Healthy Buildings I (Building Construction & Health)

A building should provide a pleasant, efficient and healthy environment for its occupants. Its primary purpose should be to protect from adverse conditions found outside; but in doing so, not loose the beneficial conditions found outside. If a building is properly planned and built well, these aims can be achieved.

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction To Building Biology
2. Building Materials
3. Construction
4. Services
5. Temperature: Heating & Cooling
6. The Internal Environment: Ventilation
7. Light
8. Acoustics
9. Ergonomic Considerations
10. Psychological Considerations

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Explain the concept of healthy buildings including its relevance to human health.
• Select building materials which are safe to human health.
• Evaluate the health impact of different building techniques, including construction and design.
• Explain how the way in which services are installed, can impact upon the health of people using a building.
• Explain how building design can impact upon the quality of the physical environment inside.
• Explain ergonomic considerations in building design.
• Explain psychological considerations in building design.

What You Will Do

• Explain the concept of building biology, in accordance with the international building biology institute.
• Explain the history of building biology institutes, in Germany, America, and New Zealand; with relevance to Australia.
• Explain the current status of bio-harmonic architectural practices in Australia.
  • Assess problems with different dangerous building materials including:
  • Asbestos
  • Plastics
  • Insulation materials
  • Treated pine.
• Compare characteristics of different commonly used building materials, including:
  • Rate of deterioration
  • Thermal qualities
  • Chemical properties
  • Acoustic qualities
  • Dust collection/repellence
  • Light reflection.
• Develop a checklist, for evaluating the health impact of different building materials.
• Evaluate the impact of different building materials on health, in a building inspected by you.
• Develop a checklist of building design factors, to assess the affect of design on human health.
• Develop a checklist of building construction factors (other than materials) which may impact upon human health.
• Explain how design can impact upon different aspects of the internal environment, including:
  • Thermal comfort
  • Light intensity
  • Humidity
  • Condensation
  • Acoustics
  • Control of pests
  • Noise insulation.
• Study two specific buildings and compare the impact of building techniques, including construction and design, upon human health.
• Explain the impact of electric fields on human health in a building you inspect.
• Explain how electrical fields can be minimised by the way in which electric wires are laid in a specific house plan.
• Compare differences upon the impact on health from different power supplies including:
  • Mains power
  • Self generated systems
  • Different voltages.
• Compare the potential impact on health, of different waste disposal systems including:
  • Chemical treatments
  • Reed beds
  • Settling ponds
  • Combustion systems
  • Land fill.
• Explain potential impact of different water supply systems on human health, including:
  • Mains water
  • Ground water
  • Different types of rain water tanks.
• Explain possible impacts of gas supply systems on human health including:
  • Mains gas
  • Bottle gas
  • Self generated bio gas.
• Compare the impact of different types of artificial light sources on human health, including:
  • Electric light
  • Combustion systems.
• Compare the impact of different types of heating systems on human health.
• List ways temperature can be controlled inside a building by design.
• Explain health impacts of air conditioning in a building you select and study.
• List ways acoustics can be controlled, by building design.
• List ways light can be controlled, through building design.
• List ways ventilation can be controlled, by building design.
• Explain solar energy applications in a specified building.
• Evaluate the impact of the design of a building you select and study on the interior environment.
• Redesign a building from a specified building plan, to improve the quality of the physical environment inside.
• Evaluate the heights of three different kitchen benches for ergonomic suitability to the people who are primary users of those benches.
• Explain the importance of clear and easy access into and through the building for all users, including the disabled.
• Explain health aspects of the relationship between the human body and the interior of a specific building.
• Explain the affect that four different colours may have on human health.
• Explain the affect of space perceptions may have on human health, in a visited interior workplace.
• Evaluate the psychological impact of the interior environment in two distinctly different offices, upon the people who work in each of those offices.