Building materials, ventilation, lighting, spaces …

Building Design

There are multiple ways the built environment can impact a person’s health. At the smallest scale, built environments are characterized by the buildings in which people spend their time. The average American spends approximately 90 percent of their time indoors.^[4]

This means that the design of indoor environments in buildings can greatly influence health outcomes and health behaviors. A health-conscious building design includes features like:^[5]

• High-quality building materials
• Effective ventilation, heating, and cooling systems
• Bright natural and artificial lighting
• Spaces promoting physical activity and well-being
• Accessible spaces for elderly and disabled populations

While this is not a complete list of building features, it begins to show how building design is connected to physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing.