Operating Smart, green & Healthy Buildings

air quality / water metering / energy metering / waste management / cleaning / biophilia / thermal comfort

As the shift towards green and healthy buildings continues and sign-ups for building certifications such as LEED and WELL rises, it is equally important for real estate developers with an eye on ESG to dive deeper into building performance during the operations phase. For those holding onto and managing an asset in the medium to long-term, the journey does not stop once construction and fit-out are complete, quite the opposite.

As there is often a considerable gap between intended building performance and actual, ongoing building performance, a ‘commissioning process’ upon completion followed by an enhanced healthy buildings facilities management plan are the solution.

Smart building monitoring, which includes strategies such as air quality management, energy and water metering, and thermal comfort monitoring is a key factor in facilities management of a healthy building or a healthy co-working office for example.

With the latest real time sensors (e.g. Kaiterra and Awair) providing high quality, 24/7 quantitative data for analysis in the cloud combined with qualitative occupant feedback through regular surveys and pattern analysis of registered complaints, building efficiency and occupant comfort can increase. 

In addition, signage and educational prompts (a.k.a ‘healthy nudges’), enhanced green cleaning protocols, landscaping and greenery maintenance, as well as wellness programs for building occupants covering both physical activity and mental wellbeing are important factors to maintain in a smart, healthy building. This article explores the above in more detail so let’s jump in!

Air Quality Management in healthy buildings

Enhanced indoor air quality is vital to optimal occupant health, and an air quality plan needs to be implemented in both the pre-occupancy and occupancy phases of the building. Subsequently, as both indoor and outdoor air quality can fluctuate, live monitoring and tracking is necessary to ensure healthy indoor air quality levels and catch any issues as and when they arise. 

In the construction phase, an excess of dust and particles have the potential to accumulate indoors and compromise air quality in the later occupancy phase if not properly managed. It is essential to have an air quality management plan for the construction phase such as sealing air ducts, storing absorptive interior materials separate from the construction area, using temporary barriers to isolate working environments, and replacing filters before occupancy. 

In the occupancy phase, when the building is complete and occupants are using the interior spaces, air quality management combine with real time sensor monitoring becomes essential for occupant comfort.

Sensors should be placed strategically around the building at approximately head height to measure temperature, humidity, CO, CO2, PM2.5, PM10 and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). For more detail on. this see the RESET AIR standard in particular. For more on this see our article on RESET AIR here.

In addition, hazards such as mold and indoor smoking have to be tightly controlled to avoid additional negative influences on air quality. 

Water Metering in Smart, Green & Healthy Buildings

Both energy and water use should be tracked to ensure that the building is operating at the optimal level. Monitoring green building water use can not only provide information about how much water is being used in a green building but also guide improvements or highlight potential problems. 

Water monitoring should include both regulating and tracking the amount used, as well as maintaining proper drinking water quality to ensure building occupant health.

Permanent water meters should be installed to measure total water use and should be available in monthly and annual blocks to provide more specific information and monitor efficiency. In addition, leak detection systems should be installed and regularly checked to avoid potential problems and water overuse.

Finally, water should be regularly checked for contaminants, and drinking water quality factors such as pH, turbidity, and chlorine levels should be regulated to ensure safe consumption for occupants. 

Energy Metering in Smart, Green & Healthy Buildings

Green building energy efficiency should also be tracked within the building, a very important operational building factor that can vary greatly if not monitored.

Sub-meters should be installed to track energy on both the building level and system levels to identify opportunities for energy savings. For the most effective data, the systems should report hourly, daily, monthly, and annual energy use separated by energy type and source. In addition, the information should be readily available to facilities management teams so that changes can be made if needed, and any abnormal activity can be quickly detected. 

Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) and Automatic Reading Systems (AMR) are examples of common energy monitoring and management systems. With the incorporation of energy tracking systems, the data can be used to make improvements in the future and provide insight into building performance. 

waste management in healthy buildings

In line with US Green Building Council LEED Operations + Maintenance guidelines, we recommend integrating into a workplace floor plan upfront a storage location for recyclable materials such as mixed paper, glass, plastics and metals, with safe storage areas for batteries.

Monitoring for Thermal Comfort in Healthy Buildings

Thermal comfort tends to be the factor with the highest number of complaints from building occupants as it is an immediate, visceral and in many ways subjective matter.

Numerous studies have proven correlation between building temperature and employee wellness and comfort, making thermal comfort a vital building characteristic to monitor, not least because of enduring sexism in how building temperatures are set - men in suits and ties and always going to have a different opinion on indoor temperature than any female not in a full trouser suit.

The way forward in smart building terms is, eventually, to offer greater autonomy over thermal controls within the building to its occupants. Factors such as outdoor temperature, ventilation rates, and indoor occupancy density all have the potential to affect perceived thermal comfort. 

As with other smart building systems, sensors should be placed intentionally to regulate indoor air temperatures and gauge if any unexpected deviations occur. These sensors can provide feedback to building managers and inform changes when necessary. 

The sensors provide little insight on their own however, only when coupled with occupant preferences and surveys, the power of information and data can be applied to provide optimal thermal comfort. On this basis, facilities management teams need to see complaints not as problems but as valuable data!

Currently, standards designate that 80% of building occupants should be considered comfortable to achieve acceptable thermal comfort levels (WELL). In order to reach and maintain this goal, building occupants should be regularly surveyed to gauge comfort levels. 

With information collected through post-occupancy surveys, perceived occupant comfort can be utilized with temperature data to inform the most effective next steps. As with air quality, temperature can be variable and should be regularly monitored to ensure optimal conditions and increase occupant wellness and comfort. 

Signage in Healthy Buildings

As healthy building consultants we advise on signage systems, wayfinding and their role in creating a healthy building. Signage can be used to promote a variety of health and efficiency-related concepts, with the potential to improve occupant wellness and building performance. 

Signage can be used to improve health through physical activity encouragement for example. Motivational point-of-decision wayfinding signs next to lift doors can promote greater stair use and increase physical activity levels, the WELL and FITWEL certifications encourage this policy.

Especially if stairs are not clearly visible, signs and wayfinding prompts can encourage use—both increasing physical activity and decreasing elevator energy use. 

In addition, building entrance signage can publicize a tobacco-free zone - a requirement of most green building certifications. There is no acceptable exposure level to cigarette smoke, so signage must be implemented clearly to indicate the ban.

Signage can also be used to indicate the health impacts and hazards of smoking, hopefully further discouraging tobacco use and encouraging healthier habits for building occupants. 

Educational signage is also very impactful. Promoting hand-washing has never been more important, a simple visual reminder that helps prevent the spread of infection in the new Covid-19 era. In addition, nutritional messaging can be used in and around dining areas to encourage healthy eating habits. 

On the other end, signage can be used to encourage people to adopt sustainable habits such as reminders to turn off task lights when leaving in the evening, (again) using the stairs instead of the elevator, and turning water faucets off when not in use - just a few obvious reminders that can encourage occupants to reduce energy and water use.

Building signage can on occasion be given to the architects or interior designers, at least the more visually exposed elements such as the reception / entrance lobby but much of the above mentioned signs are just as likely to land on the desk of facilities management.

Enhanced Cleaning Protocols in Green Healthy Buildings

Without proper cleaning protocols, health factors such as interior air quality, pollutant levels and surface cleanliness can be compromised. The cleaning products themselves should not contain any harmful ingredients, and surfaces should be cleaned regularly to avoid excess accumulation of dust or other unhealthy substances.

Many cleaning products contain hazardous ingredients that when applied to surfaces can emit ingredients that degrade indoor air quality, and therefore impact human health. Products should be selected carefully to eliminate any potential hazards and reduce detrimental health effects.

There are several third-party certification systems, such as an ISO 14024-compliant (Type 1) Ecolabel, which designates green cleaning products and can be used to guide healthy selections.

In addition to smart selection of the products themselves, a plan should be created that designates the extent and frequency of cleaning, where to access cleaning products, and the roles of cleaning staff and building occupants, when applicable, to the cleaning process.

Surfaces encounter countless microorganisms throughout the day, and can host pathogens from sick individuals, which if not properly cleaned can spread to other building occupants. Especially in the COVID-19 era, frequent and thorough cleaning practices should be embedded in building operations.

Dust and dirt from the outdoors readily accumulate in building interiors through windows, entrances, and other indoor-outdoor building connections. In fact, studies have shown that 65% of inhalation of outdoor air particles occurs indoors.

Entrance walk-off mats are used to reduce this transfer of dirt and other pollutants from the outdoors, and their maintenance and cleanliness is essential to keep up this role. Building entryways should be regularly wet cleaned and vacuumed to minimize the amount of outdoor pollutants entering interior spaces. 

Cleaning processes and habits are entirely reliant on cleaning staff and building occupants. Because of this, proper training and easily accessible green cleaning supplies should be implemented to ensure the promotion of healthy interiors.

Biophilia landscaping maintenance

Green and healthy buildings often contain vegetation in around buildings, providing countless human and environmental health benefits. However, they also require maintenance. Proper landscaping and greenery upkeep will not only benefit the health of the plants themselves, but also the building occupants and surrounding environment. 

In building interiors, features such as living walls must be maintained and watered properly to ensure their health. Living walls enhance biophilia, filter air pollutants, and provide cooling capabilities, making their health essential for promoting additional building operation benefits. 

On the exterior, landscaping maintenance encourage plant health and biodiversity. A landscape management plan implemented by the grounds maintenance staff protects the flora and fauna while minimizing wildlife disturbance. Petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides should be avoided whenever possible, and efficient irrigation techniques such as xeriscaping prioritized.

Workplace Wellness Programs 

Mental health and wellness programs are an important part of a healthy office workplace that places employee health at its centre. Provisions such as stress management and mental health support groups and programs, educational programs, childcare and family leave support, as well as fitness and nutrition services are all beneficial to workplace wellness.

Studies have shown that when employees are less stressed and anxious, they perform better an are more productive, making workplace wellness programs a smart business decision in addition to the clear occupant health benefits. 

Through the use of strategies such as mindfulness programs and restorative spaces, employee stress levels can be reduced. Mindfulness programs can be achieved through in person meetings and exercises, or through employer-designated digital applications, such as Headspace, for example.

Restorative spaces in healthy buildings

Restorative spaces should be maintained, and employees should be encouraged to take breaks when needed and use them to relax and reset throughout the workday. 

It is important that the resources are available, but more importantly that occupants are made aware that they exist. Educational materials should be readily accessible to inform employees of the resources, encourage their use, and reduce any stigmas against mental health and wellness issues. 

In addition to mental health wellness programs, physical health is equally as important, including both nutrition and fitness services. Nutrition or cooking classes, healthy recipe sharing, and nutritious snack offerings in the office are examples beneficial nutrition programs.

Gyms, exercise and mental wellbeing in healthy buildings

Access to fitness rooms, gyms and fitness equipment can all be complemented by programs such as exercise classes, running clubs, or a bike-to-work week or contest are all potential implementations to encourage active travel and health. 

If occupant participation is consistently low, additional incentives may nee to be implemented to encourage resource use and highlight the importance of wellness in the workplace.

Often, it is helpful to have a designated employee as a ‘wellbeing champion’ who promotes health programs within a company, and this person or group can host health promotion meetings and communicate digitally with employees to further encourage participation. 

The role of sleep in healthy buildings & workplaces

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charlie morley / sleep / healthy sleep / healthy buildings / workplace wellness / cognitive performance

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Welcome to episode 46 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we discuss the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate. 

I’m your host, Matt Morley of Biofilico Healthy Buildings and in this episode I’m talking to none other than Charlie Morley, a bestselling author and teacher of mindfulness, lucid dreaming and all round sleep expert whose latest book deals with resolving trauma affected sleep through a set of practices called ‘Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep’.

Charlie, who is as you may have guessed my brother, was “authorised to teach” within the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism by Lama Yeshe Rinpoche in 2008. Since then he has written four books, delivered retreats in more than 20 countries, spoken at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, as well as the Ministry of Defence Mindfulness Symposium and The Houses of Parliament. 

Our conversation explores the connections between my world of healthy buildings and interiors, and Charlie’s world of healthy sleep. We discuss sleep hygiene, the physiological impact of sleep on our bodies not to mention our brains, pre-industrial age sleeping habits vs todays, the power nap as a productivity tool, how to create restorative spaces or sleep pods in an office or educational environment that people will actually use, and the role of meditation and restorative deep relaxation practices in improving rest.  

https://www.charliemorley.com/ 

Charlie Morley instagram

Full transcript courtesy of Otter.ai

“Unless you are part of the ‘sleepless elite’, which is less than one percentile of the world’s population, who can do very well on five hours or less sleep, almost everybody in the world, needs seven to nine hours per 24 hour period - this is still the golden standard of sleep. ”

— charlie morley

Matt Morley

When thinking about sleep the building blocks of creating a healthy night's sleep in terms of how much we need, the risks of poor sleep hygiene and what you've described as the ‘sleep delusion’, how does one evaluate and measure a good night's sleep?

Charlie Morley

So the measure of sleep is inherently subjective. How do I feel upon awakening? What are my energy levels the next day? What is my cognitive ability the next day, so we can look at it like that.

They've done some interesting tests where people who are very high achievers are only getting kind of six, or five or six hours sleep, great social lives etc who say, this is all I need, I work perfectly well on six hours sleep, but then you put them into a brain scanner, or you give them cognitive ability tests. And although they say they feel optimal performance, their brain shows significant sub optimal neurological performance.

Now, that's one of the scariest pieces of research I came across, because it shows that even if you think you feel fine, in fact, a state of sleep deprivation has been so normalized by ourselves and by society that are natural, I feel fine state is actually one of suboptimal neurological functioning.

Sleep and cognitive performance in the workplace

So what's the next step, you force these people into position where they have to have one extra hour of sleep per day, it can be a nap during the day or an extra half an hour at night, but you get one extra hour per 24 hour period. Their cognitive performance went through the roof, the descriptions they have is like it feels like have access to a superpower. They're social lives, become more vibrant, their interpersonal relationships get better, or their performance at work gets better, just through one extra hour. So yes, it is subjective. But also there are very objective measures that show seven to nine hours for most people is 17 hours will allow us to function optimally. And crucially, just one extra hour per night can do massive, massive benefit to everyone.

Matt Morley

And how do you see then in terms of integrating an element of tech so that you're able to literally see the sleep quality over the course of the evening that otherwise we're over the course of the night that otherwise you might not? You might have a sense of how you slept, but you don't really no? Are you buying into this? Do you think there's there's real value in it, or were we being sold product and service that frankly, we've managed pretty well without all these years. And we're, in a sense trying to create a desire that, that we don't necessarily need to own these things.

Sleep trackers for health metrics

Charlie Morley

So at the moment, one of the higher end sleep trackers called the AURA ring, who sponsored a sleep science study that was part of even the aura ring, which is really the top end of the market is still only 60 to 70% accurate, which means is a crucial 30 to 40% of the time where it's just getting it wrong. And that's that worrying, let alone most people have a much cheaper version, the kind of, you know, the wrist based ones that hook up to your iPhone and stuff like that.

So if sleep trackers are benefiting your sleep, if they are making you feel more refreshed, if they are leading to more healthy relationships with sleep, then continue to use them. For a lot of people, they lead to a real neurosis around sleep. So take them with a big pinch of salt. I mean, in my new book, The first chapter is about becoming your own sleep tracker. So in the morning, taking most of how do I feel upon awakening? What are my energy levels throughout the day? Yes, what time do I go to bed?

What time do I wake up any dreams, I can remember, becoming your own sleep tracker to create a baseline is far better than that than the level of tech we've got at the moment. However, there is something on the market that we use when we do this sleep science studies called the Zed max or the Z max. Now that's about $600. And that's like a mini EEG machine. That's very, very accurate. So give the technology five years when we can get the technology of the XEmacs into an aura ring or into the to the app on your phone. And then sleep tracker data will be very, very accurate. But at the moment, we're just a little bit behind. So yeah, I wouldn't take don't take it too seriously.

Matt Morley

So if we then jump into establishing exactly what's going on during a night's sleep, you have what you've described as light, light sleep, the dream phase, and then deep sleep. So sort of the top line concepts for each of those three, and how is the sleep connecting with our health during the rest of the day? Like what are the processes going on? Sure. So there's

Charlie Morley

Actually two there's the gateway in and out either side to the hypnopompic and hit sorry hypnogogic hypnopompic. So stage one of sleep is called the hypnagogic state and is experienced by most people. Less is asleep stage proper, more a state of drowsiness. So you can still hear the sounds of the room, you can still feel your body in the bed. brain goes into deep alpha and theater, the brain looks almost indistinguishable to a brain that is in hypnosis.

So every time you fall asleep, the gateway into sleep, whether in a nap in the middle of the day or at night, you go through this natural state of hypnosis. And it's actually in that state that we can do a lot of really beneficial stuff for asleep because it's in the hypnagogic state that we can practice ns a nonslip, deep rest to us, humans term, or yoga nidra practices or my term hypnogogic mindfulness, which are the states of deep relaxation that happened just before we enter asleep.

So we have the hypnagogic state, really good for you, deeply relaxing, but a state in which people who have stressed out sleep will spend a lot of the night you know, you're kind of tired enough to be in that drowsy state, you can't quite pass the threshold. Eventually, though, with normalized sleep patterns, you'll move from hypnogogic into light sleep, light sleep is named for the quite untechnical reason that it's just quite easy to wake people from, you know, back in the early days asleep science, they would register the depth of sleep just by poking someone and saying their name.

So light sleep as it sounds, you're easy to be woken from it, you are now blacked out, you can't hear the sounds in the room. Unless they're loud enough, you can't feel your body in the bed. But you're yet to be dreaming. Light sleep is really good for procedural memory integration. So sleep is all about memory. That's why there's a direct link, as we know, with our with our mum, between sleep and Alzheimer's, and sleep and memory. So let's say you're learning to drive a car, it's light sleep, that you'll be processing the memory of how to do this, the stick in this and the the gears and all of that, and the pedal in the gas and everything that will be happening in light sleep procedural memory, whereas if you were in a car crash, that would be processing dreaming sleep.

So dreaming sleep is about processing emotional memory, memory reconsolidation, especially traumatic or stressful memories too. So we have the hypnagogic state stage one, then light sleep for procedural memory and learning, then we move into deep sleep. Deep Sleep is very, very interesting. This is where the brain is almost entirely switched off. So your brains never fully switched off. But if you look at the brainwaves of the waking state, they're very close together ticket ticket ticket ticket, if you look at the brain wave of someone in deep sleep, this will delta wave is dominant brainwave, and are very far apart.

I know people can't see me, but I'm making slow deep waves, signals with my hand. So in deep sleep, the brains almost entirely switched off, very unlikely to be dreaming very little happening in the brain. Apparently, but actually, if you look at the neuroscience of what's happening, loads is happening. Deep Sleep is when cerebral spinal fluid is flushed up into the brain. And it actually removes toxins from the brain a bit like imagine he had a fruit smoothie, and he drank all the fruit smoothie, but there's still kind of the remnants of the fruit smoothie in the bottle. And then if you put a bit of water in that bottle and shook it up, you could get all the remnants of the fruit smoothie out, right.

That's what's happening in deep sleep, the cerebral spinal fluid is flushing through the brain. And the blood capillaries go big, small, big, small, big small, which creates this kind of flushing motion. And that directly flushes out amyloid plaques, which are what cause Alzheimer's and many other forms of dementia.

So also a human growth hormone is released. So I know you're really into your fitness. If you have like a big workout during the day, like you're you're kind of working out you're lifting weights in the gym. Unless that night you get enough deep sleep, your muscles will not grow, there'll be massive reduction in muscle gains. And the same goes for losing weight.

So if you spent your whole day dieting, but then at night, you don't get enough deep sleep, you will lose weight based on the calorific deficit of not eating that much. But you won't actually make changes to your metabolism that leads to long term weight loss. So deep sleep so so important for memory for toxins flushed out for changing the body in any way we want.

We have that period of deep sleep, and then we'll move into dream. So dream actually comes at the end of the cycle, we think of dream as being a very active sleep state. And it is but by the time you get the dream, you've been knocked out for at least 6070 minutes. And if you put those together that makes up the 90 Minute sleep cycle, the cycle continues throughout the night. What changes is the amount of time you spend in each one until you get to the last two hours or you're almost in full dream for like two hours.

sleep for human performance

Matt Morley

Okay, so I think that's really given us the kind of foundations between these connections between sleep like what's happening at night and how are we performing? How are we feeling, how we cognitively how we functioning during the day so effectively that is the basis of sleep as a form of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Charlie Morley

“Yeah, there is no biological process that is not adversely affected by insufficient sleep - anything less than seven hours per 24 hour period, yet we don’t teach kids about this in school, we have a sense of almost pride that we can get by off of a lack of sleep. It’s crazy. ”

— charlie morley

Certain parts of America lost an hour because the daylight saving. So like 1.6 billion people do this every year different times, but based on your countries, but on that day where people lose one hour of sleep, the next day, American Studies have shown as a 22% increase in cardiac arrest the next day, just by robbing people of one hour asleep. That's 10s of 1000s more death, because of one hour lost sleep. There's also a massive increase in traffic accidents the next day, when you take one hour of sleep.

Conversely, when the clocks change, and you gain an extra hour of sleep, there's a 22% decrease in heart attacks the next day, and a 15% drop in traffic accidents. Now, when you roll that out in 26 countries around the world that have these daylight savings, that is millions of people live longer, or live shorter lives based on robbing or giving them one extra hour of sleep.

Sleep health in a historical perspective

Matt Morley

Yeah, that's powerful stuff. If if we can take a step back to a slightly sort of, let's say, a historical perspective, just to understand the connection between pre Industrial Age sleep cycles, modern sleep cycles, and the potential benefits in accepting and embracing the idea of a nap, a siesta, or sleeping again, after the amount, number of hours you managed to get during the night. So when do you draw the line between how things were before the Industrial Age? And how things are now? And is that necessarily have the optimal version of our sleep pattern?

Charlie Morley

Sure. So I'm sure many of your listeners have heard about this. heard this before. That before the Industrial Revolution, so about 200 250 years ago, most people in Western Europe slept very differently. They didn't sleep all in one, they would obviously this depends on seasonal fluctuations. And a lot of research was done in England, actually, especially the British Isles, where it can get dark as early as 4pm in the nighttime, in the wintertime, so people get asleep within about two hours of sundown.

So because candles are really expensive. They're made of whale oil, only the wealthiest people could have these candles and kerosene was difficult to come across, or whatever they use back then. So people get asleep within about two hours of sundown. So it could be 6pm 8pm. But like early, right asleep for about two, three hours. And then they would wake up again, like fully awake, pubs would reopen.

People would have these like tobacco circles, you kind of sit around and smoke, people would go into the field and milk their cows, they believe the quality of the milk. If you milk them at this time was better people would have sex they felt you're more fertile. That actually true. There is a fertility booster at that time. There are hundreds of these records is oh, there's even a 15th century prayer manual from Portugal, full of prayers especially to do in the second sleep. Sorry, between the first and the second sleep.

So you get this reference the first and second sleep. The way it actually came about was a crime researcher was looking at records in courts and other crimes were committed after the first sleep basically the middle of the night, you'd get your three hours sleep you got Rob someone's house and then go back to bed again. It was like perfect crime. Right. S

o this is how it first came into, into public awareness. Now is that the best way Oh, sorry. And then you would go back to sleep after two hours until sunrise. seasonal fluctuations. So you'll still be averaging about like 678 hours sleep but Krushi with a two hour gap in the middle. Fast forward to the modern day, the most common form of insomnia. In western societies, the most prevalent form is not sleep onset insomnia, which is where you just can't get to sleep. It's actually sleep maintenance insomnia.

Now, here's a description of sleep maintenance, insomnia, the ability of the subject to fall asleep upon first awakening. Within two to three hours, the subject awakens again, feeling fully awake and conscious for up to two hours. The subject is then able to fall asleep again till morning. That is flippin exactly the same description as the pre industrial sleep cycle.

So could it be that there are millions of misdiagnosed insomniacs, who aren't actually insomniacs, they are showing from an anthropological point of view a much more natural sleep cycle than the rest of us who are trying to blackout for eight hours. Does it mean that blackout of eight hours is not the way to do it and we should all be having that nighttime waking No, not at all, perhaps is a chronotype thing perhaps type thing. But it is important for people to know, if they do have that sleep pattern, you're probably not insomniac.

And actually just knowing that it's okay to be awake in the middle of the night moves us out of the fight or flight sympathetic response that keeps us awake and allows us to fall asleep. And secondly, there are a lot of people who have that sleep pattern, but they don't know that there's a second period of sleep waiting for them in the wings. So they don't stay awake for two hours, they just get up and Assad do there is another four hour sleep waiting for you.

But you have to allow yourself to slip back into it. Interestingly, the term insomnia was first produced in print as a, as a kind of a coined term in the New York Times in 1901. It was called the new fangled malaise of insomnia, within 30 to 40 years of us changing the way we sleep, we suddenly have this term insomnia cropping up. So very, very interesting. So no, I wouldn't say we should be sleeping like that. But if you are sleeping like that, it may not be such a bad idea. It may be just the way your body is, is working. And the main thing to know is there's nothing wrong with it. You know, nighttime wakefulness is not a pathology. For some people. It's just the way they're built.

Matt Morley

We introduced the idea of bi-phasal sleeping or perhaps sleeping for X number of hours during the night, and then catching up at another stage during the day. And interestingly, that's one of the connections between your work in healthy buildings / workplace wellness and you work, right. So when I'm looking at, say, healthy building concept of trying to create spaces within a building that are designed to foster wellness, and wellbeing for people spending eight to 12 hours of their days or nights, if it's a residential context, or if it's an office environment, then it's a place where they go to work and to be productive.

With the leading healthy building standard, that's called the WELL Standard, they have an entire concept around MIND. And one of the features there is the idea of restorative opportunities and, and nap policy.

So we're starting to see the way sort of trickle down effect from the top whereby the certification systems that are becoming increasingly common now in the world of real estate are encouraging and completely accepting the concept of a nap being a healthy part of a workday, it might sound confusing for some people, but it's out there.

But for sure, it's already happening. It's already coming. Now, once you have that policy as a as an employer, you then need to offer some kind of a space where that happens. So yeah, that might be an area where I'd say okay, well, I'm going to try and introduce some, some natural elements, biophilic design, I'm going to think about light, I'm going to think about the thermal qualities of the temperature in there and think about the acoustic isolation.

When you think about what I know you've turned sleep hygiene. And so the restorative environment in which one goes to sleep like what are your your key touch points there? Like what are the essential elements that we need to think about when we're creating an environment, whether it's at home, or in a potentially office space, where it's congenial to having a 20 or 30 minute nap during the day?

Restorative spaces in the WELL standard

Charlie Morley

First of all, before I answer that, I just like to say, that's so good to hear that that's part of, you know, you building regulation and part of what businesses are thinking about.

“Apart from any kind of philanthropic aim that the business might have, your employees will be 30% better at anything they do after 60 to 90 minute nap. That’s the science. That’s a fact. ”

— charlie morley

It's like if you want to make more money, give your employees a nap because they will make better deasl. They make better trades, they'll have better interpersonal relationships. It is very good for your employees. Yes. And also you will make more money. It seems crazy. They aren't implementing this. I did a thing at Deutsche Bank at Deloitte. I was telling them you will make more money if you do this, and hasn't been implemented. Not that I know. But really anyone listening?

The science is there. This isn't hippie dippie stuff, your employees will be better at whatever they do after a 60 to 90 minute nap. So rant over next bit. I would say when you people sleeping in public is a really vulnerable thing to do. So actually, your question is not so much about the bedroom at home, but actually sleeping in public, which is very different sleeping and public. I would save for Start, you need something that's lockable, if possible, something that's lockable.

So I know the are these great sleep pods in I believe it's Munich Airport, you can rent them for like an hour, a pop, and these little kind of micro pod beds, but they're lockable. And it's really important that that it's not just quiet and dark and all the sleep hygiene II stuff. But they're lockable. And a lot of the traumatized populations I work with, like veterans and people with C PTSD. simply placing a lock on your bedroom door can increase sleep quality by up to half an hour, an hour a night. Because there's something about humans, we need to no one's going to come in, we're in this deeply vulnerable state of rest.

So I would say they need to be not only private and a correct temperature for sleep, and yes, dark and quiet if you can, but also lockable. There was one rest port I went in, and there is a difference in arrest port and asleep port, where my legs were exposed, there was kind of a big bubble thing over most of my body in my head, but my legs were exposed, very difficult to fall asleep. And one of those, you know, my feet, people could brush by they could do something to them, I wasn't able to fully sleep.

So yes, it would be enclosed, it would be lockable, it would be private. Just to say that those rest pods, you know, there is a difference between NSDI non sleep deep rest and napping. Non sleep deep breath has loads of benefits, too. So even if you can't provide a full private, lockable, even just a space for rest and mindfulness like they have in the Google offices in London are really, really good.

Recharge rooms in tech offices

Matt Morley

Yeah, it is often the tech companies that are approaching the and saying, Well look, we want to create a space in a sense, in your terms, clearly that they will then actually be breathing a multifunctional space where there can be some of that depressed slash napping going on. It can also be a space where it's congenial to restorative practices, whatever that might be taking some time out of your day, perhaps to meditate perhaps to do your prayers, or just simply take some time by yourself.

And in fact, there's often the term the quiet room, or a restorative space where the idea is really just to take some time away from your key tasks to recharge, to go back. And then I think within that there's perhaps a subgroup too, which is the the nap pods or sleeping pod? The issue there with my sort of design head on is okay, you got to think about hygiene.

Now, post COVID, you got to think about ventilation. If it's lockable, and it's an enclosed space, then the best thing to have their own fans and and suddenly, you know, the prices do go up. But I think there's there's real value in that. So we've established you mentioned temperature just to dig into it. So thermal comfort typically is actually cooler than we think, isn't it in terms of the ideal sleeping temperature.

Thermal comfort during sleep

Charlie Morley

I can't remember the exact temperature ideal to seven temperature. First of all, they differ from men and women. I remember a brilliant chapter in a book called The The Descent of Man by Grayson Perry. And the title chapter was air conditioning is sexist. Now you see that the title chapter anyway, I'll come on straight to that chapter. He's absolutely right, the average the default setting of air conditioners across the world are set to the male preferred temperature at room temperature. And women need it about up to one to two degrees warmer. So actually, air conditioning is sexist.

So the first thing your points would need to be would you need to adjust it because women would want a slightly different to men. Basically, if you're in bed, and you can stick your foot out from the blankets or out of the duvet, and it's warm enough to keep it outside your rooms too hot. Your bedroom should be pretty cool, but not cold. But if you stick your foot out, it should feel cool. And your nose should be cool. You know this is cooler, the better many people with sleep problems, they just have the room too hot, it becomes the Princess and the Pea.

You know they pile up loads of blankets and and they get really really hot and you can't you know sleeps about thermo regulation. Remember the we used to we now know actually that human beings used to even hibernate for long periods of time where the deep sleep state would go for a massive percentage. And you could actually move into these almost hibernation states for days or weeks. And of course, what's hibernation about thermo regulation? So yeah, temperatures, pretty important.

Matt Morley

There is a there's a really interesting book was published recently by the Harvard Chan School for public health by Dr. Joseph Allen, in which he discusses exactly that point around the sexual or sort of the differences between the two sexes in terms of body temperature and therefore thermal comfort within a space and it seems that a lot of the regulations that were still in place or to have guidelines in the US and in fact, even in older buildings how the HVAC aircon systems have been programmed, referring to some data that was plucked from sort of 1980s office buildings were so slick as well. What was happening in 1980s, it was male dominated, they were probably wearing a suit.

And there's now just much more sexual, let's say equality. And therefore, as the man in the three piece suit or in a shirt, a tie, and a jacket is completely different to me sending in a normal summer dress. So some of the solutions around that seem to be around, ultimately creating almost sort of microclimates within or having clusters or microclimates where it's adjustable, if they're getting there with the HVAC and aircon systems, it's sort of within the next five to 10 years, it seems like that would be in a really smart building. So like sort of high performing building where they're able to adjust and allow each individual occupant to have some say over the temperature in their space, just by you know, the kind of airflow that's going on within that.

So yeah, another crossover between Your world and mine. Let's talk about mindfulness. Again, it is something that's part of the healthy building concept, the idea that a allowing time within the day and allowing a space within an office environment, for example, where meditation or mindfulness practice and perhaps breathwork, and can take place is positive, again for productivity, but also for worker well being. So how do you integrate mindfulness and meditation with sleep?

Because obviously, once once we're asleep? There's, in theory, for most of us, at least, there's no active meditation or mindfulness going on, right until you get to like next level, Tibetan Buddhist practice of dreaming. Yeah. But before that, yeah, how what's the connection between mindfulness and improve sleep quality, so that if someone's perhaps practicing or finding time during the day, they're also able to have a positive impact on the sleep at night, which is, I think your another gain, isn't it?

breath work and deep relaxation for rest and sleep

Charlie Morley

Yeah. So mindfulness has a whole wealth of benefits. As far as sleep goes, actually more than mindfulness, it's about regulation of the autonomic nervous system through the breath, and through deep relaxation. Those are the two things that you really find affecting sleep. And it's all based on this thing called parasympathetic drive.

So there's a system within the autonomic nervous system called parasympathetic drive, which is, think of it like a battery, which is charged up every time you do anything relaxing during the day, you charge up this parasympathetic drive battery. Now the reason most people tend to sleep slightly better on holiday than in their working day is unless you're screaming kids and stuff, on holidays, you're probably doing more relaxing things. So every time you do anything relaxing the day zap, you get a little charge to the parasympathetic drive. If you spend at least half an hour a day doing something really, really relaxing, that moves you into a deep parasympathetic emphasis, such as yoga nidra, slow, deep breathing, coherent breathing, other forms of non sleep deep breaths, you're spending 30 minutes charging up that parasympathetic drive.

Now what happens is then when you go to sleep at night, even if you charge it at 11 o'clock in the morning, or 10 o'clock in the morning, that battery will store the drive until you choose to go to sleep at night. So when you fall asleep at night, the brain kind of downloads that battery power from parasympathetic drive, allowing you to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer.

This means we need to completely reconfigure the way we view sleep. Sleep is not about oh, it's half an hour before bedtime quick put on some sleep hygiene tips like not looking at my phone, going wearing my fancy red sunglasses, all this kind of stuff. It's like That's too late dude. Like if you if you've got high levels of stress or trauma, but again, who hasn't got high levels of stress off last two and a half years we've been through as a global society. Sleep good sleep begins during the day.

How much time can you spend charging up that parasympathetic drive battery, and that's where periods of mindfulness but especially slow deep breathing, and NSDI, non sleep, deep breaths, kind of the hypnogogic, mindfulness practice, those really, really work to regulate the nervous system and help you sleep well at night. So that's the link mindfulness is good, because it can help create a habit of mind that sees not getting perfect sleep as more okay, but as mindfulness creates, fosters an attitude of okayness with myself and compassionate acceptance if it's taught in the right way. But the link between just standard mindfulness and sleep is quite tenuous. The link between non sleep deep rest and slow deep breathing and sleep is very, very direct, because it's based on this parasympathetic drive.

Sleep quality for productivity in the workplace

Matt Morley

So then you you see that there is effectively a short term benefit. That is, if you like he's reaping those benefits. Well, first of all, the person in question so the worker the occupant, and indirectly, the, the employer, that's more than that. So the people who are then that they're producing for once they go back into their work environment and are just sort of recharged and fresher and able to do more or get through the rest of the day without hitting X number of coffees.

But then that same building Brunt that same worker gets their own slightly more medium term benefits later on in the day, that's an entirely private matter once they end up trying to get to sleep that also suggests, you mentioned sort of the three hours, I think there's often, you know, there's practical considerations, of course, around when you work out an exercise, right. But when I see people exercising at 9pm, and the best hours of sleep seem to be between about sort of like 11 and 1am, right. There's just it's a crunch between the late workout, getting to bed and getting good quality night's sleep. So it's that would then suggest if, if at all possible exercise should happen lunchtime slash middle of the day.

Charlie Morley

It depends what the exercise is. So for it again, this is about the sympathetic and parasympathetic system. So for example, lifting heavy weights, like you're doing a big weight session actually can lead to such a parasympathetic hit off with this deep tiredness that comes out was it could be reasonably beneficial or at least neutral to do in the evening. However, as we both do a lot of martial arts like Thai boxing, kickboxing, something really fight or flight II like Krav Maga at 10pm, you want to go to bed at midnight? Yeah, you're going to be while you're going to be in that state.

So it's not so much the exercise, but the type of exercise the effect that has on your body, and you can feel it after your workout. Do you feel deeply relaxed? Do you feel that sense of calm? Or do you feel it's kind of jittery? You know, you've still got your pre workout shake in your system or something like that. So it's kind of subjective and personal. But generally, exercise is really good for sleep. But yeah, if you can do it within like three hours of your preferred bedtime, that's best. Sorry, I would do it not, not over three hours before your preferred bedtime. That's best.

Matt Morley

Cool. Plus, I think we can carry on for a while yet, but we're gonna wrap it up there. So if people want to follow along, see more of your work, or reach out with any questions or buy the books like where is that all happening online?

Charlie Morley

Yeah, my website, Charliemorley.com

I'm also on Instagram So check it out.

Smart buildings for improved air quality, energy saving, carbon capture - Sally R

air quality / smart buildings / healthy buildings / energy efficiency / green building / hvac / indoor farming

Welcome to episode 45 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we discuss the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate today.

In this episode I’m in Sweden talking to Fredrik Tunberg, CEO of Sally R, a cloud-based intelligent ventilation solution that uses algorithms to optimize indoor air quality while reducing overall energy consumption related to the HVAC system.

We discuss how buildings have traditionally had to make guesstimates about how much ventilation they will need, and then applies a blanket approach throughout the day, throughout the building, whereas the latest technology, sensors and IOT enabled software completely changes the game, opening up opportunities for far more tailored, efficient and cost effective solutions. Which is essentially what Sally R do.

As Fredrik points out, high quality indoor air does not need to cost more, quite the opposite in fact, once you can see the air in a building and map that against usage data, and feedback from a network of air quality monitors, it’s a complete game changer that also saves on energy use in the process.

Finally, they are also getting into Carbon capture in indoor farms, but I’ll Fredrik explain that part. 

• Sally R website

• Sally R indoor farming

• Sally R on LinkedIn

Talking indoor air quality in healthy buildings and energy efficient green buildings with Fredrik Tunberg of SALLY R

Let's start with the basics. So, when you're describing SALLY R, what's the problem that you're solving here around HVAC and mechanical ventilation system optimization in healthy buildings?

Fredrik Tunberg

As part of the increasing energy prices, of course, across Europe across the world, as well as the pandemic, that we're hopefully seeing the end of. I believe that real estate and especially commercial real estate and public buildings starting to open up will create some very important questions for the real estate owners, as well as sales managers, and how to tackle these two issues - energy efficiency and indoor air quality. That's where Sally R can really make a difference.

Matt Morley

So there's two pieces that you mentioned, effectively, the building energy cost, the energy implications of running a mechanical ventilation system in a building, and also how that mechanical ventilation system relates to airborne diseases, such as COVID. So let's look at the first one. So the energy costs I get, how do you how to get involved or integrate into that, start measuring it and make improvements?

Indoor air quality and energy efficiency

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, and in our case, those two different pieces are very intertwined into each other. So overall, we're trying to really prove to people that well, an increase, and more secure indoor air quality, actually doesn't mean that you have to spend that the consumer energy is rather the opposite. 

“It’s a contradiction that clean air costs more, it’s actually the other way around. So an optimized indoor air quality in a healthy building will actually provide you with substantial green building energy savings. ”

— fredrik tunberg

smart buildings and hvac systems

“You have to bear in mind that the traditional way of controlling HVAC has been the same for many years. With the help of technology breakthroughs, such as big data, connectivity, and wireless sensors, we can manage that data to control very complex systems within buildings. ”

— fredrik tunberg, ceo , sally r

Matt Morley

So for someone who's perhaps not familiar with traditional building management systems, or facilities management, you said it's a bit of a dinosaur, and it hasn't really upgraded. So what does that look like for someone who's not familiar with it, obviously, you know, natural ventilation is where we came from. And then at some point, we started creating pressurized, mechanically ventilated buildings with HVAC air conditioning systems. And over the last, say, 20 years or so, or more, how has that? What's that look like?

building management systems in healthy buildings

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, this is different, depending on what kind of building you're talking about. And obviously, also what kind of country you're in, from our experience from, from Sweden, Scandinavia, and Europe, is that evolved buildings, once they were built, they were are the someone from the BMS system provider or their partners, they were in the building and programming a unique solution for that building. And that was obviously based on a lot of assumptions. And these assumptions goes hand in hand with what like the building would be intended, intended views, and all different kinds of things.

So one practical example would be one, one building that we implemented our solution and very recently, where they 2025 years ago, when the when the building was built, the HR system was programmed. And it was programmed based on the assumption like, Alright, let's do 40% return here. And it was just an assumption that that would work out and that that was a good level. It is not based on any kind of facts and figures, because and to be honest, like 25 years ago, you couldn't do that. And what we can do now is that we can, we can allow the building to choose his own level of returner, depending on how it is being used. What is happening on the outside of the building, and, and taking into a lot of different factors concerning the indoor air quality into account in order to calculate optimal performance for the system.

Matt Morley

So then that links in with the idea of the big data, right? Because you're then using global benchmarks to understand how it should be done comparing that with what's actually happening and trying to find gaps discrepancies between the two and then making the adjustments to how the air ventilation system is operating. Is that right? Yeah,

energy efficiency in a smart building

Fredrik Tunberg

Absolutely, absolutely. So that's one way to look at it. And then there's other other types of buildings like we're optimizing a large shopping mall in Stockholm, it's the largest one is going to need for more mall of Scandinavia. So it's, it has a good name. And that building was built in a was I believe it was finished, like in 2015, or 2016. So it's very, it's very new, it was a huge investment, obviously, for the real estate company. And so it's very sophisticated, everything that is within the building. And still, we managed to save around 40-42% of the energy being used with HVAC system, simply because we were more reactive to whatever was going on. And this was especially so during the pandemic, of course, when the building had a lot lower people occupants passing through. And again, was based on assumptions on how how it would be used the building. And, yeah, so there's a lot to be done.

automated hvac in a smart building

Matt Morley

So if I can create an analogy, would it be basically like someone going in to a building, turning on all the lights at a certain point on the dinner and saying, Well, that's it. That's how we operate the light system between nine o'clock and five o'clock? And you're saying, well, actually, you might need certain different intensities during the day. And you might need perhaps a little bit on a on a weekend, or you might need some later in the evening? Because that's actually how the building's being used. Would that be a fair analogy to draw, you're trying to connect the the usage by the occupants in the building with the amount of air ventilation and circulation that they need is that, yeah, absolutely

Fredrik Tunberg

That's definitely a huge part of it. And then we also have different ways of like, analyzing the building, as well. So we are measuring and we're constantly calculating the loads within the building and not not just the heating load, but are also like the load concerning co2, we can calculate any kind of boat, we can calculate and monitor VOC load process. And by doing it that way, we can predict what will happen a lot better than then what would normally be the case, as well. So there's a lot of different things, but those definitely a good analogy as well.

Matt Morley

“VOCs, volatile organic compounds, basically, the nasty chemicals that are off gassing from things like adhesives, glues, carpets, furniture in an office. ”

— matt morley

So for the listeners who perhaps aren't aware that toxic chemicals can be found in office furniture, the reality is they often can, especially in fabrics, textiles, foams, paints, and cheap ceiling panels and what have you. So the importance of what you've just described, is, is really, I think, critical for for improved indoor air quality.

So if we look at the hardware and the software involved in making that happen, like what's, what's going on in terms of bringing pieces of kit into the building? Or is it a completely software based solution? Like how do you integrate into the building management system into the BMS?

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, there's, different ways to do that, of course, and we do a lot of different types of integration and implementations. But Sally R is in essence a software company. So we don't have our own hardware concerning this particular service. Rather, we would prefer to collaborate with with a partner and primarily, that would be the BMS company and the BMS provider, but it can also obviously be an IOT platform, for instance, or it can be a sensor, sensor company, providing sensors.

But we have also done integrations and implementations where we made use of a kind of a simple kind of each unit each gateway, but that is simply just because we want to cut corners. And this is primarily we do that primarily for older systems, older buildings, where they sometimes they don't even have an internet. It's not connected to the internet.

Matt Morley

So it strikes me as an example of smart building systems, right, but we're trying to connect the bill Seeing via your software with the daily realities of what's happening inside the building. So it's reactive rather than being passive. Do you? Do you just make a distinction between the air purification that's going on in the building and the air quality?

So like, is the software looking at purification rates that are happening? Do we need to consider that there's not enough purification beyond just the ventilation rates in the building, do you normally recommend that there is a complimentary strategy in terms of improving the indoor air quality beyond just ventilation or is that typically enough to remove the VOCs? Remove the co2?

indoor air quality and sally r software

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, and obviously, definitely depends on where in the world you are, and what kind of room but we will obviously like we, we see a lot of data we can see. And we can analyze that for the customer. But then it's obviously up to the customer to take actions based on that data. But it's not that uncommon, obviously, that we get questions like how do we how can we improve this further?

How, what measures do we need to take it apart from the software, and stuff like that, and then we like to be really, really frank about, we're not a consultancy in that way, there are others who are way much better than than us that providing advice on that. But any way we can to help is, obviously a bit.

“we are not actually in this to to save energy, it might sound strange, but our standpoint is we want to secure indoor air quality, the energy saving is an extra benefit!”

— Fredrik Tunberg, CEO, SaLLY R

Matt Morley

So then you'd imagine there being say, a network of head height air quality monitors throughout the building that there's the building management team are getting one source of data coming in, you then got what Sally are producing in terms of data, and you can start to see how the management team is building up a picture, right? of exactly what's what's going on. So how does that how does that take place?

For someone who's not familiar with that process? Yeah, so like you said that there, you're creating the data. And you're is it is the is the software making decisions on behalf of the building management team or the building management team having to take to sort of interpret the data that you're creating, and then manually create, implement changes, or is it automatically linked, now is

Fredrik Tunberg

“Our software automates improvements in indoor air quality 100% based on whatever parameters, you as the building owner, or manager, want to achieve in the building in terms of indoor air quality.”

— fredrik tunberg, ceo , sally r

And usually, there is a minimum value and a maximum value, and never to exceed the maximum value of course. And then the system the software would optimize within that can range and it will do that automatically. But it would also obviously pick up on any like discrepancies in in that performance as well. And for instance, we can easily analyze a abnormal high energy consumption within any kind of like fans or anything like that, that we can track back to, for instance, that filter change being needed.

So we can optimize that and we can we can optimize for other types of filters as well. So you can introduce more filtration, for instance, concerning knowledge, but then who are starting to talk more and more about TM one for instance. So we can we can definitely there's definitely room to improve more on the filtration side with an optimization.

Particulate Matter in indoor air quality

Matt Morley

So PM1 - we typically talk about PM10, which would be dust level particles, then PM 2.5, which is much smaller. Things like mold, VOCs and tiny little things, but PM1 would be airborne disease level?

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, exactly. I mean, noncredit to me, according to the WHO.

indoor farms and carbon capture

Matt Morley

Yeah. Okay. And and so you then have this other piece, right, you have this other element, which I think is a really interesting complement to, to what we've just been talking about around the the HVAC Building Management and this carbon capture and indoor farms. So where did that come from? What's that product about?

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, absolutely. So we will need to go back five or six years basically, because Sally R - our name to begin with is a tribute to Sally Right, the first female astronaut, US astronaut. So we basically turned to space in the beginning to find solutions to how our buildings can rely less on the outside air. Because we see problems with the outside air becoming more and more polluted. And a lot of energy consumption comes from the process of changing outside air into heated or cooled indoor air.

So when starting to look at ISS, and how they're solving the indoor air quality on the space station, we came across some some very like crucial, crucial things that need to solve. And one of them obviously, being the optimization of the whole service. And that's, that's our software today. Another part of it is being able to capture co2 from an HR system or from an indoor environment. So for the last three or four years, we've basically been digging into that and evaluating different technologies out there, and then coming up with our own technology in order to capture carbon efficiently from indoor environments. And then, obviously, like looking looking for for different solutions in how to offset that carbon.

But once you want to calculate what what would you do with the co2. And we saw this, this kind of new industry, it's not new, but it's, it's definitely on most people's radar these times. And it's concerning vertical farming and locally grown verbs that urban farming and container farming, there's a lot of buzz going on there. And one crucial part of sustainable indoor farming is being able to enrich the farming area with co2. And the the only solution that we've seen so far is to bring in like shoo, some tanks with co2 that quite often comes from natural gas. And that's not very sustainable. So we see a possibility here to kind of make one industry more sustainable by giving them the co2 and one industry, the real estate industry, both safe, safer and more energy efficient by capturing. So yeah, that was a long explanation, a monologue.

Matt Morley

So if that was say, just to understand, because I know some images on your website, they depict maybe like a rooftop indoor farm that could be on a could be on a an office building, for example, where they decided to go into that with a kind of, like a Yeah, a bubble, right? So you create this this glass house area where it's a protected environment? Would it have to work would only work in those that context? Or could it be, say, a vertical farm set up in the reception of a big building, for example? Or do you need an enclosed space? How is it? What are the applications? Like what do you need from your side?

Fredrik Tunberg

Well, we need an enclosed space in some way, in order to really have an effect on the co2 levels. So the so that you actually get an increase in yield on the crops. So they grow more and more co2 have a certain extent, of course. So that that is what you need. But we're also looking into different applications preferring more like traditional indoor farming, like traditional greenhouses, and particular than commercial greenhouses. And then we would actually capture the carbon from from ambient air instead, that would be more like direct air capture for it for a specific purpose. That's another another kind of application.

Circular Economy and green healthy buildings

Matt Morley

So you sort of have this circular economy concept, right? Where you're, we're trying to keep everything in the loop rather than and in this case, the co2 is kind of like the waste product that we want to keep in the loop to reuse to get more value from it.

Fredrik Tunberg

Absolutely. That is what we really want to achieve and we also want to kind of like waste from the general awareness but you can actually do this if faced with co2, and co2 is natural, it's in our air, he says that we have a bit too much of it these days. So we need to like we need to make something useful with it. And why not actually do or try to increase the production of healthy food, and especially locally grown healthy food? Because there's loads and loads of benefits with vertical farming, indoor farming, and being really, we can help one.

Matt Morley

So where do you go from here? In terms of building the business? bringing in new clients developing new products and services? Like how do you see this evolving over the next three to five years?

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, no, it's very exciting time here - the plan for this year is internationalization where we are at scaling up business as we're getting to new markets. obviously started out in Sweden and Scandinavia, but we're looking to expand into UK and further into Canada as well this year, concerning the carbon capture where we are now way more like a pre mature stage, but we're commercializing right now. We're getting our first first couple of clients, and we will continue to evaluate the performance on that technology. And so yeah, it will be a little bit divided. But we're, we'll have different places that we have our hands full.

Healthy buildings integrating Sally R software

Matt Morley

So let's take a potential building in central London. And there are certain parameters within which you can work or are there certain requirements in terms of going in? Does it need to be a certain genre or type of building or something that's built after a certain year in terms of its HVAC? Like, are there? Are there areas where you can't help? Are there areas where you can have more impact and more more positive results?

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, essentially, we don't, our software works for any kind of building anywhere. Basically, as long as you have mechanical ventilation, we can optimize that. But it's more of a matter of where we put our focus, as of today. So we focused deliberately on offices and retail primarily, but also on on more sensitive buildings, like schools and hospitals, elevate the health health sector. But we make the most difference in obviously, large buildings, obviously, less complex buildings. So open spaces, versus open spaces. And we can really make a difference where you have a lot of people coming in and changing the the occupancy, because then we can be casting a huge difference on the interview.

What is the cost of healthy building software?

Matt Morley

So it's a question that I'm nearly always asked when I'm proposing these kind of concepts and services to clients that I work with. So I'll map Okay, but what are the cost implications? And how much more is this gonna cost me? And often, my responses will look, there might be a little bit more upfront in terms of your capex, but then how long will it take you to pay that off in terms of operating costs once you open the building, and actually, it can often be within a space of two to three years.

But then the owner, if they're holding the property for that long, if they're redeveloping or constructing, building and then selling, then it's slightly different story I find, but when they're holding the building for at least a few years, there's often a discussion around well, what are your management and operational costs over the next three years? And how much can we save you on those? Is it a similar argument in terms of selling in a salary or service to a developer or landlord?

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, no, absolutely. And obviously, with the twist that we sell our service as a service, so So you would basically pay a monthly fee that is way lower than your energy savings. So I mean, from our perspective, there's actually no investments that basically like saving money or making money from day one, basically. But obviously, like in the in the startup phase, there can be certain investments that we need to do. And that could be relating, like investing in more sensors, for instance.

But the way that we figure is that well, you want sensors anyway, even if you're not going with that those are not selling your specific sensors. So whether or not whether or not you like it or not, you need the sensors. And then you can subscribe to our service and start saving entity as well as be comfortable with that it's actually locked in with security and oil quality, no matter what happens in the building or outside.

Matt Morley

So sensors you mean ventilation rates as in in inside the HVAC system or in terms of the air that's circulating in the occupied spaces?

Fredrik Tunberg

90% I would say that the sensors inside the HV system that is already in place, is a very rarely that we need to compliment those sensors. But what we want, it all depends on what type of building obviously, but in an in an office building, with a more traditional office building, with a lot of different roofs and stuff like that, we would need some more reference, measuring measurements in in the different groups so that we can securely control the indoor air quality. But as sensor costs, as the cost for sensors comes down even more, it's not a huge investment and maintain away. I would say, yeah, it's minimal compared to what other types of investment can do for themselves.

Matt Morley

That's a much easier sell than than solar panels on a roof. I can tell you from experience. Very good. So how can people learn more? How can they connect? How can they reach out and follow what you're doing?

Fredrik Tunberg

Yeah, w obviously have a website, which is fairly good. It's, it's getting more and more content on it. But we're also trying to stay as active as we possibly can on primarily LinkedIn. That's our channel of choice. And you're always happy to schedule a meeting with me or one of my colleagues to learn more as well. So we're always always eager to

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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.