you're not going to pay for another trip to go you know, two or three kilometers further.

So, safety of streets safe crossings. For example, outside our central train station, you know, some of the crossings which I think a traffic lanes are about sort of maximum 45 seconds. So we do advocate for long crossing times for for people walk walking around or doing the sort of last mile or two trip and then of course when they're at work apart from their work environment which which is somewhat out of our hands in some cases, the plazas, the squares, the gardens, the parks, that could probably encapsulate somebody's entire public space experience for the day.

It might be possible for myself to go to Sea Point which is just near the ocean and go for a walk or run off to work but for somebody else's traveling two hours back home, and and do two Politics and other reasons possibly living in a dangerous neighborhood, it's unlikely that at 7pm, at night in the dark, they're going to go to a local park to enjoy this sort of public space experience. So our city centers do matter. And where people are for the majority of the time influences their health, from safety, to shaded areas of respite.

Church Square, Urban Lime, Our Future Cities, Cape Town

Nature and wellbeing in urban downtowns

MM: You're essentially integrating elements of nature, nature exposure, bringing nature back into the city of social equity, and a wellbeing aspect, I think with with what you're describing there. So it makes complete sense, the affordable housing piece, just to give us the context on that in terms of how that relates to geography. Or do you see an opportunity in terms of downtown regeneration in terms of bringing affordable housing, in collaboration with developers back into say, the downtown of Joburg or Durban? Or is it essentially a project that's inevitably going to be limited to the peripheries of the city? And therefore that mobility question is locked in place for the foreseeable future? Or is it a combination of both?

Urban development policies and ESG social equity

RF: It's certainly a combination of both. Unfortunately, some of the the policies of the early 90s of the Mandela era government meant that where land was cheap cities built housing, and they were often poor quality, and quite far away. So we've actually had a perpetuation of apartheid style planning, because land was, you know, further away with cheaper, large open pieces, governments generally delivering substandard housing.

I think there are a few myths about in a, in a city center or city center housing. And the first is that there's no financial case, when in reality, there is a massive demand from various income groups. And we're not talking about free housing or housing, that is for those of no income we're talking about. I think, in the UK, it's called essential service workers, key workers.

So we're looking at sort of full spectrum of people whose lives could gain time and gain so much more by living in or closer to their place of work. And then secondly, you know, some of these centers at night are quite dead, you know, so they don't have the residential density. So if you took an aerial view of Cape Town city center, you took an aerial view of Johannesburg, Durban, they're not dense enough in terms of residential population to to be 24/7, walkable, vibrant spaces where restaurants, cafes, schools, and other services start to respond to that demand.

Student accommodation and ESG social equity

I think there's, there's a financial case, but there's also just a social case for bringing back people into the center. And I think we've started to see that, especially with the student population, there are that almost sort of these overnight conversions of inner city office buildings. I think there are four or five and Cape Town currently underway of converting buildings to accommodate students and students are one group of the affordable housing group who need accommodation at certain prices, which the market couldn't, couldn't provide. So I think everything from baristas, to nurses to police, men and women, there's a massive demand the financial case, and and again, it reduces the carbon emissions of people's travel and of course, just, you know, sort of pure spatial justice in terms of people being excluded from the past. Yeah.

Sustainable precincts and ESG social equity

MM: Let's loop back round onto the student accommodation piece, because there's more in that… But it seems like in a sense, what we're talking about is the creation of of sustainable precincts, right? Because you're saying it can't just be a residential piece that comes in because then if there isn't also the public space, the public realm interventions, and there are also ground level retail and street lighting and the sense of community etc. So other examples that you're seeing in SA at the moment around developments of precinct level where a developer in a public private partnership perhaps is able to come in and almost take over a small area of the city rather than just one building? Is that a viable solution? And is it happening yet? And if not, then, what's the workaround?

The role of precincts in urban regeneration

RF: Yes, precincts and districts are the way to go. I think you need a focus area of change and you need to demonstrate change. I think. I was recently again near the The Civic Center of government building in Cape Town and it's a very windy part of the city and it's got a bus station and the the Civic Center, which is where the city's local government is housed. And just across the road is a private development with a massive open restaurants landscaped garden. That is Sheltered is wind and it was amazing to me how two different blocks one delivered entirely by the private sector. And one, the government volume by the public sector had completely different experiences. The one was harsh, windy, modernist, unprotected and sheltered and had no retail. The other had all of these things had spaces for people to sit to to buy lunch, or, or people who brought their lunch, it was sheltered when protected. It had embedded sort of principles of good landscaping and using rainwater.

Precincts are important because it essentially is private sector needing to drive change. And to do so often you need scale, from a financial perspective, from a viability perspective. And you sort of hope the public sector comes along, because I think there's this idea, at least in South Africa, that public sector must alone drive the change. And I think that example, you know, with two buildings, really adjacent to each other shows you how you could treat people correctly and provide them with open welcoming spaces. Without it officially being a public led project. And this, these, both these spaces are you know, within the sort of biggest transport interchange and in the city within, you know, two minute walk. And, and so I think our precincts are great to demonstrate change to stitch buildings together.

Crime rates and urban development

And look for Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, I think it's important to think about each and every block, how do you make it safer for women and girls to move through a particular background to move from one block to the next. And I think having two or three vibrance precincts with with, you know, active street frontages, and then having nothing for two blocks is quite, we call them crocodile zones. So you really want precincts to work at scale, so that there is enough enough activity over large parts of the city.

Walkability and ESG social equity

That was linked into the way that we've defined ‘walkability’ - not just about having pavements But about sufficient levels of activity, enough destinations and of course decent lighting to make it safe - even the most well landscaped route won’t be used here at night if it's not safe. So precincts are essential. And I think it's that mesh of public private that people are uncomfortable with. But it really is the sort of the driving factor, we can start to see change, which actually includes the majority of people.

Student accommodation as social housing

So you mentioned the student accommodation piece, and it's a sector that's currently going through a process of what can only be described reinvention, at least in the US and Europe. I mean, there's there's so much to use an overused term disruption in the market going on. But I'm seeing a lot of innovation. And I wanted to just ask whether in terms of those mixed use developers going into previously less desirable districts in downtown areas, for example, like, Are they are they leading with student accommodation? are they leading with affordable housing and building in retail and street level activities? Is that typically the mix? Who's what are the what's the first entry point into that urban regeneration process?

RF: I think it's different I think, because Africa and cities located on Durban and Johannesburg don't have proper affordable housing, affordable accommodation, affordable housing policies, which require a certain percentage, it's unlikely that in the short term, that's going to be what's leading. And that's very unfortunate, because we've lost, let's say, 25 years of that, of any sort of privately delivered units in that space.

Urban regeneration in Durban, South Africa

What we're seeing is I suppose if we look at the work of Urban Lime and the city of Durban for example, what they found was that there was massive demand from small and micro businesses, but no inner city buildings, which provided for this smaller space needs.

So in one building, I think it's called Pioneer Place, empty for years. Each floor was compartmentalized into into sort of smaller units for musicians and tailors and seamstresses, and the entire building within a year was was fully occupied. And I think the same, you know, in parts of Cape Town where we see be in secret office buildings, you know, with Windows and views of the harbour and the ocean and, and the mountain are, again, almost within a year or two being converted into student accommodation just because of the massive demand.

So I think they'll always be, they'll always be response based on what people need and what the demand is. And I think in Durban, you could only really rent a massive floor plate in an office building. And so but there was a demand for from businesses. And in Cape Town and other places, there's a huge demand for well located student housing, because of the proximity of academic institutions and colleges.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of policy, we've seen that in areas that need regeneration, often it's, it's, there's either a lack of response or lack of investment, or there's a lack of incentive to develop students or affordable housing, or in cases where there is development, it's really speaking to the upper middle income micro units, when bid units. And again, that's just because that's the market that can afford that project without any subsidies or support from the government.

So we're, we're also seeing in some cases, industrial areas slightly changing, they're sort of more slightly more design and art firms moving in. But I think like various parts of the world, you know, the East End of London, that's generally how it happens, and quite slowly until the sort of glass tower start arriving. So I think it's in this case, it's really up to the public sector to, to earmark land available for social and affordable housing, to get those sites off the ground.

And to have, you know, a broader sector of the population benefit from the change, I think, as much as we don't like change, there are so many case studies around the world with the edges of cities, the semi industrial areas, the areas within five to 10 minutes of the center of the city changing, you know, the industrial areas are no longer needed in particular places, I think you will see even now, for example, you know, offices are no longer needed in particular places. So there's always going to be an evolution, it just about whether a public benefit is embedded into that. And whether it's, you know, topologies, and councils can be proactive, and in making sure that as that change happens, the public benefits over two or three decades.

Urban planning in social equity

MM: So at the city planning and legislation level, are there currently, incentives or even enough pressure being placed on on the private developers to incorporate elements of either an enhanced public realm or some element of social housing, which is something that we see a lot of in, in Europe, for example, you might expect to find that in South Africa, but sounds like perhaps at the moment that perhaps isn't happening or isn't happening at a at a sort of uniform level across the board?

No, it's not happening. I think firstly, as I mentioned earlier, the word cooperation, I think, in a, in a maturing or a young democracy, I suppose like, if you could think of the US or more developed societies, cooperation, lobbying, negotiating, it's, it's pretty much part of the culture, you know that you'll come to the table with 10 items, but you'll probably both only agree on six is Africa, we haven't quite gotten there, it seems to be all or nothing. And then, of course, with the absence of policy or incentives, the market simply won't respond. And I think we've, we've we've missed the we've missed the mark when it comes to public infrastructure as well.

So if a building can't include or meet all the requirements, then there could be alternative so I think it's called Section 16, or section 16 policy in the UK, where you need to or require to contribute to build the the nearest subway station, or to provide the station or to maintain a park and I think with those sort of new relationships, you simply have to start and and and I think given the pressure on local government budgets here, unfortunately, there'll be forced into that space, which will require that deals be made to ensure that let's say a new developer maintains a park over 20 years or develops spaces above the transport hub, but operates and maintains the transport have over 20 years.

So these these relationships now might seem complicated or outside of policy, but I think like we've seen with the water crisis in Cape Town with pandemic, the future often arrives. And we only seem to be responding because I can show you that the the current model of local governments here, which relies on property taxes, as a main revenue source, it's not really a viable approach. So I think, I think for the best, they'll be forced into partnerships, like the ones you've mentioned.

Challenges and opportunity in real estate social equity

MM: It strikes me that there is, as so often with, with South Africa, this complex mix of historical ties and the weight of past events on the present, and the struggle to liberate society in some way from that, and to sort of reinvent, but at the same time, on the flip side, there's just amazing opportunities. And every time I'm back there, you can see glimmers of hope of, of just fantastic work being done by visionary developers, perhaps not at the scale that you might like, but I think it's worth pointing that out, right?

I mean, it's like, I know, there's a lot that isn't working, but at the same time, as you go down there with with the right vision, and you can see what's going on, in some corners, and they might be, you know, the exceptions to the rule, rather than the standard of the norm. There are still there's just so much that can be done, I think we need to balance the two, right, because it must be so frustrating to be doing what you're doing and to be facing an uphill struggle. But at the same time that there is surely this sense of amazing opportunity, right and and ways to really have a tangible impact, not just on individual lives, but effectively on the future. Layout and, and livability of the cities that you're you're working in, right.

RF: Absolutely, I think the base of our work is also which I might have failed to mention is that, you know, if we get this right in, let's say, Cape Town, or Durban, it's really an exceptional quality of life. For the for the, for the majority, the weather is great. First of all, if you think of a city, like Durban, between their World Cup Stadium and the center, there are huge plots of land publicly owned, which would essentially give, you know, 1020 50,000 people, social housing, within five minutes walk on the beach fund, you know, sort of 345 Kilometer promenade, so we're not talking about simply giving people that access, we're talking about probably one of the highest qualities of life that could be delivered.

If you think about Cape Town, if we can improve people's travel time by just 3040 minutes, they'd have to go to bed at time to walk on the beach to go for a hike. So I think that's really the opportunity is that if you can start to provide a city for everyone, both in terms of housing and transport, they will have better access more time to be in some of the best places in the world, really. And I think that's why it's important to to frame the opportunity that way.

The cost of living is reasonable. The the amount of immunities that are available at no cost are numerous. The amount of parks and nature reserves that you could use without you know, without buying anything is incredible. So I think this is why we pushing so hard for these changes is just the I would say it's you know, it's if you give people more time and of course, a better way of living and improve their economic situation, they arguably are living in one of the best places they could.

MM: What have you got going on at the moment? What is the next 12 months or so look like for for your team and our future cities?

RF: At the moment, we are we are actually looking into the student accommodation space. We're looking into, into forming better connections across Africa. So expanding the kinds of work and projects we're having in the next few months looking more than a sort of Pan African level. And then yeah, we're continuing a lot of our research on, you know, we were inspired, for example, one tiny project were inspired by London's colorful crossings, you know, how do you raise awareness around community safety, and I think London delivered about 18 of those art inspired pedestrian crossings.

So we're trying to sort of ramp up that project and get through the red Tech with the city on that. And, and the yellow is something that is closer to my arches. We're looking at a 2014 horizon, infrastructure and spaces and what the city might need in the longer term, but Yeah, watch the space and they're always at any one point. 10 or 15 projects, and I should probably organize my thoughts better to to sort of, to present the punchier ones.

MM: Good on you that it's meaningful work that you're doing. I think that's that's the key message. So it's an if people want to reach out to you follow along, see what projects you do have coming over the next few months, and what's the best way for them to connect?

Yeah, so they could follow our future cities on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and then they could even just connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as well.

sustainable green building water efficiency — biofilico wellness interiors

green building / sustainability / water efficiency / leed / living building challenge / breeam

Water efficiency and use reduction in green buildings

Outdoors, more indirect green building strategies such as smart landscaping (or xeriscaping - using plants that require no additional irrigation other than the expected annual rainfall in each location) can have large impacts on building site water use.

Indoors, green building water use reduction strategies such as the installation of efficient fixtures and appliances and low flow plumbing fixtures are crucial.

A significant portion of water usage in buildings is dedicated to flushing toilets, making it crucial to implement water-saving technologies in these areas.

For bathrooms, green building technologies include ultra-low flow water closets and urinals, which use pressure-assisted flushes and dual-flush water closets, which distinguish between liquid and solid flush options. In addition, waterless fixtures can be implemented, such as waterless urinals or composting toilets (LEED).

More generally, low-flow aerators can be installed at minimal cost, essentially a water flow constrictor that reduces water output from faucets. In outdoor contexts, strategies such as drip irrigation and landscape irrigation can be implemented, which is a more efficient strategy that delivers water directly to plant roots (LEED).

Implementing water-saving technologies such as low-flow plumbing fixtures and greywater systems can significantly reduce water consumption in green buildings.

When considering which types of green building appliances to install, benchmarking tools can a green building consultant’s best friend as a way to cut through any potential greenwashing and guarantee maximum impact in water reduction terms.

For example, the WaterSense label, a partnership with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), provides invaluable guidance on water efficient fixtures. Green building products with the WaterSense label are designated to be at least 20% more efficient that other appliances in that category.

In outdoor irrigation contexts, broader strategies that include location and site characteristics can be implemented. Rainfall and climate vary greatly based on location, so outdoor water use strategies will shift based on these factors.

Native and locally adapted species can be implemented in landscaping plans to reduce the need for irrigation and, as a bonus to provide wildlife habitats, promoting biodiversity. In addition, xeriscaping uses a combination of soil improvements, native plants, and efficient irrigation to reduce water use (LEED).

Alternative water sources in a green building concept

Within the United States alone, buildings account for 14% of potable water use (LEED). The Living Building Challenge’s Water Petal section suggests that no potable water should be used when it is not needed, ie, besides in the case of drinking water, potable water use in a green building should be avoided for water conservation.

Rather, water reclamation systems such as greywater and rainwater recycling should be used to provide alternative water sources. Rainwater harvesting is an effective method to collect and utilize rainwater for various purposes, reducing the strain on local water resources.

As mentioned, understanding the relationship between site location and climate has a large role to play in any green building plan. In the cases where ample rainwater is available, rainwater capture systems can be an investment that pays off handsomely in the medium-term, especially in locations with limited water availability and local water resources. Rainwater can be collected passively or actively then used for irrigation, process water, or flush fixtures.

Passive strategies such as rain gardens or dry ponds redirect water to planted areas and provide irrigation assistance. Active rainwater management systems capture, store, and transport water to a desired application. Active systems can be helpful as rain is weather dependent, providing greater flexibility to when and where the water can be applied (LEED).

Graywater recycling is another alternative water resource that allows for reuse of otherwise discarded water. This process involves the collection, treatment, and storage of water discharged from kitchens, showers and other sources and can provide non-potable reuse applications (BREEAM). Most commonly, this water can be reused in flush fixtures and helps reduce water demand in buildings.

The use of alternative water sources in tandem with more efficient appliances and water reduction strategies can greatly reduce building site water usage.

Monitoring water performance in a green building

As with many sustainable building trends and air quality, monitoring and regulating performance is vital to ensuring success. Ensuring water efficiency is crucial for the well-being of future generations, as it helps preserve water resources and promotes sustainability. Devices should be implemented to monitor water usage trends and identify any potential problems, as recommended by the green building council.

Sub-meters are devices that monitor water leaks, measure usage, and provide the potential to make building improvements with the provision of this data (LEED). Being part of a green building initiative, such as those promoted by the Green Building Council, can provide valuable resources and support for implementing water-saving measures. Leak detection systems are very important in the case of major leaks, which for obvious reasons could affect building water use and water consumption efficiency (BREEAM).

It is vital that this water data is tracked and regulated by those who oversee the operations and maintenance of the building. In addition, if select information such as water use is displayed to building occupants, additional benefits from behavioral changes can be achieved. Displaying real-time water information can encourage water-saving behaviors among building occupants, leading to reduced water consumption.

A concept known as the Prius Effect states that when presented with information, people tend to have a greater incentive to reduce consumption. The concept was derived from the Prius car, which encouraged drivers to further reduce gas consumption when efficiency information was made available. In the case of water usage, real-time water information can be displayed in places where people use water to encourage further reductions from a behavioral standpoint.

The monitoring of water performance can feed back into the other strategies of water reduction, water efficiency, and alternative water resources. As design decisions are made, the reality of those decisions can be tracked in real time to provide further guidance on the most effective efficiency measures.

Acoustic Comfort in Buildings: Healthy Building Interior Acoustics — Wellness Design Consultants

Risks of Structure Borne Noise in Buildings & Interiors

Risks of Structure Borne Noise in Buildings & Interiors

Human exposure to unfavorable noises and improperly regulated acoustics has been found to cause negative health and wellness impacts.

Factors such as a lack of acoustical privacy, speech intelligibility, and audio distractions can all impact occupant comfort, leading to acoustic discomfort. Excessive noise can lead to irritation, disturbed sleep, and long-term health issues such as cardiovascular disease and psychological problems. These issues can stem from both interior and external noise sources.

Acoustic comfort in healthy buildings

As such, acoustics and a well-designed sound environment are important considerations in healthy buildings, healthy indoor environments, and workplace wellness plans.

While every space is different, the primary risks of poor acoustics are diminished attention, productivity (due to inability to concentrate for long periods), and memory retention.

Those apply most directly to a learning or work environment while in a residential context there is also the risk of negatively impacting sleep quality.

Causes of Acoustic Discomfort in Buildings & Interiors

Design oversights such as loud HVAC equipment, improperly insulated spaces, and airborne noise can all contribute to poor acoustic comfort. The sound pressure level of these noises can significantly impact the acoustic comfort of a space. Structure borne noise, such as vibrations from pipe-related noise, can also contribute to acoustical discomfort. A general lack of acoustical privacy in zones that require deep work, or the dominance of hard interior surfaces that cause sound to literally bounce around an interior, can further exacerbate the issue.

Acoustical solutions in healthy buildings

To combat these issues, strategies such as planned and isolated HVAC systems, noise barriers, and the inclusion of suitably sound absorbing acoustic materials can all be relevant. Effective sound control measures are essential to ensure the wellbeing, comfort, and productivity of building occupants. With due attention paid upfront to an interior’s acoustics and sound insulation, as healthy building consultants we can help ensure the wellbeing, comfort, and productivity of building occupants once the fit-out is complete.

For details of healthy co-working offices specifically, see here.

Challenges of Sound Absorption in Open Plan Floor Plans

A recent shift to open-plan office layouts was intended to promote greater connectivity and interaction. The results have, most would agree, been mixed at best.

One of the primarily drawbacks by stripping back partitions from an office environment has been a corresponding rise in acoustical issues, noise problems, distractions and low level anxiety. Sound waves like nothing more than to bounce around a large space until they hit some kind of a sound barrier. In addition to internal noise sources, traffic noise can also contribute to acoustic discomfort in open-plan layouts.

If offices and learning spaces want to facilitate the highest levels of occupant productivity and focus, open-plan layouts require, upfront, an acoustics plan to compensate these issues.

Reducing sources of noise in advance, introducing a range of strategically positioned sound absorbing materials, offering spaces with complete acoustical privacy for certain tasks (such as sound booths - see photo above), and possibly introducing thoughtful background noise can, collectively, help to ensure a productive work or study environment.

Sources of Noise Distractions in Buildings & Interiors

Both indoor and outdoor noises can affect the quality of interior acoustics. However, interior noise sources can of course be more easily regulated within a design plan as an engineer, architect or facilities management has some sway over their location and operation.

For example, sound can emanate from sources such as HVAC systems, voices, footfall and occupants moving through a space (think of two female colleagues chatting animatedly while wearing heels, walking down a corridor with hardwood flooring), as well as from other mechanical equipment and electronics such as computers.

Impacts of Acoustic Distractions in Building Interiors

If not properly managed, sound can cause surprising effects on worker productivity, focus, motivation, and stress (Acoustics). One study showed that on average, workers lose eighty-six minutes of work a day due to noise-based distractions (Franklin).

In addition, it has been found that after an acoustic distraction, it can take around twenty-five minutes for someone to return to their task, and an additional eight to reach the original level of focus (Ecophon).

With sound in mind, research shows that a positive acoustic environment can reduce adrenaline by 30%, increase concentration performance by up to 50%, and improve motivation by 66% (Ecophon).

With impacts such as these, acoustic design should be a priority for businesses, creating comfortable, healthy spaces that increase worker productivity, focus and wellness.

Implementing Healthy Building Acoustic Strategies

Now that the problems associated with inadequate acoustic design are clear, what can we do to alleviate these impacts and promote healthy working environments? Proper planning, the inclusion of sound absorbing materials and dividers, as well as soundscapes are all beneficial strategies that can improve acoustic quality. Here we address each of these three in turn.

Acoustics Planning in a Healthy Building Strategy

The size and type of a space, demographics of people in that space, and the type of activities that will occur in that space all affect its acoustic priorities. It is important to first identify the potential sources of noise such as machinery and HVAC systems, both of which could affect interior noise levels.

When possible, the location and insolation requirements of these spaces should be considered early on to avoid unnecessary leaching of excess noise into workspaces.

In addition, in larger multi-use spaces, it is likely that different acoustical zones are required—such as louder common spaces for social activity and casual meetings, as well as quiet more private spaces for more focused work or study.

Although each space is different, there are strategies that can be commonly applied for all healthy indoor environments—with this type of acoustics planning being the first and most important strategy, acting as a guide for all other potential interventions.

Sound Absorbing Materials in Healthy Indoor Environments

When possible, sound absorbing materials should be implemented into the design strategy to reduce noise transmission. Use of acoustic sound absorbing materials on the floors, walls, ceilings, and desks or dividers in an office or study space are all options to reduce reverberation and increase comfort.

Suspended acoustical ceiling panels are often an effective starting point as they provide considerable sound absorption over the whole sound frequency spectrum. In addition, dividing walls and screens can be added to any space to provide privacy and extra sound absorption. There are then acoustic flooring underlay options as well as acoustic paints, wallpapers and decorative wall panels.

Different spaces require different responses clearly. So for example, in a place such as a restaurant or bar, you may want increased privacy between tables, intelligibility between tables a negative, while in a large boardroom or auditorium we absolutely want to facilitate speech from one end of the room to another.

Soundscapes in Wellbeing Interiors

The use of active acoustic treatments and what is known as ‘sound masking’ can be used to encourage consistent noise levels and increase sound privacy, decreasing acoustical distractions within a space by layering on top a variety of subtle sound interventions.

Such sounds can be interspersed throughout a space via speakers almost imperceptibly if needed. In one study, it was found that the installation of an active acoustical system decreased wasted time by 55%, providing huge potential to improve workspace performance (Browning).

Although background noise can be created in a variety of ways nature sounds to do so may provide additional benefits. Leveraging the concept of biophilia, nature sounds can provide a connection to the outside world. Specifically, it has been found that water sounds are especially effective at improving cognitive performance and creativity through sound masking (Browning).Sources

“Acoustics in Open Office Situations .” Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association, Jan. 2016.

Browning, William, and Dakota Walker. “AN EAR FOR NATURE: PSYCHOACOUSTIC STRATEGIES FOR WORKPLACE DISTRACTIONS & THE BOTTOM LINE.” Terrapin Bright Green, Terrapin Bright Green, 2018.

“Ecophon Office Guide: Welcome to the Sound of Nature.” Ecophon.

Franklin, Sydney. “Quiet, Please: How to Design Acoustics for an Open Plan Office - Architizer Journal.” Journal, 4 Nov. 2021, https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/acoustics-open-office-plan/.

WELL v2 Sound Concept

https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/sound

Healthy building design strategies for nutrition & hydration

Healthy Building Interiors That Promote Nutrition & Hydration 

Just like adequate sleep and regular movement, nutrition and hydration play a key role in human health, meaning healthy building consultants need to consider how these elements of the building occupant experience will be affected by architectural, engineering and facilities management decisions made during the construction or refurbishment process.

While there are of course any number of external socio-cultural and psychological influences at play in occupant health, a building’s interiors can indeed should play a positive role in promoting healthy habits and behaviors. The leading healthy building standard ‘WELL’ even has an entire section devoted to the subject.

So how can healthy building consultants positively impact nutrition and hydration in particular for residents, office workers and students? The design of a healthy building should seamlessly integrate design strategies, policies and practices to encourage positive behavioral change.

The availability of healthy food choices and adequate numbers of filtered water stations on each floor can go a long way in this sense but we can go well beyond that into the layout of eating spaces, what is known as ‘strategic dining design’, educational signage and promotional messaging, the specification of rooftop gardens and vegetable boxes, even policies that specify the local sourcing of ingredients used in canteens, or healthy snack options in vending machines, for example.

Mindful Eating Spaces and Strategic Dining Design in Healthy Buildings

The design and layout of eating spaces in a healthy building as well as access to specific types of food and beverage options can have a tangible impact on occupant dietary choices over the long-term.

For example, communal eating spaces help to encourage a more mindful approach to eating, as well as social engagement, as opposed to eating alone in front of the TV say.

The WELL building standard is particularly committed to this idea of designated places for food intake as a key driver of overall occupant mental health and wellbeing.

Design of eating areas in healthy buildings

In addition, the WELL standard encourages designating eating times to increase the likelihood that people will eat in groups and reap the full benefits of a shared, collective experience one or more times each day (see WELL Nutrition section). 

Within healthy buildings, several other wellness interior design strategies can be put in place to promote nutrition and hydration further.

For example, eating away from home in an office or educational environment is often associated with poorer dietary habits, so including basic kitchen fixtures such as chopping boards, colanders and food prep knives, a microwave and generously sized refrigerators for storing food can all help make small, incremental improvements to occupant diets (see WELL Nutrition). 

Food display strategies in healthy buildings

In addition, in the case that food or drink is provided by a workplace or school cafeteria, for example, the display of this food can impact consumption habits.

In the context of a healthy building plan, an increase in the visibility of healthy food options makes such options convenient and top-of-mind. This can be done through strategies such as providing easily reachable fruits and vegetables in the line of site for each diner, by placing clearly visible drinking water access points, or even through a “healthy convenience” rapid checkout line. All of this helps reduce tendencies for sugary drinks, junk food options and sweet snacks.

Finally, the ambiance of the healthy interior space itself can impact how people interact with their food. For example, glaring lights and loud noises can cause frustration or low level anxiety, leading to reduced eating times, and overeating as a result (by not allowing the body time to recognize it has reached a point of satiety), both detrimental to nutrition, digestion and weight management (Anthes). 

Nutrition – promoting dining strategies for healthy interiors:

• Designated eating spaces

• Adequate food preparation and storage areas

• Priority given to healthy food in terms of visibility and convenience

• A comfortable, stress-free ambiance to encourage slow, mindful eating

Use of Signage Prompts and Labeling in healthy design interiors

The use of food-related signage and promotional messaging has been shown to impact our nutritional choices. Strategies such as including nutritional information, deliberately promoting healthy products, or using signage to guide consumers towards healthy products are all useful interventions that leverage environmental psychology principles. 

Including nutritional information and health warnings on food can increase a healthy building occupant’s chances of making an informed food consumption decision. Whether that be allergy related, vitamin content, or calorie-based, the information can be subtly communicated without being overpowering or didactic.

In addition, food advertising has been shown to have direct and indirect impacts on consumers and nutrition. Children are especially susceptible to advertising, which may suggest that in places such as schools, promoting and marketing healthy options may have a positive impact over say, the extreme alternative of selling out to big brands pushing their sweetened products to children for example.

Healthy food advertising has been proven to increase the selection of healthy food choices. Although this concept is often applied to places like grocery stores, it can be used in cafeterias and workplace eating rooms to encourage healthy habits as well.

Along the vein of advertising, smart signage and visual guides can help nudge more nutritious food and drink choices. Visual aids can be used in and around eating areas to encourage the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and healthier drinking sources such as water.

Something as simple as an arrow guiding consumers towards healthier options can influence decisions. Educational signage can also be placed in locations outside of the eating areas—for example, colorful signs denoting the benefits of water consumption and healthy meals. 

Nutrition-promoting visuals and signage in healthy interiors: 

• Include nutritional information on and near food

• Advertise healthy options (rather than processed food products)

• Use signage and visual guides to promote nutrition

Local Sourcing of Food for healthy building occupants

Locally grown food not only increases access to healthy nutrition options for a healthy building occupant, it also provides social and environmental benefits. When possible, community or educational gardens should be integrated into wellness real estate projects, be they residential, workplace or learning environments.

It has been shown that people who are engaged in gardening have higher levels of fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as improving other aspects of life—such as community connectivity, educational opportunities, and anxiety reduction (WELL). So a communal rooftop garden, no matter how small, can be a modest investment with tangible impacts for the overall healthy building strategy.

Gardens on a project site can provide opportunities for building occupants to connect with the land and the food they eat through learning, as well as acting as a local source of produce for cafeterias, if delivered at scale.

In the case of children, gardening can increase food knowledge and increase their willingness to try more vegetables, breaking down the barrier between the food on their plate and the natural cycle of growing / harvesting (Anthes). Eating habits are learned through our environmental cues—making gardening a very powerful tool to increase our knowledge and connection to nutrition, especially in students and children. 

Depending on density constraints, the inclusion of rooftop gardens is becoming more popular in healthy buildings as they can be used even in high-density urban locations, while also providing a wealth of environmental benefits such as cooling / reducing the urban heat island effect, increased biodiversity and direct access to the calming, restorative benefits of nature for the building occupants. 

Local Food Sourcing Strategies for Healthy Buildings: 

• Source food locally and provide healthy produce to cafeterias and building occupants

• Include gardening to connect occupants to food

• Use gardens as an educational and community fostering opportunity

Healthy Building Certification Systems on design for Nutrition and Hydration

Various healthy building certification systems provide a guide to nutrition-based health and design strategies. Most notably, WELL, Fitwel, and the Living Building Challenge offer insight and place varying levels of importance on nutrition and hydration. 

The WELL Building Standard contains an entire concept, ‘Nourishment’ that discusses the importance of healthy diets and how our environments can promote this goal.

This standard focuses on factors such as increasing access to fruits and vegetables, nutritional transparency, food advertising, production, and preparation, as well as the concept of mindful eating (WELL). More information on the nourishment concept within the WELL healthy building standard can be found here. 

Fitwel contains a ‘Food and Beverage’ Standard and a ‘Health Programming’ section that mention strategies to promote healthy eating.

This standard recommends certain types of on-site dining services and what food should be available, as well as implementing policies such as nutrition programs, healthy cooking classes or gardening workshops. More information on the Fitwel healthy building standard can be found here. 

Although the Living Building Challenge green building standard doesn’t have a section specifically focused on nutrition, it has an imperative that focuses on urban agriculture.

This section mentions the importance of dedicating a space for growing food on site, connecting people to locally grown healthy nourishment options. More about the Place Petal and urban agriculture imperative can be found here. 

Sources:

WELL v2 Wellness Real Esatte Standard

Fitwel healthy building standard

Living Building Challenge green building standard

Anthes, Emily. “3. STAIR MASTERS.” The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness, Scientific American/Picador, New York, 2021. 

How to use lighting in a healthy building plan

The Role of Light in a Healthy Building / Wellness Interior

Humans evolved over millions of years in outdoor environments, intimately in tune with nature and the regular cycle of sunlight and darkness. 

Today, many of us in urban environments seemingly spend the majority of our lives indoors, bringing with it the risk of a near total disconnection from this fundamental piece of evolutionary history. 

A healthy building strategy is designed to counter-balance this tendency, integrating concerns over energy-efficiency and occupant wellbeing as well as this biophilic (nature-inspired) lighting strategy. 

How does light in a health building impact wellbeing? Primarily the key data points are around productivity and concentration, energy levels, mood, and sleep quality. 

What lighting strategies does a healthy building consultant have at their disposal to positively impact the situation? 

In terms of space planning and interior architecture, we start with ensuring enhanced access to daylight not just around the perimeter of a floor plate but right through to its core. 

This is then combined with consideration for glare reduction to minimize the risk of daylight bouncing off screens and other surfaces, a visual distraction and source of low level anxiety. 

Thirdly, the implementation of circadian lighting and smart lighting systems in tune with the daily 24hr cycle help fill an interior with suitable tones of light according to the time of day, season and location. 

Finally, healthy building and wellness real estate certification systems such as WELL, LEED and BREEAM provide guidance via global benchmarks for wellbeing designers to use.

Healthy Lighting in Wellness Interiors

A carefully considered lighting plan is a fundamental concept for a healthy indoor environment nowadays - whether its purpose is for learning, working, healing, or sleeping.

Circadian lighting strategies and the incorporation of daylight both seek to align occupants to their natural rhythms, while considerations such as glare reduction are essential when designing more specific lighting needs. Lastly, and arguably most importantly, the formation of a lighting plan is key to consider all design possibilities and optimize positive health impacts. 

Connecting building occupants to their innate rhythms and environments, a trend within the world of biophilic design and its near cousin, healthy design has been shown to provide numerous health benefits, and can be achieved through the incorporation of healthy lighting design. 

As with many healthy building strategies, a holistic design approach that finds ways to incorporate nature-inspired principles to connect us with the natural world tend to bring the greatest rewards in wellbeing terms. 

How does a wellbeing designer leverage Daylight in a healthy building?

Natural daylight is one of the most important elements in green building interiors, an essential building block of health and wellness interior design”. 

In addition to synchronizing us with our circadian rhythms, natural light has been found to promote an improvement in mood, alertness, concentration, and faster cognitive processing (Determan).

For academic learning or professional work environments, natural light has been proven in numerous studies to reduce absenteeism, increase job satisfaction and productivity, and even increase student test scores (Kellert). 

Daylight has also been shown to increase patient recovery times, which from a healthcare perspective can provide a multitude of other indirect benefits (Taddonio). 

In addition, one study showed that indoor spaces with daylighting contained fewer bacteria than those without (WELL Building  Standard).

Daylight can be incorporated into a healthy building through strategies such as adequate windows, sidelights, and skylights, integrating illuminance and natural daily rhythms into a space. 

In addition to solely the volume and intensity of light being brought into a space, when incorporating windows, considerations such as the quality of external views also matter, and indeed whether the windows are operable. 

Natural landscapes or views onto internal gardens provide additional biophilic benefits, while operable windows can provide natural ventilation advantages.

How does wellness architecture reduce Glare Reduction in a healthy building?

Other light-based considerations in a healthy interior include the control of surface glare, which can increase the visual experience of occupants in a space.

Glare is essentially the excessive brightness of light, which can occur from the source directly, through reflection off other surfaces, or from extreme lighting contrasts in a space (WELL). 

In general, glare can cause visual discomfort such as headaches and eye fatigue, even leading to migraines if not properly monitored (WELL). 

The source of light, lighting control (such as dimming capabilities), surface reflectivity, and general lighting layout should be considered to reduce the negative impacts of glare. In addition, shading and overhangs can be used to offset some lighting contrasts. 

When natural light is incorporated into spaces, extreme illuminance contrasts can occur, so it is important for wellness architects to regulate the amount and location of light that enters a space to ensure the most harmonious lighting strategies.

What is Circadian Lighting in a healthy building?

The potential benefits of circadian lighting are considerable, making this type of lighting an increasingly common feature in wellness real estate and wellbeing interior design projects around the world. Circadian rhythm lighting systems are strategically designed to positively affect our health, alertness and productivity through the regulation of light tone and intensity during each 24hr cycle.

When our circadian rhythms are disrupted, most commonly from exposure to bright light after dark or insufficient illumination during the day, mental wellbeing issues such as sleep disruption and low levels of anxiety can easily arise (WELL).

Circadian lighting is an innovative new trend within the world of healthy design that follows the circadian rhythm - something like a 24-hour internal clock.

These lighting systems are designed to reflect nature’s daily light cycle, prompting periods of mental alertness in the morning and afternoon with light from the blue-white end of the spectrum, before slowly fading into amber hues in the evenings and again in the early mornings.

The idea is to reduce the disruptive effects from artificial light on our body’s natural rhythms through smart, multi-sensory lighting design. Factors such as the duration, timing, and hue of light exposure are important to achieve natural, circadian light quality and improve occupant wellbeing.

How to use a Lighting Plan in a healthy indoor environment project?

As alluded to previously, the various strategies of healthy lighting are inevitably intertwined, and therefore must be considered in one cohesive lighting strategy for wellbeing interiors and healthy buildings. 

For example, daylighting incorporation is essentially a “free” way to integrate circadian lighting in a space, yet without proper glare control it can cause visual discomfort for occupants. Because of scenarios such as these, it is important to incorporate a complete lighting plan to ensure harmony between the various strategies. This plan should incorporate occupant use of the space according to each zone, as well as the type of task in question.

The creation of a thoughtful operations schedule and lighting layout in the design stage is a necessary approach to consider all stakeholders and increase occupant health and comfort. 

When daylight, electric light, color, space use, and the characteristics of building users are considered together, we can maximize healthy building occupant wellbeing. As with any design strategy, an integrated cross-departmental approach is essential for success.

Healthy Building Certification benchmarks on lighting

Certification systems such as LEED and WELL provide detailed guidance on wellness lighting strategies. LEED has several credits on the topic, while WELL contains an entire “Light” concept that investigates more specific strategies. 

LEED contains an Interior Lighting credit, which focuses on glare and lighting control, and mentions factors such as color rendering and surface reflectivity (LEED). In addition, there is a credit focused on Daylight which mentions the importance of circadian rhythms, connection to the outdoors, and the energy reducing environmental benefits of daylight, as with most all LEED credits.

WELL contains a plethora of information on the subject of light, going in depth on all aspects of healthy lighting strategies. All categories mentioned above (circadian lighting, daylight, glare reduction, and lighting plan) are included in WELL credits, as well as several other more specific distinguishing factors.

See the WELL “Light” concept here for more information.

When considering how to incorporate healthy lighting into a space, LEED and WELL both provide research-based solutions that can act as a guide for lighting design. 

Sources

Determan, Jim, et al. “THE IMPACT OF BIOPHILIC LEARNING SPACES ON STUDENT SUCCESS.” Oct. 2019. 

Taddonio. “Energy-Efficient Hospital Lighting Strategies Pay Off Quickly.” 2011.
LEED Credit Library: Indoor Environmental Quality

https://www.usgbc.org/credits?Category=%22Indoor+environmental+quality%22

WELL: Lighting Concept

https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/v2.1/light

Ventilation and healthy building design

indoor air quality / healthy building certification / ventilation rates / healthy indoor environment / consultants

kaiterra indoor air quality monitor

What is ventilation in a healthy building plan?

There has never been a more urgent time to consider an enhanced ventilation strategy as part of a healthy indoor environment. Why does this ventilation matter and what can landlords, developers and workplaces do about it?

‘Ventilation’ describes the cyclical process of supplying outdoor air and removing the existing indoor air through either natural or mechanical methods. 

Natural ventilation in a healthy building strategy aims to introduce outdoor air into a space thanks to operable windows, doorways and ceiling vents for example, without relying on electricity. This approach typically benefits from an accompanying CO2 monitor plan to ensure healthy indoor air at all times.

Mechanical ventilation for a healthy indoor environment meanwhile does the same albeit in a far more calculated and energy intensive manner via a powered system of vents, piping, filters and fans.

Mechanical systems should ideally be designed with the anticipated occupant numbers and type of activity in mind; for example a busy gym full of cardio machines will require a different ventilation rate than a boardroom used for occasional meetings.

A mixed or hybrid ventilation model would deploy a combination of both healthy building strategies but in all three cases the ultimate purpose remains the same - to increase occupant comfort and create a healthy indoor environment by removing dust and particulates, unpleasant odors, CO2 and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that off-gas from toxic materials in furniture, fittings and adhesives.

Ventilation and indoor air quality for workplace wellness

From a workplace wellness perspective, adequate ventilation rates are fundamental to ensuring healthy indoor air that in turn plays a role in promoting cognitive function and reducing the transmission of viruses, amongst other things.  

Ventilation in healthy building certifications

It is also worth noting that ventilation rates are often designated by regional codes, as well as healthy building certifications such as the USGBC’s LEED, BREEAM and WELL. This means a healthy building consultant and/or MEP engineer can be a helpful resource when creating and implementing a comprehensive wellbeing interiors or workplace wellness strategy. 

Finally, for home upgrade to indoor air, there is also the option of a standalone air purifier such as those made by Dyson for smaller spaces (25m2-50m2 let’s say). These are limited in impact compared to a mechanical system but still represent a viable option in certain circumstances, for example in a bedroom for a sleeper with asthma or allergies.

Healthy indoor environments and air filtration

Filtration is a key aspect of ventilation, this is the process of removing potentially harmful particulates from the outside air intake before that air is sent into the building interiors. 

Air filtration is done via increasingly advanced filters in the ventilation system, meaning this is an area where we as healthy building consultants can make a tangible difference simply by encouraging an MEP Manager or consultant engineer to upgrade the filter, for example.

A High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter removes dust, mold, pollen and particulates. The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) is a 1-20 scale that measures the effectiveness of these filters and is commonly mentioned in building certification systems as an indication of enhanced indoor air quality. 

A MERV 13 or above filter is now seen as the gold standard - with local equivalents applicable - the higher the number the greater the removal of small particles from the air. Note that all filters require regular maintenance and upkeep as part of an ongoing healthy building strategy delivered by facilities management.

In contemporary buildings, standard practice is to use mechanical ventilation with a filtration system but natural ventilation and other more advanced strategies can be used to reduce energy use in certain specific locations and with adequate planning by the engineers and architecture team. Simply opening a lot of windows and hoping for the best is not a healthy indoor air strategy!

UV light for enhanced indoor air quality

Anti-bacterial ultraviolet (UV) light systems can be incorporated into an indoor air management plan to reduce the risk of harmful organisms lingering in the indoor air. This system can be used in tandem with other ventilation systems or on its own, and uses UV light to kill airborne pathogens. 

Using UV light systems to enhance the indoor air quality is especially relevant in spaces with high occupant densities such as restaurants, in places where occupants are especially vulnerable such as hospitals, or in health clubs and gyms where optimizing the health of members is a priority.

RESET Air certification process

Healthy Building Certification System Benchmarks and Guidelines

There are several guidelines to help determine the ventilation rates for appropriate indoor air quality levels. ASHRAE Standard 62.1 designates “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality” and is used as an industry benchmark as a minimum value, rather than a target to aim for. 

As is often the case when it comes to consulting for healthy buildings and healthy indoor environments, we are in fact looking to go beyond the bare minimums to achieve excellence, wherever possible.

In addition to the ASHRAE standard, certification systems such as LEED and WELL include numerous credits denoting indoor air quality and ventilation guidelines. 

In the LEED standard, for example, a MERV value of 13 or higher contributes to the “Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies” credit. In the WELL standard ‘Air Filtration credit’, different MERV values are recommended based on the average outdoor air quality levels.

In addition, both the LEED and WELL standards denote the importance of maintaining proper air quality throughout the construction, pre-occupancy and occupancy phases. 

Strategies such as a full flush-out (the elimination of indoor air pollutants that were accumulated during the construction phase through the introduction of outdoor air), replacement of air filters pre-occupancy and ongoing indoor air quality testing are all recommended strategies to ensure enduring air quality levels.

The guidelines and recommendations for the LEED standard are present within the Indoor Environmental Quality credit category, while WELL’s reside within the Air concept.

The LEED and WELL standards focus on different things—LEED places emphasis on the environmental impacts of the built environment, while WELL focuses on the human health and wellbeing side of the built environment. 

Both standards overlap closely in the arena of indoor air quality, ventilation, and filtration however, reflecting the importance of this aspect for a healthy indoor environment and minimizing a building’s environmental impact.

Indoor Air Quality Monitors as part of a healthy building plan

In many green building certification systems, constant monitoring of indoor air quality is a key strategy. Indoor air quality can range greatly throughout the day depending on factors such as outdoor air quality and interior pollution sources, which can all affect what the optimal ventilation rates should be to maintain healthy conditions.

RESET Air advocates for commercial grade air quality monitors connected to the cloud as a way to monitor and assess indoor air quality factors such as airborne particles, temperature, humidity and CO2. Constant monitoring provides a level of transparency and insight that can in turn help to reduce wasted energy costs, not just make for a healthy indoor environment.

See Kaiterra here https://www.kaiterra.com/en/index/

Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation

Proper ventilation and HVAC filtration systems are important components of a healthy indoor air quality plan however due consideration should also be given to additional factors, such as healthy materials, outdoor air quality, green cleaning policies, entryway systems (walk-off mats) and pest management protocols.

If consistently delivered, suitable ventilation rates and healthy indoor air quality supports occupant wellbeing, promotes concentration and productivity, helps improve attention and memory, and can in reduce the possible spreading of viruses indoors. 

A cohesive, joined-up indoor environmental quality plan is required that may well involve some combination of healthy building consultants, architects, interior designers, mechanical engineers and facilities management. 

Sources:

Allen, Joseph. “The 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building.” For Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://forhealth.org/9_Foundations_of_a_Healthy_Building.February_2017.pdf. 

“Upper-Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 Apr. 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ventilation/uvgi.html. 

Benefits of Biophilic Design in Schools: From Nurseries to Universities — Wellness Design Consultants

Nurseries, schools and universities can leverage healthy building strategies to facilitate learning - here we cover the role of biophilic design, healthy materials, indoor air quality, light and restorative spaces

How can wellbeing design be used in schools?

The cultivation of a healthy learning environment goes well beyond curriculum, teaching staff, physical activity and the canteen menu - by implementing evidence-based design inspired by biophilia and healthybuildingprinciples, we can create educational spaces maximized for learning and happiness. Biophilic design can significantly improve emotional well-being by reducing stress levels and promoting overall mental health. Incorporating natural elements such as plants, water, and natural light into educational spaces is crucial for enhancing student performance and well-being.

How do we do this? By leveraging the latest thinking around healthy materials, indoor air quality, light and set pieces known as ‘restorative spaces‘.

Children are especially sensitive to **environment

Using Healthy Materials in educational environments

If no expertise on sustainable, non-toxic, and natural materials is delivered to a project team during the design phase, materials can find their way into an interior that will negatively impact the health of building occupants.

This happens primarily through off-gassing of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and the emission of toxic chemicals into the air through the processes of natural

sources of pollutants in nursery and school buildings

Unhealthy materials have the potential to increase indoor air pollutants, which have been found to decrease cognitive functioning and therefore diminish student productivity. The hotspots for such issues tend to be insulation materials, flooring, paints, adhesives and furniture.

We focus on the internal make-up of building materials and their health impacts, a research process facilitated by Health Product Declarations (HPDs) that provide a clear, concise overview of a product's ingredients.

Deploying a Healthy Materials strategy in a nursery, school or university can:

• Reduce negative health impacts from toxic chemicals

• Improve indoor air quality

• Reduce symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome

Paul Chevalier School, France - an example of a healthy learning environment using biophilic design

Enhanced Indoor Air Quality in nurseries, schools, universities

Indoor air quality has a tangible impact on human performance and if not properly established, maintained and monitored, can negatively impact learning and productivity

After steps have been taken to reduce pollutants coming from materials and surfaces in a space (see above), proper cleaning and ventilation practices should be incorporated to maintain good air quality.

Numerous studies have linked cognitive success, absenteeism rates and Sick Building Syndrome symptoms to indoor air quality and ventilation rates (see here).

Ventilation and indoor air quality

Higher ventilation rates are associated with lower rates of absenteeism and Sick Building Syndrome symptoms as well as improvements in test scores, while poor ventilation rates were found to decrease attention and increase school days missed.

One study showed that higher ventilation rates led to 1.6 fewer days missed, while another demonstrated that students had higher scores on math, reading and science tests when the classrooms were properly ventilated (Allen / see sources below). 

In summary, deploying an enhanced indoor air quality plan in a nursery, school or university can:

• Increase attention rates

• Reduce Sick Building Syndrome symptoms

• Decrease absenteeism

• Improve student test scores / cognitive function

The importance of lighting design in nursery, school and university settings

Consideration around natural light as well as electric lighting solutions is an important factor in creating a healthy indoor environment for learning, both for its biophilia benefits and added focus through details such as task lighting solutions. Incorporating ample natural light in educational settings enhances student performance, well-being, and productivity. Maximizing natural light can create a bright and inviting atmosphere, improve overall mental, physical, and emotional health, and contribute to energy efficiency and ecological sustainability.

Daylight and biophilia

Daylight connects students to the natural world, fostering a closer connection with nature. Natural light has a positive impact on students' mental health by reducing stress and promoting emotional balance.

In addition, enhance exposure to natural light as part of a biophilia plan synchronizes us with our body’s circadian rhythms, which when optimized has been shown to increase worker performance (Allen / see sources below).

Task lighting (e.g. smaller format table lamps) is another tool to boost learning environments for activities such as reading or writing, which rely heavily on visual performance.

It was found that a group of third graders who had access to focus lighting for a year had a 36% increase in oral reading fluency, while a group without focus lighting had only a 17% increase (Allen / see sources below).

Circadian lighting

In addition, the type of artificial light has been proven to have an impact - a study found that blue-enriched light causes higher levels of concentration, alertness, and cognitive performance, as well as higher test scores for students (Allen / see below). 

In summary, such lighting strategies as part of a biophilia plan can:

• Improve student mood

• Increase learner alertness and concentration

• Increase student cognitive processing speed and performance

• Improve learner test scores

Restorative Spaces in nursery, school, university settings

Classroom design and orientation can be just as important as the elements that function within the space. The incorporation of small restorative spaces that have been deliberately created using the biophilic design concept for example can help relieve stress and mental fatigue amongst students, providing a modest mental refresh. 

WELL Certification and restorative space design

There are many ways to designarestorative space, and the WELL Building Standard (see more on that here) aims to provide guidance on what can be most successful, using its evidence-based design approach. While the creative design work still needs to come from us, leveraging research data and scientific rigour is a key part of the process in order to deliver tangible results once the space is completed.

Integrating outdoor spaces into school design can provide students with access to natural landscapes and green roofs, fostering sensory interaction with the environment.

According to the WELL ‘Mind’ concept, restorative spaces should include natural elements**/ biophilic design** and have thoughtful lighting, sound, thermal and material choices. In addition, an element of privacy and the inclusion of calming colors, textures and forms is beneficial for recharging and refocusing. See our Biofilico design example image above for this.

Simply creating a place of quiet and calm can have an impact on student performance. For example, a French study found that test scores decreased by 5.5 points for each 10 dB increase in noise levels above the average noise level (~50 dB) (Allen / see sources below).

Biophilic design not only supports mental health but also contributes to the physical health of students by reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.

Schools and learning environments can, if not designed thoughtfully using healthy interior design principles, cause low level stress for students and even increase mental fatigue, so the incorporation of places or respite and restoration are key to providing kids and students with a nourishing place to perform their best.

In summary, the integration of biophilic design in restorative spaces can:

• Relieve mental fatigue and stress

• Recharge and rejuvenate

• Promote increased learning and academic success

• Provide a nature connection

Biophilic Design in learning environments such as nurseries and schools

Biophilic design has been shown to improve cognitive function through increased memory, concentration, creativity, and productivity—all key factors in learning environments. See more here.

A recent study looking at the impact of biophilic design on learning spaces found that the reduction in student stress was much greater in a biophilic classroom when compared with control. In addition, learning outcomes were greatly improved—math test score averages increased more than three times higher in the biophilic design classroom over a seven-month period.

Finally, 7.2% more of the students in the biophilic learning environment tested at grade level when compared with the control classroom (Determan). This study provides encouraging outcomes between biophilic design and improvements in student learning outcomes, wellbeing, and the potential for success.

In addition, the Attention Restoration Theory (ART) correlates increased nature exposure to a faster recovery from mental fatigue and stress (Jimenez).

The use of biophilic design to enhance learning environments connects to many of the strategies mentioned above—such as the incorporation of natural elements in restorative spaces or materials, and the use of daylighting to enhance learning capabilities. Occasionally these lines can blur but only because the biophilic design concept encompasses so many healthy design strategies within it.

In summary, biophilic design principles in learning environments can:

• Improve cognitive functioning and productivity

• Enhance creativity and memory

• Increase test scores and improve learning outcomes

• Reduce stress and provide restorative benefits

Overall, the atmosphere and personality of learning spaces has the potential to positively influence student performance. Healthy material choices, indoor air quality monitoring, lighting, and the incorporation of restorative spaces and biophilic design are tools available to us as healthy interior specialists, so we believe they can and should be deployed to full effect for this purpose!

SourcesAllen, Joseph G, and John D Macomber. Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity. Harvard University Press, 2020.

Barbiero, Giuseppe, et al. “Bracing Biophilia: When Biophilic Design Promotes Pupil’s Attentional Performance, Perceived Restorativeness and Affiliation with Nature.” Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2021,https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01903-1

Determan, Jim, et al. “THE IMPACT OF BIOPHILIC LEARNING SPACES ON STUDENT SUCCESS.” Oct. 2019.

Jimenez, Marcia P. et al. “Associations Between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18.9 (2021): 4790. Crossref. Web.

mental Health benefits of biophilic indoor environment in virtual reality - harvard research study

A review of Harvard's research into the wellbeing benefits of a biophilic space experienced through virtual reality

Four virtual reality office layouts. Note: indoor green incorporates green plants, water, natural materials and biomorphic shapes into indoor space; outdoor view incorporates long-distance natural view and daylight into indoor space through windows; combination incorporates biophilic elements from indoor green and outdoor view.

Source: Effects of biophilic indoor environment on stress and anxiety recovery: A between-subjects experiment in virtual reality. Harvard study.

Harvard has delivered two different studies on the wellbeing benefits of exposure to a biophilic space in an online world, the first in 2019 and a follow-up study in 2020, both of which explore the positive impact of biophilic interiors experienced through a virtual reality headset.

A biophilic design consultant perspective

Why is this of interest to us as biophilic design consultants? We already work with a combination of direct biophilia (live plants or a fish tank for example) and indirect biophilia (analogues such as botanical wallpaper or inspirational landscape photos) in our projects as biophilic designers and healthy building experts, utilizing biophilic principles to reconnect urban dwellers with nature. Yet as we enter the age of Web 3.0 and the Metaverse, it is surely pertinent to consider the potential of online, virtual reality worlds that incorporate biophilic design too.

benefits of biophilic design examples in online worlds

In summary, the Harvard studies show that biophilic elements in the online environments experienced by participants did increase physiological stress recovery by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels in respondents, demonstrating significant physical health benefits, as we might expect by inferring from real-world biophilic design studies.

The implications of this are profound, consider a fast-paced office environment where no natural light or nature views are available, no park or gardens nearby, and no budget available for a complete biophilic interior fit-out of the space but there is scope to create a virtual reality pod for stressed-out staff to relax in when they need a break.

By providing a biophilic virtual world for them to spend time in, we can now predict, thanks to this rigorous Harvard research, to have a tangible impact on stress recovery and anxiety levels.

Interestingly, the study also highlights how certain biophilic design examples were more effective than others for certain types of tasks. For example, window access provides stimulation for creativity but having no window may be better for tasks that require deep concentration.

harvard research into biophilic environments

In the Harvard 2019 VR study - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ina.12593 - the methods deployed were as follows:

• 4 types of rooms (3 biophilic, one non biophilia) each repeated in an open and enclosed environment, incorporating green spaces to enhance mental health, productivity, and community bonding

• Natural elements: “visual connection with nature” and “dynamic and diffuse light”

• Green plants, access to natural light and view

• Natural analogues: “biomorphic forms and patterns” and “material connection with nature”

• Products made/looked like natural materials, furniture w/biomorphic shapes

• Combined: combination of both

research results of virtual reality biophilic interior spaces

• Participants in open biophilic spaces had more physiological stress reduction than in enclosed biophilic spaces

• Participants in enclosed biophilic space had higher creativity score increase than in open biophilic spaces

• Increased green exposure = significant decreases in blood pressure

• Natural elements and combination had highest increase in RMSSD (stress relief)

• Biophilic environments increased creativity due to their calming influence

• Window access= better for creativity (more stimulation)

• No window = better for concentration tasks (more attention for task)

• Participants preferred to maximize natural light, having a view, and indoor plants over natural materials (wood) and biomorphic forms

• Participants spent most of their time looking at biophilic elements

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Fig. 2. Experimental procedure. Note: IEQ: indoor environmental quality; BP: blood pressure; STAI: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; HRV: heart rate variability; SCL: skin conductance level.

Source: Effects of biophilic indoor environment on stress and anxiety recovery: A between-subjects experiment in virtual reality. Harvard.

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Review of the follow-up study into mental health benefits of biophilic environments online

In the Harvard 2020 virtual reality study into the positive impact of biophilic environments in a virtual reality context - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019336347 - the methods deployed were as follows:

• 4 rooms made up of a non biophilic space, an indoor green space, a space with an outdoor view onto a natural landscape, and a combination of biophilic interiors and views out onto nature

• Window vs. no window (big difference in office spaces)

• Outdoor view: long distance natural views of trees, grass, water, daylight (windows positioned same place as living walls in indoor green), intangible elements, natural light

• Biophilic tangible elements

• Indoor green: living walls, potted plants, water (fish tank), natural materials/biomorphic shapes, tangible elements

research results of exposure to biophilic environments in virtual reality

• RMSSD (stress relief)

• Non biophilic vs. Indoor green: 2.1% faster indoor green (sig. Better recovery in this environment)

• Heart Rate Levels : throughout recovery pd, biophilic settings caused faster recovery

• 70% of the time in Indoor green people had a complete recovery of heart rate

• 72% of the time in combination people had a complete recovery of heart rate

• General Trends

• Indoor green more physiological stress recovery in the built environment

• Improves participant blood pressure the most (along with all biophilic conditions)

• Outdoor view: more anxiety reduction

• Combination: between the two

• Improved both (2nd best for both)

• Baseline stress conditions were either met or went even lower under biophilic conditions

Design Principles

Biophilic design principles are the foundation of creating spaces that promote well-being and a connection to nature. These principles guide the incorporation of natural elements into interior spaces to create a harmonious and restorative environment. By integrating natural elements such as plants, water features, and natural materials, biophilic design aims to mimic the natural world, fostering a sense of tranquility and balance. These principles not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of a space but also contribute to the physical and mental health of its occupants, making them feel more connected to nature and improving their overall well-being.

Natural Light

Natural light is a fundamental element of biophilic design. It has a profound impact on human health and well-being, influencing our circadian rhythms, mood, and cognitive function. Maximizing natural light in interior spaces can be achieved through various design strategies, such as:

• Orienting buildings to optimize natural light exposure

• Using transparent and translucent materials to filter and diffuse natural light

• Incorporating skylights, clerestory windows, and solar tubes to bring natural light deep into buildings

• Minimizing obstructions and using reflective surfaces to bounce natural light throughout spaces

By prioritizing natural light, biophilic design not only enhances the visual appeal of a space but also supports human health and well-being, creating environments that are both beautiful and beneficial.

Natural Materials

Natural materials are essential in biophilic design, as they provide a tangible connection to the natural world. These materials can be used in various ways, such as:

• Wood: a natural, renewable resource that can be used for flooring, walls, and furniture

• Stone: a durable, natural material that can be used for flooring, walls, and countertops

• Plants: living, breathing organisms that can be used to purify the air, improve acoustics, and enhance aesthetics

• Natural fibers: such as wool, cotton, and hemp, which can be used for upholstery, carpets, and textiles

Incorporating natural materials into interior spaces not only enhances their aesthetic appeal but also promotes a sense of well-being and connection to the natural world.

What are the Benefits of Biophilic Design?

Biophilic design offers several key benefits, enhancing both your mental and physical well-being. By incorporating natural elements into your home, this approach can create a soothing and restful environment.

Now, let's explore how you can implement these benefits with specific design choices.

Improves our mind restoration and productivity

Biophilic design enhances cognitive function by fostering an environment that promotes mental restoration. By incorporating nature-inspired designs, you can create an atmosphere that supports higher levels of creativity, problem-solving, and productivity. This connection to nature not only boosts concentration but also contributes to a sense of calm, allowing for a more balanced and stress-free mindset.

Physical Health Benefits

Besides its effects on mental well-being biophilic designs also affect physical health. Accessing natural light and landscapes has helped patients improve sleeping and reduce symptoms in the treatment of seasonal afflictions. Integrated biophysical elements have become an increasingly prevalent trend in healthcare facilities.

Stress Reduction and Improved Cognitive Function

Biophilic design is capable of dramatically reducing stress levels and promoting mental health. Exposure to the natural world can lead to lower concentrations of cortisol which is a hormone released by stress. Integrated natural elements within an interior environment give individuals the opportunity to engage in visual, tactile or sensory experiences that create a soothing effect. Furthermore, biophilic design is associated with a better cognition and memory. The researchers say green-certified buildings score better on cognitive function tests than buildings with no certification in the U.S.

Connection to Nature in Urban Environments

The biophilicity of architecture has evolved as we move towards urban environments and the biosphere becomes vital in connecting urban and rural communities. Urban areas usually do not have direct access to natural features, however a thoughtful design intervention might bring the advantages of nature into city centres. Public spaces, including parks, rooftop gardens and facade greens, provide a way to experience nature's healing benefits. Urban planners and architects incorporate increasingly biophilic ideas within their designs for sustainable, healthy and attractive cities.

Implementing Biophilic Design

Implementing biophilic design principles requires a thoughtful and intentional approach. Here are some strategies for incorporating biophilic design into interior spaces:

• Conduct a site analysis to identify opportunities for natural light, ventilation, and views

• Incorporate natural materials and elements, such as wood, stone, and plants, into the design

• Use biophilic design elements, such as water features, green walls, and natural art, to create a sense of connection to nature

• Consider the psychological and emotional impact of design decisions on occupants

• Engage with stakeholders and occupants to ensure that the design meets their needs and promotes well-being

By thoughtfully integrating biophilic design principles, we can create interior spaces that not only look beautiful but also support the physical and mental health of their occupants.

The Role of Natural Elements in Biophilic Design

Natural elements play a crucial role in biophilic design, as they provide a tangible connection to the natural world. These elements can be used in various ways, such as:

• Visual connections: providing views of nature, such as windows, skylights, and green roofs

• Non-visual connections: incorporating natural elements, such as plants, water features, and natural materials, into the design

• Tactile connections: incorporating natural elements, such as wood, stone, and plants, into the design to provide a tactile experience

• Auditory connections: incorporating natural sounds, such as water features and birdsong, into the design to create a sense of connection to nature

By incorporating natural elements into interior spaces, biophilic design can promote well-being, reduce stress, and improve physical and mental health. These elements not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of a space but also create environments that are restorative and nurturing, fostering a deeper connection to the natural world.

8 Early Signs Of Addiction That You Might Be Ignoring

8 Early Signs Of Addiction That You Might Be Ignoring

The battle with addiction can last  a lifetime. For some people, it might start in the teens and twenties when they're still trying to figure out who they are and what life is going to be about for them specifically.

For others, this could happen later on in life when there's a huge change brought on by very difficult circumstances or an incredibly shocking event happens to leave a person feeling isolated and alone.

There's never a specific time when someone quits being a regular everyday human being and becomes an addict. It just sorts of works its way into their lives, much like alcoholism does for some people.

To better understand what early addiction might look like, let's take a look at some of the signs of early addiction:

1.  Loss of Interest in Former Hobbies

Alcoholics are famous for giving up their passions. They give up things like sports, hanging out with friends, spending time with family, and so on. There are important reasons for how this happens, but it remains the fact that alcoholics lose interest in doing anything outside of their addiction when they're deep into it.

Since everything they do is alcohol-centric, they become highly dependent on drugs for everything. It is only in the early few months of being sober after quitting drugs that they understand that those activities are very well achievable without drugs.  

2 . Hostility Towards Those Who Are Concerned

When someone is addicted to something, they begin to take criticism very personally because they feel as if you're attacking them personally. This is because their addiction begins to define who they are as a person, and they end up feeling threatened any time someone dares to question it.

3 . Developing Problems With Priorities

Addiction is very much about prioritizing one's own desires over everything else in life. In many cases, addicts don't see anything wrong with this behavior even when those close to them begin expressing concerns. As long as the addict gets what they want when they want it, they don't care how it affects others in the process or if there's a problem with their priorities in regards to where they're spending their time or energy.

4 . Lying Their Activities And Drug Use

When someone is developing a drug addiction, they might not be honest about their activities and their drug usage.  You might notice them lying about where they were or what they've been doing if their drug addiction has progressed enough. They might also lie about their drug use to hide the extent of it, which is a sign that there's even more reason to be concerned about their behavior.

5 . Putting Others Down Or Speaking Negatively

When someone puts others down, speaks negatively about people often, or seems to take pleasure in disparaging others; this can be signs of early addiction because the person might want to make themselves look better by putting others down. This behavior will become worse as their addiction progresses, which leads us to our next sign.

6. Isolating To Use Drugs

This one should be obvious since isolation is common among drug addicts.  When someone is withdrawing from friends and family and getting irritated when they're interrupted, it could be because they want time to use drugs. If they've been isolating more frequently or for longer periods than usual, then that's a definite warning sign that they're spiraling downwards into addiction.

7. Getting Angry Or Irritable At Normal Situations

Addicts tend to get irritable over seemingly normal situations, such as if the service is slow at a restaurant or there's unexpected weather at an airport; this can indicate an early addiction because it might be common behavior among addicts who are using again after attempting to clean up their act.

8. Money Troubles And Debts

Money is one of the most common problems addicts face, even when they're able to work again after treatment. If an addict is having issues with money that wasn't present before they started using drugs, then that can be a sign that addiction has set in. People who are just experimenting or recreationally using might not have issues with money while people who are already struggling will have issues with it.

If you or someone you know is showing these signs of early addiction, don't hesitate to seek treatment in time before it turns into a full-blown addiction!

Best examples biophilic design research — biofilico wellness interiors

What is biophilic design and the biophilia hypothesis?

Urbanization and life in dense city centres brings with it a concomitant risk of a disconnect from nature on one level and a cascade of negative impacts on the environment on another. To counter-balance this trend, biophilic design proposes a realignment of priorities by bringing the outside world back into our urban planning, architecture and interiors.

By integrating both sustainability and wellbeing, green building design and healthy building design concepts, this biophilia hypothesis led strategy offers a bridge between the artificial dichotomy of ‘People’ on one side and ‘Planet’ on the other. Incorporating biophilic design elements, such as natural materials and elements, into these designs can improve air quality, thermal comfort, and water management, contributing to the overall sustainability goals.

On the basis that we cannot act on one without inevitably acting on the other, a nature-centric approach provides a vision of future buildings and interiors that nudges us considerably closer to a state of harmony with nature, as per all of our evolutionary history up until the industrial age.

Why do we need biophilia and natural light in buildings and interiors?

City living often equates to a disconnect between our daily existence and nature, with many of us now spending 80-90% of our lives indoors. Introducing a connection with nature through biophilic design is crucial in urban living, as it integrates natural elements into built environments to enhance human health and well-being.

Whereas once our own health and that of the natural environment we inhabited were inextricably linked, it is all too easy to ignore that dynamic when our days are spent between our home, office, school, gym, restaurants and so on… i.e. indoors most of the time!

Indeed, the disconnect has been more extreme and more damaging than any of us could have foreseen, with climate change being only the most prominent manifestation of this new state of affairs.

Only now are we truly coming to appreciate the positive impact this nature exposure, previously taken for granted, can have on our mental and physical wellbeing, or rather - what happens when we deprive ourselves of it (this is the essence of the biophilia hypothesis)

what are benefits of biophilic design?

The main benefits of biophilic design patterns, from our perspective as healthy building and wellness interior consultants, can be collectively grouped into three main categories, specifically spending time in nature has been shown to:

1. reduce anxiety and stress, lowering blood cortisol levels. Biophilic design has positive effects on human health, promoting healing and restorative benefits.

2. increase cognitive function, concentration and memory. It also significantly impacts mental health, improving well-being and productivity, especially in the workplace.

3. enhance positive mood states, promoting a sense of vitality and purpose.

Evidence-based biophilic design in architecture and interiors simply harnesses these scientifically proven insights to bring nature back into our built environment, inviting the outside world in once more via natural materials, colours, patterns and shapes.

Best examples of biophilic design research studies

1.Biophilic design benefits - reduction in stress and anxiety, improving mental health

• Vegetation can reduce stress, increase healing through stimulation of nature views and accessibility (Bratman).

• Biophilic elements increased physiological stress recovery (lowered blood pressure), reduced anxiety, lowered heart rate (Yin, Dec 2019). Creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces can further reduce stress and anxiety by integrating natural elements like water, natural ventilation, and greenery.

• The Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) (Ulrich/ Jimenez) states that stress is reduced in nature due to our natural affinity and comfort with the natural world

• Increased healing/recovery rates due to lower stress (Kaltenegger, ch 13). Views of vegetation has been proven to decrease hospital stay times and increase healing (related to stress/pain levels)

• Exposure to natural light increases a neurotransmitter in the body called serotonin, which increases happiness (Kaltenegger ch. 13)

• Research shows that exposure to the natural world can reduce negative thought and rumination (Bratman)

• Two groups, one walked in nature one on a busy street

• Those in nature: increase in positive thought, decrease in negative thought/rumination (the part of the brain linked to depression), decrease in stress/anxiety

• Biophysical services (if larger scale/parks etc.)

• The physical changes that nature creates causes benefits to humans (ex: if more parks, people may be more encouraged to go on a run near their house and will cause decrease in mental disorders, rumination, obesity, etc).

2. biophilic design benefits - increase cognitive function, concentration and memory

• Improved memory, cognitive performance in office setting in VR (Aristizabal) in a study involving three groups over a 10-week Virtual Reality open office biophilic design study. Working memory and cognitive performance improved in all biophilic design conditions compared to baseline.

• Lower levels of absenteeism/higher productivity levels (Kellert) when daylight is incorporated into office and school buildings

• Student test scores increase, lower dropout rate (Kaltenegger ch. 13). In school buildings with increased natural light, students test scores on average rise between 7-25% due to increased cognitive capacities.

• Attention Restoration Theory (ART) (Kaplan/Jimenez) states that spending time in nature causes humans to refresh their mental state, overcome mental fatigue and improve mental focus and attention

• Increased memory and creativity as exposure to green spaces can positively affect brain development in children through creativity/discovery/risk taking opportunities

3. biophilic design benefits - enhance positive mood states, promoting a sense of vitality and purpose

• Exposure to natural light increases a neurotransmitter in the body called serotonin, which increases happiness (Kaltenegger ch. 13)

• Research shows that exposure to the natural world can reduce negative thought patterns (Bratman). Two groups were assessed, one walked in nature and the other on a busy street, the former experienced an increase in positive thought patterns and a decrease in negative thought patterns (interestingly, this is the same part of the brain linked to depression), whilst also stated they felt a decrease in overall stress levels and anxiety.

• Biophilic design in urban environments can significantly enhance positive mood states by integrating natural elements into city settings.

• Biophysical services (if larger scale/parks etc.). The physical changes that nature creates causes benefits to humans (ex: if more parks, people may be more encouraged to go on a run near their house for example, thereby reducing obesity risks, cardiovascular disease, and so on).

Benefits of nature exposure <> benefits of biophilic design

Biophilic design studies are slowly becoming more common (see our own studies into the benefits of biophilic design here) but much of what is out there is still based on reviewing a number of key research studies done a while ago. Biophilic design plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable development by integrating natural elements into built environments, which contributes to sustainable architecture and the transformation of healthcare spaces.

There is considerably more information available on how nature exposure positively affects humans, and a lot can be inferred from these studies as the properties of nature exposure are similar, and correlations can be reasonably inferred.

• Biophilic design studies are slightly different than nature-based studies but there is considerable overlap, for example

• window/nature views could be included in both

• natural light/sun exposure could be included in both

• greenery/vegetation could be included in both (although likely on a smaller scale with biophilic design)

Direct nature has been proven to have the most wellness benefits but indirect exposure (ie, looking at a picture of a tree) still has health benefits too - this is how a lot of examples of biophilic design can justifiably claim to be wellness spaces even if they do not contain any direct biophilia (i.e. living plants or trees).

This does however mean that white blood cells known as Natural Killer (NK) cells may not increase with some examples of biophilic design interiors as there are likely far fewer or even no phytoncides in those spaces that a real forest provides in abundance (see forest bathing research for more on this).

Tsao, Tsung-Ming et al. “Health effects of a forest environment on natural killer cells in humans: an observational pilot study.” Oncotarget vol. 9,23 16501-16511. 27 Mar. 2018, doi:10.18632/oncotarget.24741. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5893257/

Examples of biophilic design sources referenced above:

Aristizabal, Sara, et al. “Biophilic Office Design: Exploring the Impact of a Multisensory Approach on Human Well-Being.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, Academic Press, 9 Sept. 2021, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494421001353.

Bratman, Gregory, and Gretchen Daily. The Benefits of Nature Experience: Improved Affect and Cognition. Tech. Vol. 138. Stanford: n.p., 2015. Landscape and Urban Planning. Stanford University Libraries. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

Jimenez, Marcia P. et al. “Associations Between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18.9 (2021): 4790. Crossref. Web.

• Note: this source was used for ART/SRT info (although original theory names given credit above)

Kaltenegger, Ingrid. “Integration of Mother Nature into Smart Buildings.” Integration of Nature and Technology for Smart Cities. By Helen Santiago Fink. Switzerland: Springer International, 2016. ch. 13,18. Print.

Kellert, Stephen R., and Bill Finnegan. “Biophilic Design-The Architecture of Life Viewing Guide.” (n.d.): n. pag. Biophilic Design. Tamarack Media and Stephen Kellert. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.

Yin, Jie, et al. “Effects of Biophilic Interventions in Office on Stress Reaction and Cognitive Function: A Randomized Crossover Study in Virtual Reality.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 11 Sept. 2019, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ina.12593

Yin, Jie, et al. “Effects of Biophilic Indoor Environment on Stress and Anxiety Recovery: A between-Subjects Experiment in Virtual Reality.” Environment International, Pergamon, 24 Dec. 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019336347?via%3Dihub

Biophilia Benefits: Combining Biophilia and Fitness for Green Exercise

KEY CONCEPTS: GREEN EXERCISE / BIOPHILIC DESIGN / GYM DESIGN / INDOOR GREEN EXERCISE / PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING

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What is green exercise and why is it good for us?

Nature has an impact on our mental and physical wellbeing, this is the basic insight behind the biophilia hypothesis that states we co-evolved with nature, our histories are inextricably intertwined but ultimately she makes the rules and if we distance ourselves too far from them, we eventually pay a price, be that at an individual or collective level. 

What is Biophilic Design? A way to align sustainability and health objectives via the built environment, be it an office interior, or our home. It equates to healthy, natural materials in the floors, walls and ceiling as well as the furniture. Often there is a natural colour palette, as well as wabi-sabi (organic, imperfect) finishes, nature-inspired shapes and patterns, as well as a component of multi-sensory design such as sound, light and scent. 

What is Green Exercise? This is about exercising in natural, outdoor environments as a way to leverage some of the health benefits of being in nature, i.e. incorporating biophilia into the exercise experience, again drawing on evolutionary theory in the same way Biophilic design does, essentially.

Think of road cycling, trail running, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, skiing, kitesurfing and so on. An inherent part of the pleasure and satisfaction we take from such activities is connected to the dominant presence of natural surroundings. Whether we recognize it or not. 

The term ‘green exercise' itself was coined by a team of researchers at the University of Essex (UK) led by Professors Barton and Bragg, to sum up these synergistic health benefits linked to physical activity combined with nature.

Indoor green exercise is a further iteration of the concept that combines biophilic design in a health club, gym or fitness studio context, as exemplified by our own Biofit designed gyms. While this solution will never match the outdoor experience, it arguably justifies itself in terms of convenience, especially for the time poor living in dense urban environments with limited access to nature during the work week.

More than simply interior decor, this concept should in our view extend all the way into the equipment selection and training on offer - less isolation machines full of plastic parts and more functional fitness gear made of wood, leather, iron and rope in other words.

What are the proven health benefits of nature exposure? 

Research shows that exposure to the natural world can reduce stress, increase cognitive function and productivity, improves mood and enhances creativity. These concepts represent the fundamental pillars of why biophilia is important for our wellbeing- i.e. staying connected to nature.

Bratman, Gregory, and Gretchen Daily. The Benefits of Nature Experience: Improved Affect and Cognition. Tech. Vol. 138. Stanford: n.p., 2015. Landscape and Urban Planning. Stanford University Libraries. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

What form should that ‘exposure' to nature take? One approach is ‘forest bathing', a Japanese concept that simply means attempting to find a calm and tranquil space in a forest setting surrounded by dense tree cover, albeit with a modicum of extra mindfulness and purpose to it all, rather than merely wandering by chance into a nearby park and hoping for the best.

The proven health benefits of forest bathing include primary disease prevention - by boosting the immune system with Natural Killer (NK) cells that combat other cells infected by a tumor or virus - and secondly reduced blood pressure that lowers stress and anxiety levels.

Li Q, Morimoto K et al. “Forest bathing enhances human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins.” Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2007 Apr-Jun;20(2 Suppl 2):3-8. doi: 10.1177/03946320070200S202. PMID: 17903349. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17903349/

How do the scientific community explain this phenomenon? A couple of leading theories exist that we will mention here.

The first is Attention Restoration Theory (ART), that states that time spent in nature, or even simply experiencing a space that features Biophilic design such as this one, helps us ‘refresh' our mental state, overcome short-term fatigue and better focus on a specific task requiring concentration. 

ART was first put forward by Environmental Psychology Professors Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in their book entitled The experience of nature: A psychological perspective that investigates the impact of restorative natural environments on our psyches.

A second theory, known as the Stress Reduction Theory (SRT), states that high stress levels are lowered in natural environments due to our natural affinity and comfort with the natural world. This theory is from another key name in the field of Biophilic design and applied biophilia, Dr Roger Ulrich. 

What type fo natural environments are we talking about here? Famously in one of Ulrich's studies (1984) he showed that a view out of a hospital bedroom onto a natural landscape as opposed to a solid brick wall improved patient recovery times. In another study (1979) it was enough to show research respondents a slideshow of natural landscapes to elicit similar, stress-reducing response. 

Jimenez, Marcia P. et al. “Associations Between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18.9 (2021): 4790. Crossref. Web.

What is the scientific evidence for green exercise?

Nothing new here but for clarity, beyond the obvious physical benefits, exercise also helps maintain healthy sleep patterns, enhance mood, improve executive function and cognitive performance, in particular in the post-exercise phase.

When we add in nature exposure, we see more psychological benefits such as self-esteem, vitality and a reduction in “frustration, worry, confusion, depression and tiredness”. Equally, running outdoors as opposed to indoors on a treadmill, is associated with “less anxiety, depression, anger and hostility”. 

Finally, and perhaps most tellingly, due to the number of buttons that nature switches on in our psychological make-up, we instinctively look crave the next hit of goodness, encouraging future exercise - suggesting that green exercise and indeed indoor green exercise may be the key to increasing exercise levels amongst those population groups who do not partake in regular exercise.

Green Exercise - Linking Nature, Health & Wellbeing, Edited by Barton, Bragg, Wood and Pretty.

Why are some gyms unhealthy or unnatural, from the green exercise perspective?

Often there is poor air quality in heavily used, lower-ground gyms with no natural light, inadequate ventilation systems and high equipment density meaning any cleaning regime is always going to be limited in its effectiveness, dust accumulates over time and the air ends up with high levels of CO2 (due to the number of gym users respiring heavily in an enclosed space). This can in turn lead to increased fatigue, ironically.

In response to this situation, we have long proposed biophilic design and nature-based, healthy design strategies for gyms, health clubs and fitness studios to bring the health benefits of nature indoors.

This can be achieved the incorporation of wood and other natural materials for equipment, the use of natural light, use of natural analogs such as images of nature (wallpaper, framed prints), a natural color palette, the use of greenery such as plant walls and hanging plants around the ceiling, pine forest aromatherapy for some of those healthy phytoncides forest bathing leverages, enhanced HVAC filters and natural ventilation strategies to provide purified indoor air as close as possible in quality to that we might hope to breathe when outside in nature, and finally an eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning protocol to ensure no chemicals are inadvertently introduced into the indoor environment by the maintenance team.

Other references on biophilia, green exercise and nature exercise benefits:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5663018/pdf/BJPI-14-79a.pdf

• http://europepmc.org/article/med/26600402

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308099577_Green_Exercise_Health_and_Well-Being

Introduction to Biophilia and Green Exercise

Biophilia, a term coined by biologist E.O. Wilson, refers to the innate human tendency to seek connections with nature. This concept is closely tied to the idea of green exercise, which involves engaging in physical activity in natural environments. Green exercise has been shown to have numerous benefits for both physical and mental health, including reduced stress levels, improved mood, and increased feelings of well-being. By incorporating green exercise into our daily lives, we can tap into our biophilic tendencies and reap the rewards of a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.

The Benefits of Green Exercise for Physical and Mental Health

Green exercise has been extensively researched, and the findings are clear: engaging in physical activity in natural environments has a profound impact on both physical and mental health. Studies have shown that green exercise can lower blood pressure, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and even improve cognitive function. Additionally, green exercise has been linked to improved sleep quality, increased energy levels, and a stronger immune system. By incorporating green exercise into our daily routine, we can experience these benefits firsthand and improve our overall health and well-being.

The Science Behind Green Exercise

So, what exactly happens when we engage in green exercise? Research suggests that exposure to natural environments triggers a range of physiological responses, including reduced cortisol levels, increased parasympathetic activity, and improved mood. Theories such as the biophilia hypothesis and the attention restoration theory provide a framework for understanding the mechanisms behind these responses. By understanding the science behind green exercise, we can better appreciate the importance of incorporating natural environments into our physical activity routines.

Overcoming Barriers to Green Exercise

Despite the numerous benefits of green exercise, many of us face barriers to incorporating it into our daily lives. Common obstacles include lack of access to natural environments, limited time, and inclement weather. However, with a little creativity and planning, these barriers can be overcome. Strategies such as finding local parks or green spaces, scheduling green exercise into our daily routine, and investing in waterproof gear can help us stay on track and make green exercise a sustainable part of our lifestyle.

Green Exercise in Different Environments

Green exercise can take many forms, from walking in urban parks to hiking in wilderness areas. Each environment offers unique benefits and challenges, and understanding these differences can help us tailor our green exercise routine to our individual needs and preferences. For example, urban green spaces may offer more opportunities for social interaction, while wilderness areas may provide a greater sense of solitude and connection with nature. By exploring different environments and finding what works best for us, we can maximize the benefits of green exercise and make it a sustainable part of our lifestyle.

Designing Wellness Spaces for Green Exercise

As the importance of green exercise becomes increasingly recognized, there is a growing need for wellness spaces that incorporate natural environments and promote physical activity. Designing these spaces requires a deep understanding of the principles of green exercise and the needs of users. Strategies such as incorporating natural materials, providing access to natural light and ventilation, and creating opportunities for social interaction can help create wellness spaces that promote physical and mental well-being. By prioritizing green exercise in our wellness spaces, we can create environments that support our overall health and well-being.

Biomimicry and Biophilic Design: Biodesign Insights by Danielle Trofe - Wellness Design Consultants

the potential of mycelium as a healthy building material / examples of biophilic design that are truly sustainable / biomimicry as a leading light in the new field of sustainable design

Welcome to episode 43 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast, brought to you by Biofilico healthy buildings & interiors.

In this episode I’m chatting to Danielle Trofe, a biodesigner with her own studio in New York who also lectures in biomimicry for The Pratt Institute and Parsons New School. Danielle is a part of the green building movement herald, promoting sustainable and biophilic design.

Danielle’s MushLume collection of lampshades made from organically grown mushroom mycelium and hemp have featured in the seriously cool, eco-luxury 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge amongst other projects and she is a leading proponent of biofabrication - that is using naturally grown materials in product design.

Our conversation covers all of these ‘bio’ terms that may understandably be new for many of you, we also look into the full Life Cycle impact of a design product from production through to end of life, we discuss how biophilic design can when delivered poorly equate to a largely superficial greenwashing of the interior design process, and we introduce the topic of green chemistry, that is research and development around new bio-based materials that designers such s Danielle can then introduce into future product development.

Conversation highlights

• biophilic design allows us to connect to nature indoors, reminding us that we are still part of nature

• a label of ‘nature-inspired’ doesn’t necessarily mean a product is good for both people and planet, poorly delivered examples of biophilic design may in fact be harmful to the environment

• biomimicry as a movement is emerging as a rigorous framework for creating design that takes into consideration both our own health and that of the planet.

• I think a lot of the biodesign field is really about taking action, it’s not just the study of it but rather how we can actually start making goods that help restore balance back to our ecosystems.

https://danielletrofe.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielletrofe

https://twitter.com/DanielleTrofe

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FULL TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS COURTESY OF OTTER.AI (excuse typos)

Matt Morley

Let’s begin with some terminology, specifically ‘biodesign’ and ‘biofabricated design’. How do you describe those two concepts to someone coming to this subject for the first time?

Danielle Trofe

In this past decade, or maybe even a little bit further, biodesign as a term has kind of come out in two different fields, one in the medical field and one in the design field. It’s serving a purpose as this catch all term that incorporates biomimicry, biofabricationbiophilic****design, to help those who don’t really know what each of those different facets really means. So that we can all kind of have the same conversation.

What is Biofabrication?

Biofabrication is what I do, it's about using a living organism to actually grow a product or design for you. So you're typically extracting something from nature or not, you can actually grow in a lab and and use that living organism to do the producing for you. In this case, I'm not not doing the manufacturing, the organism is actually doing that, for example mycelium - the roots of mushrooms - but also bacteria, algae or kombucha.

What is biophilic design?

I refer to Biophilic Design as the visual copying of nature and natural elements. We all have Biophilia, we all instinctively connect to nature in different ways, biophilic design is about tapping into that emotional state, that very native energy that we all have inside of us. Biophilic design has been shown to improve cognitive performance and provide health benefits. It allows us to connect to nature indoors, reminding us that we are still part of nature.

What is biomimicry?

Biomimicry goes a bit deeper by looking at Nature’s forms, processes and entire ecosystem, so it has these three different levels in other words. The aim is to draw out these principles to integrate them into human design to address any design or engineering challenge. Biomimicry involves understanding how nature overcomes similar challenges to the engineering challenge encountered. It leverages nature's evolutionary problem-solving to solve technological challenges.

Matt Morley

I think it’s very clear that you’ve mastered those concepts, it’s often so difficult to give a succinct description of concepts like biophilic design, yet you just managed to do it! Part of your work is in fact in education isn’t it? Besides being a designer you are also a teacher on biomimicry?

Danielle Trofe

Yes, correct. So I’ve been teaching biomimicry and biodesign at the Pratt Institute and the Parsons New School in Manhattan. I try to help orient students with an understanding of what this new field of nature inspired design is all about. That’s really what it is, it is a very new field, that is still unfolding, these terms are really being birthed at the moment, we continue experimenting with them.

Terminology can also vary from region to region. I know in the UK and in Germany, there are different terminologies for biomimicry for example. Everyone involved in this field is collectively trying to come up with a language to be able to talk about these particular topics such as biophilic design.

Matt Morley

There is so much discussion now around healthy buildings, healthy materials and wellness interior design on one side, with concerns over the sustainability of our buildings and interiors, the impact of our built environment on the planet, on the other. It looks to me like biodesign bridges those two worlds of wellness interiors and sustainable buildings.

It is not contributing waste, nor damaging the environment, and at the same time biodesign products are non-toxic, so these bio materials are inherently healthy and help contribute to an Indoor Environmental Quality plan.

Danielle Trofe

Yes… but with the caveat that it is done correctly! So let’s talk about that. Yeah, there is poorly delivered biomimicry, biofabrication or indeed biophilic design, right? You could create something that looks exactly like a tree. But if you’re using materials that can’t be recycled, that take tremendous amount of energy to create or that are mined unsustainably, you’re not really completing the holistic viewpoint of what biomimicry is, or hopefully in the larger sense, bio design.

My point is that just because it can fall under that label of nature-inspired, that doesn’t necessarily mean that a product is good for both people and the planet. The issue is that there’s nobody really there to judge what is or isn’t a high standard of biophilic design, for example.

So we’re kind of evolving together to be able to evaluate our own designs. Even if you are taking inspiration from nature, do you have the understanding and the tool set to be able to authentically factor in a products complete life cycle assessment, including where it’s coming from, how it’s affecting humans / nature during its use phase and the end of life disposal?

Whether that’s biophilic design, bio design, biofabrication or biomimicry, one thing that really stands out when you work in these fields is that there’s a greater framework for ensuring that a design meets all those needs throughout the process, from inception to production and end of life. This framework ensures that the number one thing and biomimicry is life can do, life creates conditions conducive to life.

That’s where I feel biomimicry as a movement is emerging as a more rigorous framework for creating design that really does take into consideration our health and the health of the planet.

Matt Morley

You’re practicing what you preach as you apply those same theories in your own products. And so that, in a sense leads us into the MushLume Biofabricated Lamps discussion. Why don’t we talk a little bit about how you have created a case study in a way of how to implement these ideas in a product-led business.

Biofabricated lamps

Danielle Trofe

Sure. Yeah, so about eight years ago, I started working with this amazing material that was coming out of upstate New York that was created by Ecovative - a mushroom mycelium material. And so for anyone who doesn't know what Mycelium is, it is the roots of a mushroom.

So just like an apple is the fruit of a tree. Mushroom is the fruiting body of this network of mycelia that live beneath the forest floor. And nature is the big recycler you know, it decomposes all dying and decaying matter in a forest or in an ecosystem. It connects all plants and an ecosystem actually is nature's communicator, it shares information, can warn other plants of impending danger, distributes water within a forest, shares nutrients underground… It really is this incredible organism that is one of the largest terrestrial organisms on the planet. There's one network that's known to be a couple 1000 years old in Oregon and stretches several football fields long.

Mycelium and hemp as healthy materials with positive health benefits

We take this mycelium and instead of extracting it out of nature, like we often do for most of our goods, we are we are inoculating it in a lab and reproducing it, then once it is in a liquid form we combine it with hemp and let nature do what it does best - grow! For that we put it in an environment that it wants to grow in, allowing the mycelium to bind to the hemp over a course of just a few days. You will see this white matte structure that actually solidifies all of the hemp.

The hemp is just used as support material for it to grow into, and also food as well. So cellulose, it wants to digest the cellulose. To give an understanding of the application of a lampshade, we create these forms, we pack them with the substrate that's already been inoculated. And then we just leave them to grow, we're not even adding additional water or energy into the production process!

Our largest lampshade, which is a 24 inch diameter dome takes about a week to grow. And if you think about this timeframe, to be able to use wood, you know, you're looking at anywhere from 25 to 100 years of a tree growing out in nature, and then you're harvesting this and you're putting all this energy into being able to process the material to use it.

We isolate mycelium in a lab, transport it a very short distance, and then let it grow in the course of just a few weeks. So you can already start to see the life cycle impact there.

The other most important part which is something that we're not as familiar with, but we're starting to understand its value now, is at the end of its life, the mycelium product is just going to decompose!

Biodegradable at end of life

Traditionally, in the last couple, maybe last 100 years, we've really wanted things to last. We want things to last as long as possible, we want them to be super durable. But we're starting to find out and especially since the invention of plastics that these might not be the best concepts. And rather than using materials that we're not quite sure how they're going to break down to an elemental form and affect our own bodies. We know exactly what's in these lampshades and they are going to actually add nutrients back into the soil rather than pollutants. So that's a completely different concept to a lot of our traditional goods.

And often people are like, Well, is it gonna break down in my living room but it's actually a very inert material. We do bake it at the end of its growth cycle, that's mainly to damage the cells enough so it won't continue to grow in your living room. It won't spore, it won't shoot off mushrooms. It's a completely stable, inert material in your living room. There's nothing that's going to break it down.

What's more the lampshades have this incredible soft feel, almost like a lamb's ear. So it's something that you actually want to touch. And there's not many lamps out there that inspire you to interact with it. And of course, that makes it a conversation piece, being able to talk with your guests at the dining room table about the light fixture that's overhead.

Matt Morley

You are rightly pointing out how long a lampshade really needs to be with us, where's that sweet spot between durability and being biodegradable. I wondered whether the lampshade had anything inherently suited to this particular medium. Could you have done any other number of things but you randomly selected the lampshade? Have you got an entire collection of products in your mind eventually?

Danielle Trofe

Yeah, so that's an excellent question. Part of the story is that Ecovative at the time was working mainly in packaging. So using the material to displace Styrofoam, which is a fantastic use for it.

We reached out to them, ordered samples and we wanted to start working with the idea of using it for a lampshade and it was kind of a crazy idea at that level eight years ago, and it ended up being one of the best use cases for it because of the material's properties. So to give everyone a better idea - when fully grown, it's very lightweight, it almost has the density of Styrofoam, but has a much softer exterior coat, which is actually the mycelium.

We can actually tune the material and kind of play with a little bit with its coloring. So yeah, we do have some that are not completely white. And that's the other thing about them. Once it's grown, the Mycelium is white, naturally. And that's how we leave them. So there's not any paint that's added to them. That's just the natural form that the mycelium takes.

Mycelium as an alternative to plastic packaging

It's great for packaging for single use packaging but it has limitations in terms of you a product like a chair or stool that is going to get bumped around, rubbed, scratched or knocked over. But for an object that's hanging above you suspended from the ceiling or perhaps a table lamp that's not always being touched, then that's a perfect case for using mycelium.

There were a number of years of us getting over shipping issues, modifying the form so that when they ship they don't crack or break, and they can be installed easily by the end consumer too. So there were huge learning curves of bringing this biotechnology to a place where you could commercialize a product.

I used to grow everything in Brooklyn, New York, I had a studio space here, and I would grow each one by hand. And just over this past year, year and a half, we move production to a company out in California who now grows all the lampshades for the studio. So we're able to finally expand past my own capabilities.

Biofabricated materials as a future trend

You're really seeing not just the general public, but the industry start to buy into Biodesign. Early on when we started to work with this material, nobody really knew what mycelium was, it was kind of a new term but the conversation has really shifted in the last five years so people know what Mycelium is.

There's all these startups around the world now working with mycelium whereas when I first started, there was maybe a handful around the world. We're talking single digits. So it's really been larger than just one studio or just a few companies. It's now so many young startups, working around biomaterials because they see the value in creating new products that are not going to necessarily pollute the planet or provide a negative impact.

Algae as a healthy material in design

Matt Morley

The other big player then, that I think deserves a mention in our conversation is algae - another biomaterial often mentioned in the same breath along with mycelium. Are you working with algae based materials too?

Danielle Trofe

Yeah, just when I started working with it, and it was for a completely different project, I ended up closing the studio to shift focus a little bit but we do work with it, for example an algae-based pigment to color the lampshades. We're collaborating with artists and designers to paint on our lampshades using algae ink. A start-up in Colorado has developed a new ink pigment derived from algae, which is fantastic.

There's also the Biodesign Challenge, which is a nonprofit organization that has a worldwide competition for young students to be able to create Biodesign applications and then have them be judged by professionals within the field. And there's been so many startups that have come from just these kinds of competitions, and you're really starting to see this field being driven by people that are under 30.

I really I do believe it's the generation underneath mine that is really going to power everything in terms of sustainability because they've inherited something that generations before did not - there has to be action. So I think a lot of the biodesign field is really about taking action, it's not just the study of it but rather how are we can actually start making goods that help restore balance back to our ecosystems.

Matt Morley

You collaborated with the 1 Hotel brand - they arguably reinvented what ‘eco luxury' could mean in hospitality. Can you talk to us about that project to help them create an example of biophilic design in one of their suites using your mycelium lampshades?

Biophilic design with natural elements in hotels

Danielle Trofe

Yeah it was fantastic. Working with 1 Hotel, that really was the project that elevated our lampshades to the next level, we did around 130 lampshades in this huge cloud in the presidential suite at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. Biophilic design in hotels can support positive health benefits for guests.

Just working with 1 Hotel as a partner, it was really fantastic. We share the same values and be able to create different kinds of opportunities where the public can participate. So for instance, we had an exhibit where people could come in and see the lampshades being grown for the hotel. One of the things I realized is to hear the conversation that we’re having now, it’s really difficult to not physically see and feel the material, or watch the growing process. Demystifying that experience was really valuable.

The images that we got from that project really captured the possibilities of what our MushLume lampshades could do and have inspired a few other hotel installations since then too. We have grown from that as well I think, those images really did solidify that this is not just a case study. This is not just a single project but a commercialized product - that differentiation was huge. From there, we could move beyond this small niche to compete against big lighting brands, while also supporting positive health benefits through biophilic design in hotel suites.

Vertical gardens

Matt Morley

You've also got a vertical garden product that looks to be essentially a sort of an upright, vertically oriented planter for multiple plants. I'm wondering if you've got more things in the pipeline. Where do you go from here?

Danielle Trofe

Yeah, so the vertical garden was actually originally a hydroponic vertical garden. So that was the first product I ever created. And we launched that back in 2012. And it really kind of grew into a couple of installations with BMW.

The vertical garden now exists in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. So if you go to their Visitor Center, you can see it there. And it's something that hasn't completely come to full realization, mainly because I started getting into the lighting and that kind of took off. But it's something I do want to bring back and one of the main reasons this was lagging is because at the time there weren't the tools to be able to create those planter pods. They look kind of look like Alien eggs, if you will.

So we created them out of thermoformed plastic which went against everything that I as a designer and as a studio believed in. So we've kind of been in this holding pattern to get to the right material and the right process to be able to recreate this. And that's actually being done right now, with much more sustainable materials.

For example we're looking at upcycling food waste into ceramic planter pods. So that's definitely something that's happening in the future. We hope to actually come out with a full product and not just an installation.

As for future, it's a good question. I recently became a mom. So a lot of things have really shifted. You know, even a fetus can contain over 100 Different manmade chemicals at that stage yet it's extremely difficult to find healthy materials or healthy interior products aimed at babies. That's the next thing I want to get into - green chemistry, and being able to actually bring products that are not toxic to our environments.

Green chemistry to develop new natural materials

Matt Morley

So the green chemistry thing for those who perhaps not clued up on it, that’s really where the nature-inspired R&D is taking place that then facilitates people such as yourself as a designer, to create the bio products you envision, that then are sold to bio-friendly businesses like 1 Hotels with their biophilic design in the bedrooms. Green chemistry is a crucial part of sustainable design, focusing on creating products that are environmentally friendly and efficient. It can help create products that mimic natural forms and patterns.

If you haven’t got the green chemistry, providing you with what you need - the tools and materials to create the products - then the products can’t materialize yet. These products can enhance human well-being and connection with the natural world.

Equally, if there isn’t also the consumer demand, the end market there to make it all into a viable business proposition, then the products either don’t materialize or remain prototypes and concept designs. So we have this delicate dance required to push the industry forward…

Danielle Trofe

Exactly - what you’re doing with the Green & Healthy Places podcast is also helping these fields to advance, by communicating these ideas to a wider public. We need to popularize the basics of what Biodesign is about, biomimicry, biophilia, all of the ‘bio whats’ to our industry and beyond, to consumers because ultimately consumers are driving the demand for these bio materials and bio products as well.

Clients are asking for things that are more sustainable. And they’re also starting to ask the questions. Well, where does this come from? How was it made? Hopefully ‘where does it end up?’ will be the next question that they’re going to ask…!

https://danielletrofe.com/

Danielle’s products are available in Europe through https://www.grown.bio/

Biophilic design for student mental wellbeing

What is biophilic design?

Biophilic design brings the outside world in to bridge the gap between our indoor urban habitats and the natural environment we co-evolved in over millions of years.

By recognizing the primacy of this synergistic relationship between our wellbeing and nature, biophilic designers then work to create harmonious nature-centric buildings and interiors that minimize their impact on the environment whilst maximizing their health benefits for occupants. And yes, typically this involves a lot of greenery but as we will see below, a pot plant is just the tip of the iceberg.

What does a biophilic designer do?

The work of a biophilic designer can either involve a pure consultancy role working alongside an architecture / interior design studio, bringing a unique combination of sustainable design and wellbeing design principles to the table on larger projects, or involves implementing those same biophilic design concepts directly into a space as the lead designer.

There is an intricate, three-way relationship between our physical and mental health, our planet’s health and the spaces we inhabit. A biophilic designer seeks to apply this equally to entire buildings as specific interior spaces, right the way down to furniture, wallpaper, flooring, artworks and so on.

How can biophilic design help student mental wellbeing?

By creating healthy, green and positive spaces for studying, working, recharging, sleeping and even exercising biophilic design can harness some of the goodness of the outside world for the mental wellbeing of students at university.

This is done through the integration of natural elements in interiors, it doesn't have to be as literal as ‘a view of a forest in the library’ say, it can be a more subtle combination of natural colors, materials, textures, scents and sounds that cumulatively provides a restorative, nature-centric experience for the building. occupant.

The fundamental insight underlying all of this is the spaces we spend time in can have either a positive or negative influence on our mental and emotional wellbeing.

Biophilic design research data

There is plenty of scientific research out there already (see here) but there's always a need for more such studies. Biofilico has delivered two such studies, one of which was in collaboration with the University of Essex in Canary Wharf in London, on behalf of a residential real estate. developer named EcoWorld Ballymore and their The Wardian apartments.

Effectively they gave us a glasshouse by the river and asked us to create a restorative biophilic space as a pop-up one January, then invite local residents and workers in to spend 30-60 minutes of their day simply experiencing the ‘Vitamin Nature space’, as we called it.

Vitamin Nature interior design

We had 108 People spend around about an hour in there over three weeks with a pre and post visit questionnaire. The visitors to the Vitamin Nature space could pretty much do what they wanted but it was declare a ‘digital detox zone’. So some of them were working quietly, or collaborating in teams, or taking time out to have a peaceful lunch.

We had 74% of respondents say they felt an improvement in mood, while 87% reported lower levels of perceived stress, considering they were all coming in from offices in London’s central business district, 83% left feeling more productive than when they arrived and 87% reported feeling more creative afterwards.

Mental health benefits of biophilic design

This shows that we can both reduce the negative impact of other, non biophilic urban environments as well as positively impact feelings of vitality and nature connectedness, all through spending a little time in a biophilic design concept space. Imagine what it could do in you home or office where you spend 8-12. hours a day!

We achieved this particular biophilic design experience via an abundance of air-purifying plants, scented candles and aromatherapy, meditation books and circadian lighting to energize by day then calm after dark, so it doesn’t need to be a huge investment in financial terms, at least not in the context of student accommodation for example.

Biophilic design university gym

Biofilico’s sister company Biofit was asked by the Health Promotion Unit of the Karolinska Institute medical university in Stockholm, Sweden to create a small eco-friendly exercise space for students to use in the centre of campus. See case.study here.

This university campus is big on biophilic design and has been for a while, so they were already harnessing the restorative mental wellbeing benefits of natural interiors for their students.

The task here was to create somewhere students could have a mini movement snack during their study. day, connecting with some biophilia, do a small group class session, meditate, or generally recharge.

To achieve this we worked with lots of air-purifying plants, natural materials, air purifiers, non-toxic recyclable moss-like carpet panels.

The space was only 30 square meters and was not playing any meaningful role in their student mental health promotion efforts so they wanted to convert it into a new, attractive feature for the department to engage with students

Exercise equipment focused on functional and bodyweight training, with gymnastic rings, a balance beam, massage balls, sandbags, stall bars, lifting logs, step-up logs and a pull-up bar, all made from sustainable wood. The idea was to promote a fun, free approach to exercise rather than a prescriptive muscle or aesthetics based style of training.

biophilic design for mental health in student accommodation

How can biophilic design improve the mental health of students in their residential accommodation? Obviously indoor plants with air-purifying properties is one place to start but biophilic design is much more expansive a concept than that.

Nature can be brought inside in representative form, through artworks, wallpapers, books on display, sculptures, objets d’art, organic materials, photography, neutral colours, even textures and patterns.

healthy interiors for productivity in students

To contrast this with, for example, a messy student accommodation bedroom in need of a clean, or a chaotic library with poor lighting and inadequate ventilation, it’s clear that the environments students spend most of their time in can have a direct impact not just on their mental wellbeing but also on their productivity, concentration levels and overall output.

Here then are the fundamental concepts behind healthy buildings and wellness interiors:

• improved air quality

• healthy materials

• biophilic design

• multi-sensory design (light, sound & scent)

• considerations for mind & body

biophilia for student mental health

The simple act of taking time away from study to connect with nature, be that by taking a walk outside, spending some time in a nearby park or garden, it’s simply about finding a ‘happy place’ in nature close to home or the university so that it is within easy reach. Those are examples of ‘green nature’ but it could also be ‘blue nature’ such as a lake, pond, river or beach.

Equally, the hormone oxytocin is released when we are around other animals, such as pets, which provides a deep sense of connection, vitality and wellbeing. That may mean watching some ducks or birds, saying hello to your local horses, playing with your dog or snuggling up with your cat. It’s all a form of biophilia, nature connection, and it is going to have an instant impact on your mood.

In summary, nature has a huge amount to teach us, both in terms of connecting directly with it but also in terms of what we can do to bring it in to the environments where we study, work and live.

What is Indoor Air Quality (IAq) in a healthy building?

indoor air quality / air purification / air ventilation / well building standard / healthy building / wellness interior / air quality monitors (kaiterra)

Image shows a Kaiterra indoor air quality monitor

Why does indoor air quality matter for our health?

A simple question but one worth asking upfront. As many of us now spend the majority of our lives indoors, somewhere between home, the office, gym, restaurants, school and so on, the quality of the indoor air we breathe in those places matters because indoor air pollutants can cause headaches, sore throat, a loss in productivity / concentration levels, itchy eyes or asthma attacks in the short-term.

In more serious instances, there is a tangible risk of long-term health concerns such as cancer and respiratory issues. All that is before we introduce the theme of viruses.

common indoor air pollutants

Indoor air pollutants we watch out for include CO2, carbon monoxide, radon, tobacco smoke, mold and chemical off-gases known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Particulate Matter PM2.5 and PM10 are made up of dust and synthetic materials decomposing around us from furniture, fabrics and so on. PM1 are extremely fine particles and include air-borne diseases such as COVID-19.

sources of indoor air contaminants

The primary sources of these contaminants include toxic building materials, paints, finishes, adhesives, chemical-based cleaning products, fire retardant furniture and fabrics, even our shoes can drag in dust and dirt particles from outside, while nail varnish, aerosols and certain low grade perfumes also negatively impact the indoor air quality in a building.

How does outside air affect indoor air quality in a building?

There is an increasing amount of data available now on the real time quality of our outdoor air in many major cities, with a little research online it’s possible to track down extremely detailed air quality maps of your home city, available both on desktop and mobile app formats.

In London for example, there is an impressive network of outdoor air quality monitors set up by one of the universities there. It operates under the London Air moniker:

https://www.londonair.org.uk/LondonAir/Default.aspx

What you'll often find is that there are very different air quality readings according to the seasons, weather conditions, day of the week, even time of day, depending on commuter numbers, industrial activity in the vicinity and so on, versus the relative respite of a Sunday morning outdoor air quality reading for example.

Equally, low cloud cover can compress and hold down smog closer to street level rather than allowing it to dissipate upwards as on a clear day.

Natural ventilation strategies and indoor air quality

According to the type of windows installed in a commercial building, on a day when the outdoor air quality is suitably. high, there may be the option of using natural ventilation rather than an energy-intensive air conditioning system to ventilate an indoor space. If the outdoor air quality is particularly poor, this solution only serves to make matters worse indoors, clearly.

smart apps for indoor air quality management

A new generation of smart apps that can recommend when to open windows and allow outdoor air in are increasingly popular in India and China, a response to the critical air quality situation in some of the major cities there - easily the worst offenders at a global scale.

We expect this technology to trickle down to newly launched smart buildings in European and North American capitals over coming months and years.

Kaiterra air quality monitor

Indoor Air Quality monitors in a healthy building

We have written extensively about the role of indoor air quality monitors in healthy buildings, not least via our conversation with Liam Bates, CEO of Kaiterra, for episode 040 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast.

Essentially the indoor air quality monitor plan (covering quantity and location) as well as the grade of monitor need to be carefully analyzed in advance of the installation, with them finding a home between 1.2m -1.8m from the floor with hourly data readings covering particle. count, carbon dioxide, VOCs, temperature and humidity.

See also our article on the RESET AIR Standard, from our perspective as RESET Accredited Professionals.

Healthy Building Standards and Indoor Air Quality

There is some degree of negotiation that needs to happen when we're evaluating the impact of People and Planet as an air conditioning HVAC system in a new build is much less damaging to the environment than it would have been 20 years ago when there were harmful hydrocarbons and chemicals involved.

Older buildings, especially those originally built on a low budget, still carry the scars of those mistakes today however, a real problem but one slowly being phased out.

In light of Covid-19, we should view mechanical ventilation systems as our friend, albeit one we’d rather ran on green electricity rather fossil fuels, clearly.

The key to an HVAC, from a healthy building perspective at least, are its filters and ventilation rates. That is where the magic happens, these can be UV light, or a physical filter that's catching dust particles, removing bacteria and harmful VOCs (chemical off-gasses) from the air.

This is in addition clearly to thermal regulation to ensure occupants are comfortable, according to the type of activity they are engaged in - be that working, sleeping or working out!

In terms of energy consumption, the issue is that these systems can, if not monitored and programmed smartly with something like a Kaiterra system, be left on all day and night, even when not strictly needed.

The ideal healthy building for indoor air

The absolute apex of all this is a passive or Net Zero building that has been designed to deliberately make use of natural wind patterns, daylight and sunshine to minimize energy expenditure. To some extent we’re waiting for the green energy revolution to catch up but examples of these smart, future-proof buildings have started to emerge, many of them having followed the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge.

Well Building Standard on Indoor Air Quality

WELL’s chapter on air quality is a comprehensive review of the subject (see here) whilst their guidelines on Particulate Matter and VOC levels are included below for reference:

https://standard.wellcertified.com/air/air-quality-standards

Standards for Volatile Substances

Formaldehyde levels less than 27 ppb and Total volatile organic compounds less than 500 μg/m³.

Standards for Particulate Matter and Inorganic Gases

Carbon monoxide less than 9 ppm.

PM₂.₅ less than 15 μg/m³.

PM₁₀ less than 50 μg/m³.

Ozone less than 51 ppb.

Standard for Radon

Radon less than 0.148 Bq/L [4 pCi/L] in the lowest occupied level of the project.

acoustical comfort in healthy buildings & interiors

acoustical comfort / acoustics in interior design / healthy buildings / wellness interiors / sound mapping / acoustic materials / acoustic finishes / well building standard

What is acoustical comfort?

When due attention is given to interior acoustics as part of the design and fit-out process, unwanted sound simply should not be an issue for building occupants, meaning there are no distracting echos or noise levels beyond those that align with the primary activity taking place in that area - this can differ greatly between a buzzy restaurant for example, and a library or office.

Due to the subtleties of this zone by zone approach, ‘acoustic comfort’ is a largely qualitative concept evaluated primarily by occupant satisfaction surveys - using questions such as “is the sound level right for what you are doing?” and so on.

We also have the possible addition of quantitative data via more scientific measurements around decibel levels and a lot of planning takes place in advance of a refurbishment or fit-out to anticipate potential acoustical comfort issues before they become reality.

As we explore below, a wellness interior designer has a number of tools at his or her disposal to integrate materials that absorb sound into the space, no matter whether it be office, residential, retail or restaurant.

What are the main causes of poor acoustics in buildings and interiors?

Building issues such as loud HVAC equipment, improperly insulated spaces, or an excess of hard interior surfaces in areas with regularly high densities of occupants (and their conversations), can all contribute to poor acoustics and occupant discomfort. 

Airborne noise such as the air con / HVAC system and other mechanical appliances is all too common, especially in older buildings. Then there are of course the sounds of other occupants in or outside a building, primarily via speech but also footfall, opening or closing doors and so on, all of which can cumulatively become a recurring distraction and reduce concentration.

Impact noise, for example from a gym or children playing, is an even more acute version of the same problem. Imagine operating a spa or retail space on the ground floor of a building with a first floor CrossFit gym above (without proper sound insulating flooring to absorb the sound of loaded barbells being repeatedly dropped).

Then there is the problem of a lack of acoustical privacy between enclosed spaces and equally within open-plan spaces, with noise traveling from one of the space to another, bouncing around from wall to wall constantly.

Finally, there is the external noise source of passing transportation such as cars, buses, trains or planes, which can become intensely distracting both during the work day and at night.

What are the health risks of interiors with poor acoustics?

Human exposure to unfavorable noises and improperly regulated acoustics has a tangible impact on mental wellbeing, concentration and focus. It’s not going to send you to an early grave perhaps but it can create a consistent, low-level anxiety and stress that accumulates over time.

In other words, in the world of healthy buildings and wellbeing interiors, as consultants and advisors, we want to implement a strategy upfront in order to minimize acoustic discomfort, likely in collaboration with the Mechanical Engineer and Architects for new build construction or refurbishment projects, or solo as wellness interior designers if it’s an interior fit-out.

Consider how a lack of acoustical privacy, speech intelligibility, and general distractions can all impact our comfort in an open-plan office space for example - whether the noise source is from inside that workplace, elsewhere on the same floor or outside the building.

Typical mental wellbeing issues we encounter in such situations are a reduction in attention span, memory retention, and (in a residential context) lower quality sleep at night.

Designing with good acoustics in mind is therefore a fundamental part of any healthy building concept and wellbeing interior design strategy, so let’s look at the tools available to us.

How can a wellbeing interior design consultant improve an acoustics issue?

To combat these issues, strategies such as planned and isolated HVAC systems, reinforced facades, plenty of sound absorptive materials in the interior specifications and the introduction of consistent background noise / white noise can all be useful.

A range of solutions we might choose to deploy as part of a wellness interior design consultancy assignment would include the following:

• Planning of isolated/balanced HVAC mechanical equipment sound levels (provides baseline/anticipated noise levels) in line with WELL recommendations of between 25 maximum noise criteria (NC) for enclosed offices and 40 maximum noise criteria for open-plan office spaces (Ref. WELL Building Standard)

• Fortification of facades (affects exterior noise intrusion) but will require engineers and architects involvement (more suitable for full refurbishment projects rather than interiors only)

• Replacing hard surfaces with sound reducing, sound absorbing surfaces, wall panels, ceiling baffles and surface finishes (ref. Noise Reduction Coefficient - NRC - an average value reflecting its acoustical sound absorbing properties - see WELL Building Standard for more)

• Introducing consistent background noise levels (sound masking) for added acoustic privacy

• Using non-hollow core door ways with gaskets or sweeps to block noise traveling from one side of a door way to the other

• Interior partition walls with high acoustic absorption qualities, e.g. Sound Transmission Class (STC) of minimum 45 (ref WELL Building Standard)

• Interior walls designed for acoustic performance with minimal air gaps and sound transmission, ‘vertical surfaces in an open workspace should have a minimum NRC of 0.8 on at least 25% of the surface area of the surrounding walls' (ref. WELL Building Standard)

• Exterior windows with high acoustic absorption qualities, e.g. a Sound Transmission Class (STC) of minimum 35 (ref WELL Building Standard)

• Imposing limits on music played in a space to limit distractions, e.g. “7 decibels (dBA) above the ambient sound pressure level when measured at a minimum distance of 4.5 m [15 ft] outside of the entrance to the space” (ref. WELL Building Standard)

• Ceiling surfaces should have a minimum NRC of 0.9 for the entire surface area of the ceiling (excluding lights, skylights, diffusers, beams, joists and grilles) (ref. WELL Building Standard)

What does the WELL Building Standard advise on sound and acoustics?

The WELL Building Standard / Sound section aims to confront potential acoustic problems and provides various strategies to diminish negative health impacts. While it is up to the architects and wellness interior design consultants to interpret these objectives creatively through the lens of design, aligning their decisions with the desired wellbeing outcomes. In this way, health can and should become a central part of the design process from the very start of a healthy building design project.

WELL Building Standard SOUND / S01: Sound Mapping

Goal: create site zoning/acoustical plan that identifies potential noise sources that could affect a specific space. This equates to designating ‘loud’, ‘quiet’, and ‘mixed’ spaces according to zone or the programming of each space making up the floor plan or ‘sound map’.

So for example, within an office floor plate, we would create area for ‘deep work’ and solo concentration, as well as more collaborative areas for small groups and private meetings rooms, perhaps integrate some Skype cubicles for 1-2 people while on a call, and so on.

WELL Building Standard SOUND / S02: Max Noise Levels

Goal: Establish background noise levels for interior spaces to determine HVAC and façade design techniques in order to avoid speech intelligibility problems.

WELL Building Standard SOUND / S03: Sound Barriers

Goal: Increase speech privacy, highlight design constraints that may hinder acoustical comfort while including sound absorbing partitions (especially in open floor plans) as physical privacy is often mentally linked to acoustic privacy.

WELL Building Standard SOUND / S04: Sound Absorption

Goal: Design spaces that support speech intelligibility and increase focus paying particular attention to the hazards of hard surfaces that have the potential to reflect more sound and cause acoustic discomfort. By using sound insulating materials interior designers can control the sound absorption levels in any given space, for example via acoustic ceiling panels, flooring and/or wall panels, where appropriate.

WELL Building Standard SOUND / S05: Sound Masking

Goal: Increase acoustical privacy through noise suppression, where sound masking involves deliberately layering in an even noise level, for example of ‘white noise’ or nature sounds.

WELL Building Standard SOUND / S06: Impact Noise Management

Goal: Manage background noise levels between building floors, conscious that lightweight floor construction (CLT, wood truss, steel frame) emits more noise than resilient floor-ceiling construction (thick concrete slab, suspended ceiling).

Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons

This week we’re in New York talking to Jonsara Ruth, Co-Founder & Design Director of the Healthy Materials Lab and Associate Professor at Parsons School of Design.

Jonsara received a Masters of Architecture from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design, she also has her own healthy materials design collective called Salty Labs.

The Healthy Materials Lab is all about placing health at the center of real estate architecture and design. They aim to raise awareness about toxics in building products and create educational online resources for designers and architects that further that cause.

I recently completed their 4-part Online Certification Program to become a Healthy Materials Advocate and cannot recommend the course enough, whether you work in this industry or are simply curious to understand more about buildings and the materials that go into them, both good and bad.

It’s far easier not to look under the hood, right? To trust that developers, architects and contractors have our best interests at heart… I hate to burst your bubble but that just ain’t so, nowhere is this more acute than in our homes, offices and Jonsara explains, the worst offender of all, the affordable housing sector.

Jonsara speaks with the precision of a Professor and the conviction of someone with a very clear mission in life, so listen up people, this is a good one.

If you enjoy this episode, hit like or subscribe for next week’s release.

See our 9-point guide to healthy buildings here.

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

• Our central objective really is to remove harmful chemicals from the built environment that are prohibiting people from living healthy lives.

• Just a few thousand years back People were building shelter exclusively out of what was around them - natural materials like wood from trees, clay, stone or water.

• It turns out the building products that we primarily build with now contain chemicals that are often very toxic to human bodies. They can now be found in almost every building product in a conventionally built building.

• I know this all sounds like a horror movie but of course a lot of this is invisible and that's why it's really important for us to know more, especially as designers and architects - to know enough to not include these materials that contain chemicals in the buildings that we're designing.

• Climate change, environmental health and people's health are completely interrelated. There's no way to separate them.

• I see more and more people being inspired to make change and taking on the challenge of what that means.

GUEST / JONSARA RUTH / HEALTHY MATERIALS LAB

• https://healthymaterialslab.org/

• https://healthymaterialslab.org/learning-hub/e-learning-online-certificate-program

• https://healthymaterialslab.org/learning-hub/the-affordable-housing-guide-program

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthy-materials-lab/

• https://www.facebook.com/healthymaterialslab/

• https://www.instagram.com/healthymaterialslab/

• https://www.saltylabs.us/

• The New Coal - Plastics & Climate Change, by Beyond Plastics

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FULL TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS COURTESY OF OTTER.AI (excuse any typos)

MM

Jonsara, many thanks so much for joining us on the show today. Could we start with a quick description of the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons and its main objectives are?

JR

Yeah, sure. It's great to be here, Matt. Thanks for inviting us. I'm happy to represent our fantastic team of collaborators at the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons.

You know, our central objective really is to remove harmful chemicals from the built environment that are prohibiting people from living healthy lives. That's the big, big picture.

We believe that if we can, as designers, architects and building professionals, put people in the center of our minds, when we make every design decision, then that changes the way we think about design, and it also puts people's health and environmental health at the forefront.

It changes the way we think about building products and the environment and changes the way we think about the whole process of designing our specific focuses on affordable housing, and people living in affordable housing.

The way that we do that is by providing education to designers, architects and building professionals and even faculty who are teaching the next generation of designers and architects so that they can understand how to design healthier buildings and homes as well.

We do that with courses, short courses, and programs that allow professionals to use these programs as their continuing education credits, so that they can build this right into their practice.

We have two robust online programs. One is specifically about affordable housing. And the other one is more generally, for anyone who is interested in the built environment and making it healthy. We also provide resources and tools and examples for designers and architects to make it simpler to build healthier.

A lot of the work that we're doing is to translate information from examples and from disciplines other than design into actionable knowledge within the building industry. So there's a lot of work being done about the Toxics included in building products. And a lot of that work is happening in science, or in public health, or in material research, or in environmental justice, advocacy.

We are constantly calling upon all of these different perspectives, and interpreting that into useful knowledge for designers and architects, and then putting it into, hopefully, really easily accessible formats through our website, live events and recorded education programs. Our goal is to really make make radical change in the building industry so that everyone can live healthier lives.

MM

It really can be like opening Pandora's Box, once one starts to get into this topic of healthy buildings and healthy materials, there's so much to get one’s head around and so much to research, having trusted sources of expertise becomes fundamental to accessing the right information and for us as designers and real estate professionals to get to the best possible answer as quickly as possible.

If we take a step back, just for perhaps those who are less aware of the risks and dangers of toxic chemicals in our built environment in the buildings around us, what are the main sources of those chemicals? How are they released into the air? What are the risks at stake in these unhealthy buildings and interiors?

JR

Yeah, the sources can be anything in the built environment. We live in a physical world that is made up of materials. I like to think about it historically.

Just a few thousand years back People were building shelter exclusively out of what was around them - natural materials like wood from trees, clay, stone or water. They were mixing these things together to make shelter.

Healthy materials vs unhealthy building products

In the Industrial Revolution there's this huge surge in manmade synthetic products that are primarily based in the fossil fuel industry. There was all this discovery going on about how to take to make synthetic products act a little bit more like natural products, and they were doing it quickly, without much regulation.

Sources of chemicals in indoor environments

Well it turns out the building products that we primarily build with now contain chemicals that are often very toxic to human bodies. They can now be found in almost every building product in a conventionally built building.

That can range from flooring materials, to wall materials, insulation materials, even to the paint on our walls, much of which is synthetic, acrylic, which is plastic. It’s almost like we're living in a plastic bag.

Almost every single material that's used in the built environment is a ‘product’ with a list of ingredients, like you might find in packaged food products.

Negative health impacts of unhealthy building materials

There's been research in the last 25 years to look at the ingredients that are in building products and identify their link to human disease. And it turns out that a lot of these chemicals are linked to human diseases as common as asthma, or diabetes, obesity, or even nerve disorders, autism, attention disorder in children and so on. Then there are the carcinogens and hormone disruptors as well.

So there's a long list of effects that these chemicals in building products can have on human bodies, and the especially vulnerable or children, because their organs are still growing, then their whole bodily system is affected, or older people who are have immune compromised systems are overly affected or pregnant women are, you know, gestating fetuses who could be affected.

Harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere

They can be released through VOCs / volatile organic compounds, or SVOCs, which are gaseous, so they can be emitted, they're invisible gases that release into the indoor environment and then we breathe them in. That's probably one of the most common ways that we can be affected through through inhalation.

Building materials also decompose over time. And as they decompose, they have like microscopic particles that move into the air and and cling on to dust and that dust can also be inhaled. Or it actually can even be ingested.

If we're eating, our mouths are open. We're sitting on a sofa, there's a little bit of dust on the sofa that gets onto our pizza, we put the pizza in our mouth, or some some kinds of chemicals actually can be absorbed through the skin.

So Bisphenol A, for example, has been found on cash register receipts, there's Bisphenol A there so the people working in a grocery store are more vulnerable than all of us, because they touch them every minute, but if we also touch that cash register receipt, we can absorb that Bisphenol A through our skin, which then acts as an endocrine receptor, a hormone disruptor in our body.

I know it all sounds like a horror movie but of course a lot of this is invisible and that's why it's really important for us to know more, especially as designers and architects - to know enough to not include these materials that contain chemicals in the buildings that we're designing.

MM

So this is where we start to build up the argument for how one can can improve the health credentials of our buildings, to do better than has been done in the past. But first we must, I think, define one element you mentioned around people and environmental health or rather how our health as humans, and the health of the environment and the planet around us are interconnected. Can one draw a line between the two? Is there in fact, no clear distinction between them?

Life Cycle Assessments of materials and building products

JR

You know, Matt, I think it's all related, it's impossible to separate the two. The way we think about this is through the full lifecycle of a material.

Take luxury vinyl tile (“LVT”) if we look at the origins of that material, or rather product made up of many different materials, unlike real wood for instance.

If you have LVT, it's made up of many different materials. And there's some great research, which traced all those different materials, so we're looking at vinyl and where all those ingredients come from, and tracing them back to their origins, we find that just in the mining of chloride, and in the manufacturing of vinyl it is extremely harmful to the environment, and to anyone living near those facilities.

So if we think about where plastics or petroleum, fossil fuels are refined, there are communities who unfortunately do not have much choice about where they live, and their housing is located right next to these refineries. And so those people are exposed to the plastics refinery on a daily basis, 24 hours a day.

It’s just one example where there's a link between the environmental pollution affecting the land, our soil and water systems, it's emitting huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, which we know is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, which then go on to cause climate change.

Then there's the people who are living right there, next to that factory, who are affected by that same air pollution. And then if that LVT makes it into their homes, then they're affected by the chemicals that make LVT pliable, soft, so now they're in their homes.

It’s really just following our imagination, asking “how is something made?” “Where is it made?” “What does it affect?” You can see how climate change, environmental health and people's health are completely interrelated. There's no way to separate them.

There's this great report that just came out in October called The New Coal - Plastics & Climate Change, by Beyond Plastics.

The summary of their findings show that plastics production might be even more negative impact on the climate than burning of coal. And the plastics production is a lot about building materials. It's a lot about making the places that we live, which then go on to negatively affect our human health, like we talked about before they can be, they can disrupt our hormone systems, as well as disrupt the climate, the atmosphere.

Biophilia

MM

We're using this People or Planet distinction as if they were somehow two separate concepts. But in fact nature is a bridge between them - it’s a false dichotomy. I often think of biophilia as being the bridge between those two. Once you accept that, once you see the bigger picture of us being at one with the natural world, then there is no distinction to make.

Healthy interior consultants in the design process

If we then look at how the practical realities of integrating some of these concerns into the design process, when we're talking about real estate developers, architects and designers, who are then giving health, both human and environmental health, a seat at the table, so that it becomes part of the design process of building or refurbishing, what does that look like in practical terms? Is it just about having a healthy interiors consultant on the team?

JR

What we're doing at Parsons is to develop a curriculum and courses to help educate the next generation of architects and designers to understand their choices better. So that's beginning, but in terms of professionals who are building buildings, now, there's more education necessary. We're involved in that effort to educate professionals to know better, but we also know that the process of building a building and the day to day demands upon an architect or designer are so extreme that often consultants are needed, yes.

the road to healthier buildings

You know, it takes time and resources to examine our choices more carefully. If we think about using healthier building products, and making healthier buildings, we actually do have to examine our past experience in our past choices, and we need to examine it pretty closely. That is where I think consultants come in.

I think we're also seeing that larger architecture and design firms are beginning to hire in, in house experts in material health, a lot of our students, our graduate students, and our researchers who have worked with us at the Lab, then move on to work in architecture and design firms, and they become the resident expert.

Healthy building standards

There are credentials to achieve, you know, you there are BREEAM in Europe, there's LEED, there's all these different certifying bodies which help people navigate the system. But some of those criteria would maybe not be aggressive enough. And so it's really important for folks to have genuine knowledge, not just to follow guidelines.

MM

I think that's one of the things I took from your four part online certification course - was that you didn't shy away from just showing how complex and thorny, this whole process is, really exposing that and being completely transparent about it, rather than trying to write the textbook and assume that’s the end of the debate.

So with that course, who's your main audience?

JR

Yeah. I mean it's really directed, primarily directed at designers and architects, and, but also at anyone in the building industry. Because we know that contractors, for instance, and developers, and owners of buildings, even maintenance workers, have a huge impact on the way that building is built, and the way that building is maintained.

So anyone involved in making choices for the building products or materials used in buildings, are the potential students of this course. That’s the big objective is, is just like you said, for people to understand that it's not straightforward, that it takes real thought to do it right, we have to weigh our choices, we have to make compromises always and make priorities about buildings. And so what we're trying to do is educate a way of thinking we call it material health thinking.

Architects and design professionals have been taking our course, and we're seeing, at least locally in the US, that we were watching practices actually shift to healthier ways of building, which is phenomenal.

Our next frontier is really to educate, to provide education that's appealing to building contractors. Because at the contractor level, that's where a lot of substitutions happen, you know, the architect and designer can write in a specification for a healthier building product, but then there might not be the money. And then the owner might say, Well, we, you know, we can't spend that much. And then the contractor will say, well, we'll just substitute it for this. And all of a sudden, you've lost your healthier building. Or at least you've lost strides on that. So that's our next frontier is to really to recruit more, more contractors and more maintenance folks in buildings to take these courses and even developers to take the courses.

MM

What is it about affordable housing that makes it such an acute problem in terms of the health or poor health credentials of these buildings?

JR

One of maybe the most obvious reasons is because affordable housing is generally built with cheap materials. And those cheap materials are generally the most unhealthy. Most of the cheap materials that are available today. are synthetics based in plastics, so based on the refinement of fossil fuels, which then are made into materials that are then made into the building products.

If you can find something that's $1 a square foot, well, let's use it for the poor people in affordable housing, and that's the thinking process and we're trying to change that. And to say, actually, we need to use healthier materials for people who don't have a choice about where they live.

Their homes might be located hated near factories or near toxic waste dumps or near highways where there's just a lot of exterior pollution. And then they go inside and their flooring is polluting their house too, they're being polluted in their external life and in their interior spaces.

And then often also people who are living in affordable housing are working in factories, and they're working on construction sites, and they're working in places where they're exposed all day long to harmful chemicals.

And then some of those chemicals are on their, their clothing, and then they bring that clothing home, and then the children in that household are exposed, doubly or triply.

So that that's the reason we've focused because we focus on affordable housing, because people who are living in affordable housing, our have all kinds of more risks and hazards of being exposed to harmful chemicals than than others.

So it's really important that at least we build homes, for low income people that are healthier, you know, let's start there. And, you know, try to give everyone a chance to live a thriving healthy life.

MM

It was a real eye opener for me, I'll be very honest, I think probably been guilty of falling into what is, in retrospect, a fairly white middle class privilege perspective on what I do, which is, trying to help in my own way to create healthier interiors. And it's far easier to have those conversations on premium new build or high end refurbishment projects in central London, with big pension funds behind us and plenty of cash.

There's still topics of discussion and debate around budgets but the numbers are on a completely different scale. And that section of your course really brought it home to me in a lightbulb moment, I just thought, oh, wow, there's this whole other side to this debate, which is, okay, how do we make all this happen when there aren't these big budgets available? How do you how do you crack that?

JR

That's a really great question. And that's where we dig into the details. I mean, that's where we really have to dig into the strategy for the financing of a building. We might redirect funds to materials, you know, adding a little bit of material and adding a little bit of budget to material cost. And what we're finding is that actually, material costs is less of an issue than labor costs anyway.

If this knowledge is brought to the table, then there are other ways to think about those budgets. So it really becomes more of an economic issue with folks in the other white collar folks in the office is like rethinking how they're, they're aligning their budget.

So for instance, if there's a developer who's building housing in five different cities, and there's an architect or designer who's specifying the materials in those cities, if they specify a particular flooring material, for instance, in each of those five buildings over 1000 units, rather than maybe 100 units, then the price differential goes way down. And then you can work it out with the manufacturer, who will often lower the cost. And so then it becomes much more cost competitive.

MM

When you look, say 10 years down the line from where you're at today. And considering where we've got to, what has been done and what has yet to be done. Are you optimistic for the future of healthy buildings and materials?

JR

We're suffering through such hard times right now, our workplace closed again today, like we did in 2020. And there's so much hardship, really, and, you know, we think about the climate crisis and the challenges that we need to overcome in order to slow the temperature rise. And so there's so much to say that we shouldn't be optimistic. But I can't afford not to be optimistic. I'm an optimist. Otherwise, I think I couldn't do this work. I do believe that we can make the shift.

More people who've taken the course or who understand the issues are inspired to make change, they're not discouraged, I see the opposite, I see more and more people being inspired to make change and taking on the challenge of what that means.

I think there's also been more and more economic arguments for the same - political and economic arguments often drive change. And so I think there's more and more legislation also, but we really as designers, and architects can make these changes that can make have mass, mass impact in the in the most positive way.

MM

Thank you for your time, we will link to the course in the show notes. How do you typically recommend people to engage website? Obviously your main? Yeah, weigh in? Do you do LinkedIn, Instagram, what are your channels,

JR

So www.healthymaterialslab.org is our website and on the Learning Hub, you can find the courses and register.

The registration is through the New School, which is where Parsons School of Design and where Healthy Materials Lab is houses. We're also on LinkedIn, and on Instagram and on Facebook. Our handle is at healthy materials lab. S

I hope more folks, join us there, come to our website, you'll find in addition to our courses, you'll find examples of healthier materials that you can specify. You can find tools and resources that will help you get there faster, and ultimately, a four course program which will give you all this knowledge that Matt is mentioning, after having taken the course.

So actually registration is open now through the end of January for the course and then it will close and not open again until the summer. So if you're listening, I encourage you to to Register now for the for the course at healthymaterialslab.org.

Healthy workplace wellness nutritional strategies

How can nature-inspired nutrition help us perform in the workplace?

What lessons can nature teach us about what to eat and drink during our work day in order to boost performance, creativity and concentration levels as part of a healthy building plan?

This is going to come with some caveats because, no matter what anyone tells you, there simply is no one size fits all solution, just as there is no one diet that will be equally suited for everyone on the planet. What we can establish however are some fundamental principles, largely inspired by our evolutionary history.

Opt for a real food diet

There's a general acceptance now that processed foods and refined carbohydrates with long ingredient lists have no place in a healthy, high-performance diet. That includes most cereals, industrially produced bread and biscuits - all of which can feature prominently in Western diet breakfast routines.

Instead, for performance in the workplace we’d do better to shift to what is called a whole food or real food diet, aiming to consume a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and nuts each day as the foundations of our food consumption pyramid.

People and planet considerations in nutrition

If possible, buy locally sourced, in season and non-GMO / organic in origin. That means maximum nutritional benefit for you and minimal impact on the planet. This simple purchasing strategy equates to a healthier gut microbiome and less food miles.

It may also add 20% onto your weekly shopping bill but you’ll notice that it is meat, fish, dairy and alcohol that really pushes the cost up.

Reduce your consumption of those food groups to focus on eating less but of higher quality and the numbers are likely to balance out each week.

Nutritional experimentation to find your energy sweet spot

When we reconsider what fuel our body and mind really need to perform optimally, a little experimentation can go a really long way. First though, you’ll need to drop your preconceptions of ‘fuel’ equating to frequent consumption of carbohydrate sources, be that wheat, oats, potatoes or rice. Those days are gone for those of lucky enough to allow ourselves the luxury of choice.

Upping your intake of nutrient dense fresh vegetables, grains and legumes in a rainbow of colours with modest (i.e. 1-2) portions of low-sugar fruits each day should be ‘ground zero’ for each day’s meal plan, no matter how loosely you interpret the term. To win at your own personal workplace wellness nutrition, this is our basic building block.

From there, we can look to consume foods high in healthy fats such as nuts, seeds , coconut, avocado and whole fat yoghurt as additional ‘substance’ to bulk up the meals.

Those eating meat, fish and cheese can integrate them into the baseline meal plan as well, leaving a relatively modest allocation for complex carbs such as sweet potato, a slice of sourdough bread from time to time, and so on.

Intermittent fasting for cognitive performance

For some, success with intermittent fasting can be a game-changer in productivity terms at work. It’s a remarkably simple nutrition strategy with impressive benefits for both mind and body, plus it is a time-saver - an especially appealing benefit for the perennially ‘busy’ and overworked!

A 16 hours OFF / 8 hours ON (a.k.a “16/8”) approach equates to consuming all of your daily food quota in an eight-hour “eating window”. For example, breakfast, lunch and a snack mid-afternoon before fasting until the following morning. Or lunch, snack and dinner followed by a fast until lunchtime the next day.

Once that becomes easy enough, and you have begun a genuine conversation with yourself about the quantity and timing of food that is actually needed to feel comfortable, you can push it to 18/6, 20/4, 22/2 and eventually a full 24hr fast.

The net results of this are a tangible sense of enhanced mental clarity, a certain lightness in the stomach that proves strangely liberating, and the realisation that three meals a day are optional, so skipping an airport dinner while travelling home one evening really isn’t much of a hardship at all.

When we look back through evolutionary time, having three regular meals a day is a novelty, our genes can handle eating less, in fact we are likely over-eating on occasions, which in turn can result in decreased performance and feelings of tiredness during the work day.

Healthy drinks for wellness nutrition in the workplace or healthy co-working office

If plain filtered water is just not your thing, try fruit-infused water and of course herbal teas while avoiding fruit juices and soft drinks that are high in sugar and low in fiber.

All they do is cause your sugar levels to spike in the short-term, which results in a clash. If you don’t notice that effect in yourself, it likely means you are consuming excessive amounts of sugar! Cut out sugar sources for 10-14 days to take yourself back to neutral then try again.

When you're consuming whole fruit juices, you want the whole fruit, literally, rather than a filtered version of the fruit. If making smoothies or juices at home, always aim to balance fruit with vegetables.

Coffee consumption in the healthy office

Coffee drinkers can take some comfort in knowing that an espresso contains far lower caffeine than filter due to the water-ground beans contact time. As espresso has a shorter contact time of around 25-seconds the beans it’s actually better to drink a number of shots, rather than filter during the day. Strange but true.

Look for recently roasted, fresh beans, ideally with a single origin of the Arabica bean rather than the inferior Robusta bean. Consider that some coffee blends sold in packs in your supermarket could be. 6-12 months old by the time it makes it into your cup whereas buying from a specialist local roaster reduces that timeline to a matter of weeks.

Green Tea & Matcha for mental wellness

The gold standard in workplace health drinks remains, without doubt, lightly brewed green tea, the Chinese and Japanese are well on to the benefits, both short term and long-term. It's a powerhouse for its amino acid profiles and polyphenols, meaning it's good for your brain, and it's cleansing for your gut biome as well.

Researchers believe ROS and oxidative stress play a significant role in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, contributing to neuronal damage in other words. Antioxidant catechins may help to protect against these diseases, a theory supported by preliminary animal studies of EGCG.[4]

Research studies also show that a polyphenol rich diet can have a positive impact on preventing memory impairment associated with age-related disease such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Our daily regime includes blueberries and a green tea supplement for their combined polyphenol power, for this very reason. [4]

For more on green tea see our article here on the Biofit website.

Biohacking in the workplace

If your energy, productivity and focus are not where you want them to be the first thing is to look at how your sleep, diet and exercise are dialled in, with sleep being arguably the most important of all!

Natural nootropics are a way for you to perhaps enhance your cognitive performance or work just a little bit more effectively thanks to their mental focus benefits. They're all about boosting feelings of positivity and wellbeing while reducing anxiety levels.

Look for Gingko Biloba, Ginseng, Ashwagandha, Bacopa Monnieri… all easy to find in a health food store or shop around online. You've got L-theanine which is an extraction from that wonderful green tea again, it serves to reduce the jitters of consuming caffeine as an interesting side-effect!

Medicinal mushrooms such as Reishi, Lion's Mane and Cordyceps are all worthy additions to a ‘stack’ of daily nootropics with a workplace wellness orientation.

It's all entirely natural a little experimentation can really go a long way when it comes to playing with how nature can can help you in your workplace performance.

For more information on the nourishment section of the WELL Building Standard, the healthy building reference, see here.

Sustainable Urban Rooftops with UrbanStrong

Green Roofs for green buildings

Welcome to episode 041 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we discuss wellbeing and sustainability in real estate and interiors. This week I'm back in Brooklyn, New York talking to the Principal of UrbanStrong Alan Burchell.

Alan trained as a mechanical engineer, with a background in HVAC and plumbing systems then slowly migrated across into renewable energy and eventually to vegetative rooftops so he has a very technical, hands-on take on the practicalities of urban greenery solutions.

Green Rooftop for wellbeing

We discuss trends in rooftop gardens in New York in the wake of Covid lockdowns, the wellbeing benefits of connecting with nature on a rooftop, as well as the economic and environmental benefits of a green roof from a range of different stakeholder perspectives - occupants, developers and city government.

We look at green roofs and stormwater management, new legislation pushing for green and solar rooftops on new build projects in NY, the opportunities in rooftop food production and green roofs in the context of the healthy buildings concept.

Vegetative Roof Benefits

Arguably my main takeaway from this convo is the interconnectedness of benefits once one brings nature back into the city via the rooftops, they deliver multiple functions at once, even if the building owner is not actually interested in half of them! It’s a valuable insight and Alan has a positive message to spread, so enjoy the episode and hit subscribe to receive next week’s download too.

:

Conversation highlights

It doesn’t feel right that with we have so little opportunity to connect with nature here given the huge percentage of our lives we spend in dense urban centers.

Green roofs clean and cool the air, sequester carbon and provide rooftop habitats for birds, bees, bats, butterflies, and much more. 

Farm-to-table is great but roof-to-table is even better

Green roofs perform multiple functions with societal, environmental, building operations, and mental health benefits, all simultaneously. 

Building owners should be thinking of their rooftops as buckets instead of lids, because there's money falling out of the sky.

Solar panels lose operating efficiency when the ambient air around them gets too hot but Plants cool the air around them through through evapotranspiration so when you install solar panels directly on top of green roofing, the plants cool the air underneath the solar panels and help them to produce more electricity

GUEST / ALAN BURCHELL / PRINCIPAL, URBANSTRONG

• https://urbanstrong.com/

• LinkedIn

• Insta

• Facebook

• Book reference: Nature's Best Hope

• Brooklyn Grange Farm

HOST / MATT MORLEY / WELLBEING CHAMPION

• https://biofit.io/

• https://www.mattmorley.net/

FULL TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS COURTESY OF OTTER.AI (excuse typos)

MM

Alan tell us about your background in sustainability and how you came to be the principal at UrbanStrong

AB

Sure thing. First of all, Matt, thanks for having me. It's a real honor to be on the show. So formally, I trained in undergrad as a mechanical engineer, and a lot of mechanical engineers who don't know what they want to do coming out of school University wind up getting sucked into working for consulting firms, specifically engineering consulting firms.

So I worked at a mechanical electrical consulting firm who did all kinds of work for different building types. And I specifically was designing HVAC systems, plumbing and piping and fire suppression systems for banks, condos, restaurants, you name it, that was a little bit dry. I was a little bit young, that was kind of living for the weekends. And I realized I needed a change. And I didn't know this term at the time. But what I was looking for was a career path with a vein of some sort of social responsibility going through it. 

So I went back to school, I did a business degree and found the world of renewable energies. And within the world of renewable energies, wind energy was most appealing to me. It had the dynamic nature of wind turbines that appealed to the mechanical engineer in me, but then the renewable green energy component that appealed to the the outdoorsman and the environmentalist

 I worked in that industry for a Spanish wind turbine manufacturer at their North American corporate headquarters just outside of Philadelphia. 

Eventually, then, I wanted to get further entrenched in the world of sustainability. I started studying up on the space and I found the world of green vegetated rooftops and that really checked a lot of boxes for me because I'm a big city as much as I love the outdoors. I really like big cities, I've had the blessed opportunity to live in several around the world. Toronto, Barcelona, London, Shanghai, Philadelphia, now New York, and it never sat well with me the idea that in order to connect with nature, someone had to get out of the city, like go up to a cabin or cottage lake house go to the beach. 

It doesn’t feel right that with we have so little opportunity to connect with nature here given the huge percentage of our lives we spend in dense urban centers. 

 I had a side interest in architecture, interior design, and every cubicle or office I've ever had has always been chock full of plants.

I realized that green roof systems are multifaceted in their benefits, and that they offer to building owners, people battling climate change, municipalities looking to mitigate issues that plague modern day dense urban centers… they checked all these boxes. 

So I went into the world of green rooftops, I first naively thought, Great, I'll start my own Green Roof Company. And then I realized very quickly that there are already several people doing this design build firms in New York City doing exactly this. So I couldn't really go from never having heard of green roofs to being competitive in the New York City Market in a short span of time.

Instead, I decided to insert myself in the market in with the only tools that I had with me, other than enthusiasm for green roofs, and that was engineering system sales. And so from my previous career, I started basically offering third party, freelance business development or a really dirty word for it would be brokerage of green roof sale. 

I would go out and beat the streets and look for clients and building owners, sell them on the idea of green roofs, and then connect them with green roof design, build firms, collect a bit of a commission, and then move on from there. 

That evolved very quickly into offering the same for rooftop solar, living walled gardens. And then over the years, it's grown and grown in line with the sustainable buildings concept!

I offer them a range of sustainable green roof and green building consulting services from design, build or long term maintenance for green roofs, living walls, rooftop solar, advanced stormwater systems for rooftops, and all of the above.

MM  

In the end you are offering a kind of vertically integrated service / product offer which makes complete sense because once someone jumps into bed with you, it's natural that they should want a complete service from one trusted sustainable green roofs supplier. 

You mentioned New York, we can hear background noise from New York, which sounds brilliant, but like tell me what's happening at the moment there. What's the scene looking like? How have you seen a change over the last few years? And where do you see it going? Like what's what's happening there specifically in your location, your city, your hometown?

AB

Look, COVID cannot be ignored. It probably finds its way into every episode of your podcast in one way or another right?

How I've seen it specifically impact our industry, our multifamily residential, Co Op, condo buildings and whatnot. Those folks who perhaps had declined to move forward with a rooftop amenity space or green rooftop amenity space in the past, found themselves calling us back up during COVID saying, ‘Okay, we get it now, we really see the value in having a private rooftop garden space exclusive for residents in the building where they can access without having to go out into public.’

And we used to sell it as ‘Hey, wouldn't it be nice to take a mug of tea up to your own green roof rather than having to go out to a city park and people really understood that during COVID. 

So, demand for outdoor terrace spaces and for green space has really increased from that perspective. Similarly with everyone quarantining and working from home more so than ever, people are critically evaluating their indoor surroundings and asking whether how this space contributes or maybe negatively affects their mental health. 

And so people are now starting to click into realizing that plants are a great prescription for the quarantined and so people were looking for ways to bring greenery into their home, whether that's on a terrace in the form of a little green roof on the rooftop, a lush green roof or indoors as living walls. 

Because you can only fit so many potted plants on your windowsill or on your bookshelf and then you run out of space and if you want to go heavy with the greenery you've only got so much floor space but a lot of people have excess wall space so you could build a living garden wall really lush out green out your indoor space but not consumed that valuable footprint real estate.

MM  

That talks to the ‘mental wellbeing’ and healthy buildings side, the human aspect to it, I think we can all connect with that at a very primal level but there are economic and environmental benefits, too. How do you see those two factors playing into a decision making process around installing one of these green roofs in a sustainable building, whether or not they are pursuing a green building certification? 

AB 

Sure, it really depends on which stakeholder we're talking about Because the New York City government are motivated for people to build green roofs for a host of reasons. Private property owners and building owners are motivated to build green roofs for a very different set of reasons. 

The thing I like before we get into those reasons about that situation, though, is with green roofs, regardless of which set of benefits you're most interested in, and what's motivating you to buy the green roof, you get the other benefits as part of the package. 

It's like if you and I buy the same swiss army knife, you may be buying it for the Phillips screwdriver and maybe I want it for the tweezers and the scissors. But we get each other's tools when we because we're buying the same swiss army knife. 

most green roofs being built in New York City, if we're being perfectly honest, are by wealthy people who are building these lush green oases, you know, terraces or rooftops because they want a calm, green natural space on top of the city where they can drink rose wine spritzes with their friends and relax. 

As the environmentalist I like green roofs because they're managing stormwater, sequestering carbon, providing habitat and food for migratory and local species and whatnot. 

But whether the clients care about that stuff or are aware of that stuff or not. Either way they are providing the city or the general public all of those benefits when they build their swanky rooftop garden oasis, as far as direct benefits, and this is how I've definitely seen things change in New York dramatically. 

speaking from the city perspective, many of the older, larger North American cities are battling a stormwater management crisis. And that's because our sewer systems were designed 150 years ago, when there was only a fraction of the pavement space and everything was, you know, the island of Manhattan was mostly farmer's fields above the absolute downtown. 

So rain didn't really go into the sewer, it all landed on the open green space. And 150 years ago, there was only a fraction of the toilets now, you know, population a 9 million that's a lot more toilets in the world 150 years ago, so there's nowhere for the rainwater to go except hitting pavement going into storm drains or hitting rooftops and going down the scuppers into the sewer drain. And there's way more wastewater being generated, and then going being sent through indoor plumbing directly down into the sewer. 

We in in several North American larger cities on the east coast, the older ones at least like Toronto, New York, DC, Philly Chicago, we have what's called a combined sewer system. That basically means there's it's a single pipe system, so rainwater and toilet water all goes down into the same pipe on a dry day where you can still manage to process all of it at the wastewater treatment facility. 

But in New York City, for example, it only takes 1/20 of an inch of rain that's about between one and two millimeters of rain is all that's required to max out the city's wastewater pipe going down to the wastewater treatment facility. And so the excess rather than having it pushed back up and through people's toilets, and flood their homes, or push back up through the roof through the storm drains in the streets and flood the streets, the excess is just allowed to flow over through what are called combined sewer overflow points. And there's 460 of these combined sewer overflow points lining the New York City Harbor. And people put really, really gnarly stuff down the toilet, way worse for our health than feces and urine. 

We're talking like, you know, illicit drugs, expired birth control medication, cancer medication, broken glass batteries, I mean, people are animals, and they put awful stuff down the toilet in the privacy of their own home. And all of that is flushing out into our local waterways here in New York and the local waterways of all the other cities I just mentioned to you, whenever there's more than two millimeters of rain in the city or you know, 1/20 of an inch. 

So, that is a major problem that cities are being fined at the federal level to clean jp. And so now the options are, you know, tear up the sewer system and put a new one in which is preposterous that could never possibly happen to New York, or you know, put down more parkland. But you know, every inch of New York City's developed you can't tear up a city block and put a new park but nothing says these Park parks have to be at grade level and nothing says these parks have to be continuous they can be distributed parks cut up into tiny places and put up on top of the rooftops where the rainwater lands. And so basically green roofs, these many little rooftop parks act as sponges, they absorb the rainwater right where it lands on the roof. 

Half the water never makes it off the roof because it's just used for photosynthesis and Evapo transpired by the plants up into the atmosphere. And the rest of the water takes its time to percolate through the system. 

Green roofs clean and cool the air, sequester carbon and provide rooftop habitats for birds, bees, bats, butterflies, and much more. 

So there's a whole host of environmental reasons why cities like green roofs, they also like rooftop solar here in New York City for reasons that should be obvious by now. 

So a big change that I've seen recently was as part of New York City's Green New Deal or the climate mobilization act, I and a few other people testified at City Hall back in January 2019. In support of a few key pieces of legislation, they were all unanimously passed, but a big one that's going to have a major impact on the skyline of New York City, specifically, its rooftops is something called local law 9294. And this basically mandates that all new construction and certain retrofit projects must install either a green roof or a rooftop solar, there are certain exclusions if it's too sloped, or if you don't have the structural capacity or if it's too shady, or whatnot. But nonetheless, this is going to have a massive impact in in driving change to the greening of New York City's rooftop. 

So this is a big change, it only really came into effect about a year ago. And so this is for all new building permits. And as buildings start to go up, you're going to see the number of green roofs and solar installations in New York City, honestly skyrocket. So that's an exciting, exciting change here.

MM  

That's the city in a way laying out his vision for the future in terms of how roofs need to play a functional role in protecting the city itself and the urban landscape from from climate change from the negative impact that we're bringing, just by building cities of this.

AB

Absolutely. I mean rooftops are the front line, whether you're talking about the photons from sunlight or the raindrops from clouds, one of the first things they're both hitting is the rooftops in the city. So that's a frontline defense to capture these photons and use them to generate electricity. 

I may also add that as you capture these photons on solar panels, that means they're not hitting the roof membrane and not heating up the membrane and not sending all that latent heat baking down And driving up air conditioning bills in the summertime. 

Green roofs do the same thing. The leaves of plants are actually the plant solar panels because that's their food energy, if you will, from the photons and use it to photosynthesize, and grow plant more plant matter. But again, they're intercepting those photons or preventing them from hitting the roof membrane - plants can act as the first line of defense yet in New York City, less than 0.01% of rooftops are greened in any way and it's a very much out of sight is out of mind situation.

New York City is like a lot of other really expensive urban centers around the globe. It's absolutely obsessed with real estate, the cost of real estate, the cost per square foot to buy or own or rent or whatnot. And yet no one does anything with the rooftops they max out every square centimeter of their apartment yet building rooftops are completely undeveloped - I find that odd but that's changing as the city realizes it's a massive wasted opportunity to solve many problems that plague urban centers around the world.

MM  

I sometimes see a rooftop used for an element of food production, whether that food is then consumed by those living in the building or whether it's distributed or handed out to those in need in the local area, whatever it may be.

Do you see that as an exception rather than The rule when it comes to how to utilize a rooftop, or are there real benefits in terms of making a more resilient city so that there's more local kilometer zero production happening on site around NYC around Manhattan?

AB

It's a bit of everything - all of the reasons that I've mentioned above that why city municipalities, city governments like green roofs, it doesn't matter whether the plants, at the very top layer of the green roof are ornamental amenity space plants that are there just for aesthetics, or if they're there as food crops, they're still performing all of the critical functions and offering the same benefits as every type of green roof does in terms of stormwater management, sequestering carbon, insulating buildings, providing habitat for species and whatnot.

I think urban food production on rooftops is a massive opportunity for cities around the world - we encourage all of our green roof clients to dedicate at least some portion of their green roof to a little urban agriculture culture plot 

As I'm looking out the window right now, my neighbors are Brooklyn Grange - one of the largest rooftop farms in the world, here in New York. So that's a fully commercial operating farm on top of a commercial building. But there's plenty of green roofs in a city where maybe it's an amenity space on a multi a private, you know, residential building, and maybe the residents will ask us to dedicate, you know, a few square meters off to one corner, for like a little tomato plant growing a little plot there or something like that. 

Yeah, there's plenty of opportunities to create sustainable green local jobs, and then produce food that's either used if it's in a commercial entity, like for the the building tenants themselves, or can be sold or distributed or donated to the local community. And it definitely speaks to improving the resiliency of the city.

Most cities are importing their food from other cities or other countries. And the more that you can grow locally, the less reliant you are on other cities for your food production. So you're certainly becoming more self sufficient in that regard even before considering the transmission emissions, I mean, if we're trucking, you know, fresh fruit in from California, it's got to come all the way across, it's not quite as fresh by the time it gets here, it's also expensive to truck it in, and there's certain carbon emissions related to all that transportation to ship it over. So all of that is eliminated, when you can be growing right off the roof.

farm to table is great but roof to table is even better

Matt Morley  

So the key point I'm picking up there is that it's not one or the other, the way these natural roofs work is that they can do multiple things at the same time. So you're not neglecting for example, improved biodiversity by adding an agricultural component to your green roof. In fact, it's multiple layers of benefits rather than one to the exclusion of anything else.

AB

green roofs perform multiple functions with societal, environmental, building operations, and mental health benefits, all simultaneously. 

And, and passively, you know, whether we like it to or not, again, the people who are if a wealthy couple just wants to build a fancy rooftop garden amenity space just for their own family, let's say those plants are still sequestering carbon cleaning and cooling the air you know, thermally insulating the space which reduce improves their energy efficiency and probably reduces their reliance on fossil fuel power plants. 

And again, maybe they don't care about all of that maybe they're not aware of it, maybe they don't care for a lot of our clients, we will if in in lieu of any input from them around plant species selection, we are going to lean heavily towards favoring native and adaptive plant species so as to you know, improve conditions for local and migratory species

If anyone wants to deeper dive on this topic, there's a book called nature's best hope. And it's by Douglas Tallamy, he speaks extensively on the topic of the urgent need for people when they're doing landscaping, in their homes, around their buildings, whether it's on the rooftop or at grade, using native plants that are native to the area or adaptive rather than bringing in these plants that are not native to the region and maybe are going to require quite a lot of resources in order to keep them alive and whatever your respective microclimate is. 

And then also they could be potentially, you know, we, the concrete jungles are creating these like these, these these blot out of blue down at a loss for words here, these these scorched earth kind of patches all around the globe where nature can't really thrive, or birds, who maybe after, you know, hundreds of generations are of programming are used to flying that migratory path when they're used to touching down there to rest, or seek food or, or, or or procreate, they can't do that now, because it's all some urban sprawl is created a concrete spread. 

And so anything that we can do to recreate what they're used to having there as far as greenery that houses the bugs that they want to eat, or provides habitat for them to build nests, or rest, anything we can do to help with that will reduce the impact that our urban centers and urban sprawl are having on the local ecology.

Matt Morley  

So when you zero in on solar panels, for example, where you're really integrating a technical component, perhaps more of an engineering angle, there, the benefits presumably reduce and focus more on the environmental impact the economic play rather than nature. So when you're proposing those, what are the conditions under which you would typically propose solar panels to be in the mix or to be the dominant force on any given rooftop?

AB

I'll give you the highlight reel, but it's actually such an involved answer sometimes. And it's, it really needs to be determined on a case by case basis that, you know, years ago, we actually, we realized we were giving away so much upfront free consulting for buildings, because they would call up and say, Hey, we've got a roof Should we go green roof for solar, we see that you offer both. And there would just be such an involved process to determine which is best for them and their goals and their budget - we now offer it as a branched off consulting service, in advance of either building them a green roof or a solar, you know, we're sort of It's a discovery process, if you will, or a service. 

On a really high level, there's a few things you know, we can either go process of elimination, like a lot of time, people will call up saying they want a green roof and I started asking them questions, and one decision or another or one element or another could kill the green roof project and green roofs, they get killed, they die on the vine all the time. And then that leaves them with what they feel is a useless rooftop.

 I say, well hang on, there's always solar, you know, when it comes to solar money is falling out of the sky and solar panels are buckets. So your your roof is far from useless, it can be a great source of passive income for your building, especially now that it turns out that you can't build the green roof that you wanted for whatever reason. 

So for example, solar panels are quite are quite lightweight, they're really only about five pounds per square foot. I'll let you translate that into kilos and put that on the show notes compared to say solar sorry, compared to say green roofs, which at their lightest are going to be say 15 pounds per square foot and but they get heavy very quickly. 

As a little rule of thumb green roofs tend to weigh six and a half pounds per inch of depth per square foot. And a minimum at the minimum, you're the average green roof is three to four inches. So we're talking at least 18 to 25 pounds per square foot compared to solar that's five or six. 

Now that to be clear, that's when the green roof is fully saturated or holding the most amount of stormwater that it's it's designed to from an engineering perspective. But that's not including. If it's meant to be a public amenity space and or just amended in official amenity space listed on the building certificate of occupancy basically, are you officially decreeing to the city that this is an amenity area for the building? 

Because the moment you do that, in New York City, for example, you have to show that you have structural capacity at 100 pounds per square foot if people are going to be walking around up there. 

So if you have a deck, and people are going to be congregating there with any regularity, and then you have greenery around it, and that's your green roof, you're going to need at least 100 pounds per square foot in the areas where the people congregate. And so a lot of buildings don't have that. 

And so that's an a lot of building owners will say, well hang on, if we can't use it as an amenity space, we don't we don't want it as a green roof. And then that that's that's frequently what kills a lot of greener projects in New York City. So then you're left with solar?

MM  

I'm sure it's a question you're asked often by clients, no doubt far earlier in the process than you might like. But inevitably, the economics of all this has to come into play at some point. There are some big numbers involved. I know. But why don't we just have a quick overview if we can have the financial side, and what we're looking at in terms of these green roofs, and how perhaps different sizes, if it's shapes or densities or planting strategies can all affect exactly how much the overall budget equates to.

AB

So that really ranges. I mean, it just depends on so many different factors. It's hard to speak absolutely about this, because it changes even within New York City, the exact same green roof technology, because beneath the plants was a wide array of technologies, the exact same green roof technology, in the exact same neighborhood of New York City on two very different buildings could cost $17 A square foot or it could cost $60 per square foot.

I'd say the two big the two biggest factors are economies of scale is massive for green roofs, because what a lot of construction projects make mobilization is a big one. 

So to make an extreme example, if you're mobilizing a crew, maybe you're getting a crane permit, you put design hours and just to make an extreme absurd example, if you're doing all of that for one square meter or a one square foot green roof now just to make an example, right, the all those costs per square meter per square foot would be outrageous. 

But if the exact same designer, same crane permit, same crew mobilization same design, ours is allocated over 500 square meters or 100 square meters or 500 square feet 1000 square feet, you can obviously see that that cost per square foot is going to drop like a stone. 

Similarly with solar panels, oh that so but sticking with green roofs, the other thing that can really drive it would be access. So I mentioned there a second cranes, I mean, if we can crane the material up that's one efficient way to get a lot of material up to the roof very quickly. 

However, depending on what part of New York City that you're in, that crane can cost anywhere from $5,000 a day to $40,000 a day. Depending on the permitting do you have to block off the road you have to build these protective sidewalk sheds so that people can still walk along the sidewalk underneath. So the crane costs cranes can either save you a lot of money with efficiency or kill the project with additional costs. 

But at the other extreme, you know, sometimes for like a brownstone, like the classic brownstone roof. Sometimes the only way to get material there is for the installers to carry it on their back up a ladder through a hatch in the ceiling. And that's obviously that's not as efficient as a crane. 

A good in between would be they have these things called blower trucks. And so basically a big almost like a dump truck but full of growing media or let's call it soil for now for the green roof that pulls up out front of the building. And there's a giant hose that can go up like six storeys tall, and it blows the dirt like a reverse vacuum from the truck up six storeys, and they just spray it like a garden hose, but it's dirt. 

So that's a great way to convey materials up. And yeah, I'm kind of going all over the place here. But access and economy of scale as far as the square area of the project can greatly affect the cost per square foot of a green roof. 

I'd say similarly, there's there's different types of green roofs, right? I mean, we have there's very gorgeous like alarmingly beautiful English Garden meadow looking things that you may see if a five star hotel is building a rooftop amenity space, they're going to want the highest end landscaping green roof up there possible and they're going to want it to look that nice and green and well kept for as many months of the year before the winter kicks in. 

Contrast that so that's going to be very expensive on a per square foot basis. You know, you'd have like top of the top of the line automated irrigation to act as an insurance policy. In case there's not enough precipitation, you're going to want to have nice lighting and benches, paver stones, walkways a wide range of herbaceous and woody species and you know blue different you know, you're going to want to sink a lot of time and energy and money into the design of that, you know, you're going to want a Professionally licensed landscape architect attacking that problem to really make sure that it's looking absolutely banging for as many months of the year. 

Contrast that with, say, a sprawling, single storey warehouse in an industrial park, who may be they never plan on going up there, they never plan on seeing it, they only want it because it's going to protect the roof membrane from UV degradation. 

So they don't need to replace the roof membrane every 20 years. Instead, they replace it every 50 or 60 years. And all that green matter up there, as I mentioned earlier, is going to intercept the sun's energy, the photons and soak up that otherwise, he energy that's going to hit the roof membrane and beatdown for a lot of these single storey warehouses, their air conditioning bills are absolutely astronomical in the summertime. 

And it's just to keep the plants sorry, the warehouse warehouse plants are operating at a comfortable condition either for the goods that are being stored inside, or for the workers that are in there. And if you just have a black tar bitumen roof, and the sun is baking down on that, and you're a single storey building, your AC bills can be astronomical, but a thin, basic crummy looking, you know, low hanging fruit bargain basement, green roof, that's only one or two inches deep. 

And you have systems which are sort of in the cactus family, they're like drought tolerant, they're not the best looking, but they're the workhorse plant species and green roofs, if you just build the most basic green roof possible, and you could do that for you know, depending on the size of the roof, maybe, you know, 15 or $18 per square foot, that's before any tax breaks that are available, you could slash your air conditioning bills in that building by anywhere from 60 to 80%. 

So that just from the air conditioning bills alone, you pay off that green roof in no time. And, and then again, you could just frankly, let it go to help you don't care what it looks like, you know, because it's not an amenity space, you don't really need to spend a lot of money upfront on expensive looking plant species. And you don't need to spend a lot of time maintaining it, you can just kind of let nature take it over and let it turn into a real nature roof so to speak.

MM  

Okay, so then the flip side of that, surely is is the benefits and the return on the investment or just the outgoings at the front end. But what the owner developer landlord is getting back over the medium to long term.

AB

Yeah, from an accounting perspective, building owners see the rooftop as a cost center. No one thinks about their building rooftop making money from they just think, Oh, God, this damn thing is going to leak again. And the only think about is how much money they're going to need to reinvest to put another layer of patchwork and new waterproofing on top. And they don't realize and instead of being a source of headache and stress and a cost center, it can be a revenue generator and a source of joy. 

You can catch money falling out of the sky, whether that's photons from sunlight or stormwater if you're in DC, it can be your piggy bank on top of your roof. 

Building owners should be thinking of their rooftops as buckets instead of lids, because there's money falling out of the sky.

Matt Morley  

I love that! You mentioned stormwater there. 

I wanted to pick up on that topic because it's a big one in terms of sustainability and environmental impact. And there's clearly a lot of potential there. 

So how do you typically talk about the stormwater angle on a green roof when you are discussing options with a client? And what are the overall benefits and opportunities there from your perspective?

AB

Okay, so they have a program in Washington DC, where they're basically stormwater. It's such a major issue in Washington DC, that they're basically those buildings who manage more than what building code requires them to in terms of the amount of rainwater that they can hold on the rooftop are awarded credits. 

And those buildings who cannot manage enough rainwater on their property on their rooftop are fined exorbitant amounts of money. And then they basically then need to buy their way out of these fines by buying the credits from those people who have them for doing a better than basic building code level of managing stormwater. 

And there's a there's a stormwater credit trading program in Washington DC around this topic. And I expect this as because the cities are falling like dominoes here in North America who aren't mandating green roofs for any number of the reasons I mentioned earlier. 

And as you're going to see that stormwater becomes a bigger and bigger problem and as fresh quality water and cleaner waterways are becoming more prioritized, you're going to see stormwater credit trading programs like that implemented, and I and so what's happening is people are then realizing that they're, they are then motivated, especially at the beginning of design to turn their buildings into bathtubs that can hold as much water up on On the rooftop as possible, because the more that they can go about building code, that's just free money for that they basically get awarded these credits, which have real value. 

And so green roofs can do that we have these called Blue roofs and blue green roof, you could basically have a system that looks like a milk crate, these plastic cells that can be, you know, anywhere from 10 to 60 centimeters deep, filling the rooftop and then on top of that, you put paver stones so that people can walk around and they just think it's a regular amenity space, but really below them could be half a meter of empty void space where rainwater is stored instead of cisterns in the parking lots are underneath the building. 

And they are awarded annually, not an insignificant sum of money for doing so. Then the other thing we didn't talk about was green roofs when integrated with solar panels. 

Solar panels lose operating efficiency when the ambient air around them gets too hot but Plants cool the air around them through through evapo transpiration So when you install solar panels directly on top of green roofing, the plants cool the air underneath the solar panels and help them to produce more electricity. 

So even if you can squeak out half a percent improvement in the efficiency of a solar power plant a CFO of that company loves it. But if you can actually tell him, Hey, I'm going to reduce your efficiency loss by six to 8%. I mean, that's in the summer months, that is a massive amount of money. And so plus you didn't get so basically you have you have all the benefits of the green roof on the system, you have all the benefits sorry, the greener system, you have all the benefits of the solar system, and you get more electricity from the solar. So solar integrated, green roofs are big. 

And then if you want to combine all of them that below that you could have the 40-60cm of rainwater retention and the blue roof hidden beneath immediately beneath that green solar green roof area. So there's so much going on and rooftops and so much is going to happen in the next five years that people are going to realize rooftops are a vastly underutilized resource to either make bank or or solve climate change issues or improve mental health. You know, you name it.

What is active travel as a healthy building strategy?

Image courtesy of Active Score case study / Castlemead

Healthy buildings and active travel

The active travel concept is now well established within the healthy buildings movement. Essentially it’s about supporting micro-mobility, and the facilities that such forms of transport to and from a building require from a landlord or developer.

Micro-mobility includes jogging, cycling (be it on a standard, folding, or baby carrier bike) and e-scooters.

Supporting this active travel concept as a sustainability minded real estate developer equates to increasing the quality and range of on-site facilities available for active commuters as a way to encourage them away from private vehicle use or public transport.

All of this feeds neatly into additional green building and healthy building certifications but may require additional expertise beyond that offered by an architectural studio in order to truly future-proof a building in anticipation of further growth in active commuting - that is where ActiveScore and their community of ActiveScore Accredited Professionals can help.

See our 9-point guide to healthy buildings here.

how does active travel relate to real estate ‘esg’?

Environmental, Social & Governance strategies for a real estate asset are now a fundamental part of any forward thinking developer’s plans. By promoting active travel to/from a building, there are tangible reductions in CO2 emissions as less people rely on their own vehicles or public transport to travel to and from work.

By taking action to deliberately foster a community of active commuters, opportunities are created for social bonding and interaction, especially important in an era when working from home has become a viable alternative option to office life.

The health and wellbeing benefits, both physical and mental, are obvious - getting to work on foot, by bike or even on an e-scooter is simply a more positive experience in many ways than taking a busy tube or bus, even sitting in rush hour traffic.

Finally, the Governance piece involves a landlord / building management team taking responsibility for communicating the services and facilities they have available to all occupants, both new and existing, by leveraging a smart building app for example.

What is Active Score for Active Travel?

Based on the principle that a building’s health and wellbeing facilities are a strong driver of desirability for a potential tenant, and their workforce, the Active Score Certification offers a set of standards that help landlords, leasing agents and indeed prospective tenants know what a specific building offers by way of active travel facilities.

The certification is broken down by 70% infrastructure, 20% occupier engagement services and 10% future proofing. Benchmarks are taken against the WELL Building Standard, BREEAM and a local borough’s planning guidance.

In the first instance, a lack of basic facilities such as showers, parking and lockers can prevent cyclists, runners or those with an e-scooter from making their own way to work, thereby placing extra pressure on the roads, specifically in the form of public transport and car usage.

The impact of Covid has in fact meant a boom in the use of such micro-mobility options, so this is a particularly interesting time for commercial real estate developers to be dialling up on their active travel facilities in an office or mixed-use building, for example.

Occupier engagement services meanwhile can include bike repair on-site, cycle training, creating a cycling club and so on.

What is Active Travel Score?

Active Travel Score was set up by James Nash in the UK, we interviewed him for our Green & Healthy Places podcast here. He’s a serial entrepreneur in the cycling sector and the man driving the company today. A number of different ‘scores’ are on offer, from the basic 'Certified to Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum 100.

In 2021 they certified 85 buildings in eight countries. Amongst them was 100 Bishopsgate, a 181m high building in central London developed by Brookfield Properties. It received a perfect Platinum 100 score thanks to its dedicated Active Commuter Park (ACP) and extensive occupant facilities making it arguably THE reference point for healthy buildings and active travel in the UK today.

Adopting ActiveScore equates to engaging with them in one of three ways. Firstly, a basic level building certification for a minimum period of two years. This includes recommendations on how to improve the assets’ overall active travel friendliness, including infrastructure and soft measures, to ultimately make it a more healthy building

A second option includes all of the above with the addition of a consultation with an ActiveScore surveyor - including advice on the building’s existing plans and product specification.

Finally, the team can take a more proactive, design-lead approach by providing detailed drawings of active travel facilities, active travel product specification and advice on look and feel of the active travel area. In other words, they do the leg work for you, whilst also ensuring the building is maximized for wellbeing credits in WELL, BREEAM, etc. in the relevant active travel credit categories.

What is an ActiveScore Accredited Professional?

We recently completed the process of becoming an ActiveScore Accredited Professional and found it to build very much on such green building and healthy building certification standards as WELL and FITWEL, as well as LEED and BREEAM, so having prior knowledge of some or all of these is a considerable advantage. You will hit the ground running in other words, rather than coming at this subject completely fresh.

As an ActiveScore AP one is responsible for marking a project for its active mobility credentials, topics include the number and variety of bike and e-scooter parking spaces, security measures in place to protect them, the extent of the shower facilities and related services, community building efforts around active commuting amongst building occupants, the look and feel of such parking areas as well as their location, ease of access, and so on.