The topic of healthy buildings is one discussed thoroughly within the pages of this magazine. From the materials used in the building and design of a project to the importance of indoor air quality, the trend of healthy building design and operation is not likely to go away anytime soon, especially following a pandemic where the safety of the buildings we live and work in came under scrutiny.
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) recently released its 2020 Moving Forward Report, which examines the importance of healthy buildings, and how they can protect and promote public health. Published by the Institute’s Consultative Council, the report recommends using research, code changes and incentives to make buildings healthier, as well as greater cooperation between building owners and the AEC community.
With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reporting that Americans spend 90% of their time indoors on average, the Moving Forward report says that ensuring the spaces where we work and live are healthy and safe for continued occupancy is critical to overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and should be seen as a fundamental pillar of public health and community resilience.
The Healthy Buildings for Health program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health developed the 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building report, which highlights the nine key areas for ensuring healthy buildings: ventilation, air quality, thermal health, moisture, dust and pests, safety and security, water quality, noise, and lighting and view.
Given that the development and promotion of healthy buildings is intricately tied to community resilience and social equity, starting with the building’s planning, design, construction, commissioning, ongoing operations/maintenance and renovation, the 2020 Moving Forward report focuses on three components of healthy buildings: indoor environmental quality, designs that promote health, and the sharing of knowledge between building owners and public health officials.
Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, president and CEO of NIBS, said, “Ensuring that the spaces where we live and work are healthy and safe for continued occupancy is critical to overcoming the pandemic. This is a fundamental pillar of public health and community resilience. The concept of healthy buildings goes well beyond continual sanitation of a building’s indoor environment to eliminate pathogens.” The full report can be found at www.nibs.org/files/pdfs/NIBS_CC_MovingForward_2020.pdf
