Why Healthy Buildings Are Vital for the Future
During the past year of enforced separation, business leaders have learned a lot about how to move forward into a new world that demands higher standards for air quality and sanitation, limited person-to-person contact, and protection for both employee and client health. Worldwide construction standards have been moving in that direction for almost a decade, spurred on by green building and sustainability issues. Now, however, the relationship between healthy buildings and human health cannot be overemphasized.
Most people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, so it only makes sense that interior “eco-systems” for both home and work spaces are as sustainable and healthy as possible. Because it’s now possible to identify materials and systems that affect mental and physical well-being, it has become increasingly possible and cost-effective to design and build spaces that nurture and protect their inhabitants. Understanding how the built environment affects human health is key.
The challenge of the present, for designers and builders, is to reshape thinking by moving beyond the current concept of “green building” to a more encompassing focus on the health challenges that assault “our complete physical, mental and social well-being,” according to the World Health Organization.
In the future, the goal will be to design and construct buildings that are not only attractive and functional, but also energy-efficient, eco-friendly and supportive of all aspects of human wellness. It is not an impossible dream. More than a decade ago, when Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards were introduced, it was with the intent of building more sustainable, energy-efficient and cost-effective green buildings. Today’s newly-redefined LEED standards address additional impact areas: climate change, human health, water resources, biodiversity, green economy, community and natural resources.
JHan Construction Company is committed to the principle of healthy buildings. As a full-service Dallas construction company, we have the knowledge and expertise to address both residential and commercial requirements for more efficient and effective building techniques.
During the past 14 years, great strides have been made in terms of reducing employee illness due to workplace air quality and ventilation shortcomings. Newer standards are aimed at lighting quality, temperature controls, effective removal of toxic chemicals from building interiors, physical and mental exercise, and a wide array of other human health topics. An interdisciplinary approach, forward-thinking government initiatives, and exciting new partnerships between public health officials and private business leaders are sure to produce distinctive results in the near term and lasting beneficial change for the future.
From healthcare facilities to warehouses, office buildings to retail stores and restaurants, if you’re interested in the people-centric emphasis of healthy building, we have the knowledge and expertise to address your concerns. As a Dallas commercial contractor, we will work with you to implement new advances in design and technology that make it possible to balance health and efficiency. We take our inspiration from natural eco-systems in an effort to build a better world, both at home and in the workplace.