THE ACTIVE HOUSE CONCEPT

HUMAN HEALTH

SCIENTISTS ARE PUTTING COMFORT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Research into the importance of daylight, indoor air quality and the thermal environment in our homes has increased in the last few decades. Comparing dwellings from different eras and with different social and cultural profiles has triggered a new awareness concerning the workings of the indoor environment.

Obviously, people feel attracted to daylight, fresh air and pleasant temperatures because they all make us feel comfortable, but what scientists are continuously striving to uncover are the trigger points. When do these properties make a difference, how do they affect our feeling of comfort versus our need for better health, and how can we utilise them to create better homes? In this section we reveal some of the answers science has come up with so far.

Researcher at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne. Peter Barret, Emeritus Professor at Salford University, UK