Healthy Materials Advocate - Parsons School of Design

We recently completed the Parsons School of Design certificate in Healthier Materials & Sustainable Building. So how is the Parsons Healthy Materials Lab ‘making buildings better’?

What is a healthy building material?

The basic premise behind the Healthy Materials Lab is that building materials can negatively impact occupant health by a number of routes, primarily:

• ‘volatilization’ of chemicals in those building materials (a.k.a off-gassing of Volatile Organic Compounds) most commonly in wet-applied materials and composite wood products

• chemical degradation of materials due to exposure to water or sunlight, thereby releasing chemicals from the material into the indoor air'

• abrasion can do much the same thing as materials are scuffed or rubbed while in use, releasing chemicals into the air

• oxidation of materials such as burning or rusting, a process that can release harmful substances into the indoor environment

• leaching, as materials dissolve into liquid such as water, for example as occurs in lead pipes

• climate change has a negative impact on outdoor air quality, that in turn finds its way into our buildings, especially when inadequate ventilation system filters are in use

These chemicals can then get into the body via a number of routes, such as:

• inhalation

• ingestion

• hand-to-mouth ingestion (having touched a dirty surface)

• absorption through the skin or hair follicles

• breastfeeding

• placental transfer meaning babies can be exposed to chemicals even before they are born

In terms of the impacts on our health, there are are number of main risks to be aware of, including:

• asthmagens - asthma

• carcinogens - cancer

• endocrine disruptors - infertility

• preterm birth via exposure to VOCs, formaldehyde, benzene and particulate matter (PM)

• autism via exposure to environmental factors such as air pollutants and mercury

• obesity via exposure to PFC (perfluorinated chemicals), flame retardants and phtalates

To counter balance what can seem a disturbingly long list of health risks, as wellness interior designers and healthy building consultants we can and indeed should demand ever greater transparency from material manufacturers.

If we don’t know what’s inside a product, or even worse, if a manufacturer doesn’t know everything that’s in their own product, based on the Precautionary Principle it has to be classified as a risk for the health of the interiors or entire building in question.

In practical terms, this means giving health a seat at the design table, right up there alongside form and function.

We are, in short, talking about a fundamental shift towards healthy design strategies, whilst maintaining the aesthetics, quality and durability of traditional design.

It is not one or the other, but rather an expanded interpretation of what good design means. Human and planetary health need to be part of that process.

What work is the Healthy Materials Lab doing?

Fundamentally the lab is there is ‘make buildings better’ as their tagline states succinctly. Their aim is to raise awareness about toxic chemicals in building products while providing a range of resources for designers and architects, like us, to educate themselves on how to create healthier indoor environments, be they offices, homes, gyms, education or healthcare facilities.

These include both online and in-person classes at Parsons on healthy materials for buildings and interiors, educational events, content creation and dissemination of digital information via their media communications channels, such as the Tools & Guides to ‘help designers architects, homeowners and developers make more informed choices about building materials and health’.

https://healthymaterialslab.org/tool-guides

The Lab also has a particular angle on affordable housing as many of the worst examples of sick buildings are found in poorer neighborhoods, the team therefore looks to empower communities living in poverty to remove toxic substances from their built environments.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE WITH A PROFESSIONAL INTEREST IN THIS URGENT TOPIC

Healthy Materials Course / Program Description:

Developed by education experts at Parsons’ Healthy Materials Lab, this online certificate program has been created to provide designers, architects, developers, contractors, management companies and facilities personnel with material health information, consolidated in one educational offering that will build their capacity to positively transform their practices with human health at the forefront of their decisions.

It is composed of four self-paced online courses, which lead to a certificate in Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building.

The first and second courses provide an introduction to key topics in the field of materials and health for those with general or more specialized interests.

The third and fourth courses are geared towards professionals in the built environment, and those concerned with making a positive impact in product specification, installation, and maintenance.

The goal of the program is to empower practitioners to make change with the knowledge that healthier buildings lead to healthier lives.

The program is intended to both complement existing Parsons degree programs and serve as continuing education for professionals.