As I mentioned last month. I am fortunate to be a contributing writer to the monthly magazine WellnessRE, a publication focusing on wellness real estate that is full of helpful advice, research, and perspective of the wellness real estate movement. See last month’s post for some more detail on the Wellness Real Estate movement.
Spring!
While it might not feel like it to those of us in the Northeast, spring is right around the corner! And this month’s WellnessRE issue focuses on the benefits of changing seasons and how we all can use springtime as a way to improve the health of our homes…. from cleaning tips to entryway design ideas and new ways to utilize color in a child’s room.
My Contribution This Month - Indoor Air Quality
For anyone who has been part of the Balanced Architecture community over the past few years, you know that Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is something I care deeply about. A principal goal in designing, building, and occupying a healthy home is to promote wellness in every respect, and what could be more important than the air we breathe? In this month’s edition, I share my thoughts about improving IAQ.
Improving Indoor Air Quality is Critical
It is widely documented that the air inside our homes, schools, and offices can be extremely unhealthy. In fact, the EPA estimates that indoor air is up to 2-5x more polluted than outdoor air. Compounding this problem is that the average American spends up to 90% of their time indoors! And the health impacts are wide ranging… from allergies and asthma to longer-term respiratory issues.
Why is our indoor air so bad?
There are many explanations for our poor indoor air quality - the materials we use to build homes, the chemicals used to produce furniture, the toxins we introduce to the home, the lack of proper ventilation and moisture management…. The list goes on so you can see how daunting the task of addressing IAQ can seem.
The Good News
In this month’s contribution, I keep it simple and address the two basic ways to address indoor air quality - the design phase and the occupancy phase of a home. For those building or renovating, you have an opportunity to establish a baseline of good indoor air quality through construction techniques and material choice. If you are not building there are still many ways you can make an immediate positive impact on your home’s indoor air. So take comfort knowing that positive change is well within your grasp.
I hope you enjoy this month’s contribution and as always, I’d love to hear your thoughts!