Healthy Buildings — Where do we Stand, Where Should we go?

Abstract

The term “healthy building” has been popularized in recent years as a response to the previously popular term, “sick building.” It is difficult to define healthy buildings or to establish criteria for classifying buildings as healthy without referring to the presence or absence of problems, occupant complaints, and illnesses. In practice, we generally define “sick buildings” by the prevalence rates of occupant health, and comfort problems. The complexity of modern buildings, the diversity of actors involved and processes for making them, and the importance of building environments for people in modern western societies present large challenges to those who would create healthy buildings. A new paradigm is needed to understand buildings, how they become unhealthy, and how to keep them from becoming “sick.” “Building ecology” is a conceptual framework for understanding buildings and creating healthy ones. Practical steps are recommended to develop a more complete theoretical framework and application principles. A few criteria for healthy buildings can serve as examples for the development of a more complete set.