How can you design a green building project to promote health and well-being?

Designing a green building project for health and well-being involves prioritizing sustainable and health-conscious features. Maximize natural light and ventilation to enhance indoor air quality. Incorporate green spaces and biophilic design to reduce stress and improve mental well-being. Use eco-friendly materials and prioritize energy efficiency to minimize environmental impact. Implement water conservation measures and promote physical activity through accessible amenities like stairs and fitness spaces. Prioritize indoor air quality with low VOC materials. Emphasize occupant comfort with ergonomic designs and adaptable spaces. Regularly monitor and maintain green features for sustained positive impact on health and well-being.

Before initiating the design process for a green building project, define your objectives and expectations. Identify the key benefits you aim to achieve for occupants, the community, and the environment. Determine how you will measure and evaluate performance, and establish communication strategies to convey your vision and values to stakeholders. Addressing these questions helps in setting a clear and realistic scope and budget for the project, ensuring that design decisions align with overarching goals. This foundational step is essential for the success and sustainability of the green building initiative.

The location and orientation of a building play a crucial role in its overall sustainability, influencing energy efficiency, water consumption, indoor air quality, and access to natural light and views. Opt for a site that minimizes environmental disturbances like noise, pollution, and erosion while maximizing opportunities for renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or geothermal. Additionally, consider nearby transportation options, amenities, and services, evaluating their impact on the health and well-being of both occupants and neighbors. Thoughtful site selection and orientation contribute significantly to the overall environmental and community impact of a building.

Some ideas, based on green building certification frameworks, to consider include: Embrace nature inside and out: Maximize natural light, integrate greenery like vertical gardens, and prioritize outdoor spaces for relaxation and exercise. Optimize air and water: Employ advanced ventilation systems for clean, filtered air, and utilize water-saving technologies to minimize waste and promote hydration. Prioritize movement and comfort: Design for ergonomics, encourage active commutes with stairs and bike lanes, and offer diverse workspaces for focus and collaboration. Remember, a healthy building encourages healthy habits!

While designing the Green Building project as well as for the materials selection it's worth to be familiar with and incorporate when appropriate Biophilic Design principles. Biophilic Design not only improves the psychological wellbeing of the building users/stakeholders, but also helps to optimise energy use, among just a couple of benefits.

It's surprising how many "green building" standards don't survey the actual people who use the building. Instead, there's a checklist of things to do before you build the building. When I was researching WELL (back in 2018), I was happily surprised that they included post-occupancy surveys. In other words, they also asked people how they felt in the buildings.