Reimagining Design: Sustainable Solutions Tipsheet: Book Based on Bau-Biologie

Offers Remedies for Sickly Residences

Prescriptions for a Healthy House: A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders & Homeowners 3rd Revised Edition

Paula Baker-Laporte, Erica Elliott and John Banta

New Society Publishers, 2008

ISBN 978-0-86571-604-9

328 pp., $28.95

North Americans spend 90 per cent or more of their life inside a building. Indoor air pollution has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as one of the top four environmental health risks.

Amidst the sweeping concern about the impacts buildings have on the environment, attention is finally being paid to the effects that building materials and construction methods have on human health. Both are aspects of Bau-Biologie or Building Biology, both trademarked concepts in the U.S.

Bau-Biologie is not new. Forty years ago, concerned professionals from a variety of disciplines in Germany noticed how health in the general population declined following the post-WW 2 building boom. Research was
Prescriptions for a Healthy House: A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders & Homeowners was inspired by Bau-Biologie. In its third edition, this indispensable book outlines the risks presented by standard building materials and methods from indoor air pollution to toxicity. Guidelines are presented on what to do differently, and how to obtain alternative materials and expertise to build a healthy home.

The guide is comprehensive and highly authoritative, as its authors are a green architect, an indoor environmental consultant and an environmental medical doctor. Included are 15 essays by leading building biologists.

Many of the chemicals used in building products have been associated with a variety of ill
nesses. Exposure to toxins in the indoor environment have been linked to everything from sinus infections and headaches to full-blown chemical sensitivity and other immune system disorders.

Since this awareness has spread, safer materials and better methods of design are now becoming available, building and rating and certification programs have been created and government environmental guidelines have emerged to encourage the building of healthier homes. However, there is still a lot of false or concise information on the subject so it is up to homeowners to educate themselves with books like Prescriptions for a Healthy House.

There are two approaches to addressing the indoor pollution dilemma, according to the au

conducted by a variety of specialists, some peers joined forces and a course on Bio-Biologie was taught at a Bavarian vocational school. Eventually the program became the Institut fur Baubiologie und Okologie Neubeuern (IBN) which succeeded through education and publications to gain a reputation through Northern Europe.

Helmut Ziehe, an international city engineer, translated the educational material of Bau-Biologie into English in the mid-80s and founded The International Institute for Bau-Biologie & Ecology (IBE).

Even by the late 80s, few people were paying attention to the effect of the built environment on human health. But through the efforts of the Institute, Ziehe and a few others, the Bau-Biologie movement spread internationally to where it has become a critical sustainable building issue.
thors. Firstly, as many pollutants should be eliminated as possible and an airtight barrier created inside so there is less concern about the chemical composition of structure and insulation. Secondly, the houses should be constructed of natural or non-toxic materials vapor diffusible or breathable.

Concerns about the cost of building a healthy home are also addressed in Prescriptions for A Healthy House. How much does
it cost? "Between zero and 25 percent more than standard construction," say the authors, but there are many things that can be done to build and maintain it that require little or no money, from additive-free concrete to zero-VOC paints. Other methods that cost something initially, but save money in the long run, include less toxic roof systems and gas-fired hydronic radiant floor heating.

The authors divide indoor air pollutants into five different cat
egories and thoroughly explain what they are and where they come from ­ volatile organic compounds, combustion by-products, pesticides, electromagnetic fields and naturally occurring pollutants such as radioactive contaminants, heavy metals, biological pollutants such as pollen, house dust and mould.

The strategies for creating a healthy home correspond in the book with the format frequently used by residential contractors. Information is presented on designing for health; climate-based construction detailing, reducing toxic emissions through choice of building materials; quality control measures during construction and maintaining an ongoing healthy home environment through education.

Homeowners will learn about
Material Safety Data Sheets, how to select the right home site and alternatives to frame construction such as earth masonry, rammed earth and straw bale. They will become oriented about sustainably harvested wood, environmentally-friendly countertop materials and membrane roofing. Addressed also are issues associated with doors and windows, flooring, carpeting and various finishes. Water treatment and plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical field management and environmental testing are also covered.

In other words, Prescriptions for A Healthy House is a vital and intelligent resource for not only homeowners or those considering building a house but also professionals in the home construction business.

How to Maintain a Healthy Home

Furniture: Old items can be replaced with new ones made of natural materials and fabrics without chemical treatments. If you can't afford this, vacuum your furniture and put it out in the fresh air and sunshine for a while. Clean it with a damp microfibre cloth and wash it with good old soap and water.

Laundry: Use healthy products with no fragrance. Hang it outside for a fresh smell.

Cleaning: Use non-toxic brands or make your own (the book tells you how).

Vacuuming: Use a model that filters out allergens. Traditional vacuum cleaners omit and blow 70 per cent of dust back into the air.

Fragrance: Avoid all air fresheners made of chemicals or with aromas.

Bedding: Replace with organic wool pillows, duvets, and blankets that are naturally resistant to mites. Consider organic pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers made of organic cotton.

Read labels: Don't bring products into the house bearing warnings of danger or poison.

Copyright © 2008 Wheat King Publishing and the authors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Okanagan Home are those of the writers and editors, and do not represent the official position of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, Central Okanagan, or of its members.