Category:Health and Buildings

Health and buildings are closely linked. We all spend an average of over 90% of our lives in buildings, which can affect our health in many different ways. For instance, mental health can be badly affected in noisy buildings. Buildings can fall on people injuring or killing them. Toxic emissions from finishing materials or mould growth can seriously damage health. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is an example of how important buildings are to the well-being of the ordinary citizen and how widespread health impacts of buildings are. SBS is a recognized condition in which occupants of a building experience mild-to-acute health effects that seem to be linked to the time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The complaints may be localized, that is associated with a particular room or zone, or may be widespread. The incidence of SBS is particularly high in air-conditioned buildings and can result in a wide range of symptoms from headaches to severe physiological reactions. There is no single source of SBS although it is often linked to unclean air-conditioning duct systems, lack of good ventilation and mould. The worst kind of outbreak is associated with the fatal Legionnaires disease, which is on the increase in the UK and many other regions of Europe. Perhaps the best way to reduce SBS is to design good robust passive, shallow plan, daylit, naturally-ventilated and finished offices for SBS seldom occurs in such buildings.