Buildings Health
90% Indoors
The Search for Healthy Building Solutions
As a means to tackle climate change and increase energy security, improving the energy efficiency of buildings is well established on the EU policy agenda. But the requirement to create ‘healthy’ buildings, which enhance the comfort and well-being of inhabitants, receives far less attention. New research shows how natural eco-building materials are uniquely capable of delivering on both fronts. Writer: James Ling
The buildings sector is one of the most resource hungry in the EU, accounting for the largest share of total final energy consumption (at around 40%) and 35% of all CO2 emissions. Therefore, switching to more energy efficient methods of construction will be key transitioning to a low-
30 | Summer 2017
carbon society. Recognizing this, in 2010 the EU started to regulate the energy performance of new and renovated buildings. Buildings must be more than simply energy efficient of course. As we spend up to 90% of our time indoors, buildings and the envi-
ronment they create also have a significant impact on our comfort, well-being and even health. This has led to growing calls for the integration of ‘healthy’ principles into building design and construction, paying more attention to factors such as thermal comfort, air quality, light and noise.
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