Let's Talk "Green" and Healthy

In today's world, eco-friendly ("Green") practices are considered de rigeur. Green construction is becoming well defined and the practical default for contractors. The major focus of Green Construction is on reducing impact upon non-renewable natural resources.

Green construction is commonly defined by four major characteristics:

     Energy Efficiency
     Water Use Efficiency
     Renewable Materials
     Minimal Site Impact

Healthy Construction focuses on the health and comfort of human occupants.

When comparing Healthy Construction to Green Construction we must keep in mind that Healthy encompasses a much wider range of attributes and is an emerging ideology. The concept is so new, that its full definition is still evolving.

Major components of Healthy Construction include:

     Eliminating VOC emissions within the home
     Controlling air flow, heating/cooling
     Radon removal/elimination
     Eliminating external pollutants
     Designing for individual needs, allergies/congenital conditions

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Let's Talk "Green" and Healthy (continued)

Many jurisdictions demand Green construction processes and materials. Local and state regulations provide growing support to Green awareness.

Where government and the construction industry fall short is in Healthy Construction concerns. There are few existing or proposed regulatory demands for comprehensive healthy construction. It is up to individual builders to take the lead by implementing best-practice guidelines for our own industry. In order to do this we must first thoroughly educate ourselves in this evolving science.

Builders must recognize that construction-related health crises are growing in number and severity. New studies indicate a probable connection between construction practices and the alarming growth of many diseases. These diseases include:

It is time for responsible builders to set goals, define practices, and implement/use actual healthy construction processes and materials.