Bau-biologie and Healthy Buildings

by Athena Thompson

Econotes, Vol. 5, Issue 3 – Shorebank Pacific Newsletter
August 29, 2003 Article in PDF format

The average person in America spends up to 90% of their time each day indoors. That "average person" is you and I and all of our family members inside our homes, workplaces and schools. But did you know that these buildings, which enclose us all, also have a direct impact on our health?
Today we are hearing more and more about Sick Building Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Environmentally Triggered Illnesses, Asthma and Allergies, all of which are on the rise. You may even know someone who has been or is currently faced with such challenges.

Mold and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems continue to receive regular media coverage nationally as the legal community embraces this fast-growing arena of environmental health litigation. Major home insurance companies are changing their policies and refusing coverage on such things as water damage and mold. What is happening?

Let’s take a brief look at what is behind many of these problems.
As a result of the energy crisis in the early 1970s, construction techniques began to focus more on sealing buildings tightly to conserve energy. Unfortunately, this solution omitted to consider the occupants need for fresh air and the vital role it plays in our overall health and well-being. In solving one problem, we inadvertently created another.

At the same time the petrochemical industry underwent explosive growth resulting in thousands of chemicals finding their way into all kinds of everyday products including building materials.

"There are now more than 4 million registered man-made chemicals, 70,000-80,000 of which are in common use. We know very little about the health effects of most of these chemicals and even less about what happens when they interact with one another in an enclosed environment. We do know that many chemicals found in building products, and once thought to be safe, are making people ill."

This combined effect has created an unnatural world that is undermining our health. Years later we are finally beginning to understand the real price we have paid.

So here is the new ground for consideration in the building industry: all that is "green" or "sustainable" is not necessarily "healthy". For example, installing a cabinet made of FSC certified wood in your home, office or school may win you some green or sustainable points, but the box may still be made of particleboard containing urea formaldehyde, which is an immune system sensitizer. Therefore, we must ask, is this product safe for human health, especially children’s health with their special vulnerabilities?

The Precautionary principle offers some valuable guidelines: "When an activity (or product) raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically." In a nutshell it suggests that we choose the safest option.

It is time to look to the building industry to provide these safer options. After all, whom do we build buildings for?

Here in the State of Oregon we are fortunate to have an official position on Sustainability. In Executive Order 03-03 it states that Sustainability must "simultaneously address environmental, economic and community well-being." Surely the well-being of the community includes ensuring the health and safety of its people?

Building according to Bau-biologie principles is an effective and sustainable way to achieve this goal.

The German term "Bau-biologie" translates into English as "Building Biology". It is the science that studies how buildings affect our health and the application of this knowledge in the design and construction of new buildings, renovations or remediation (fixing sick buildings).

It began in post-war Germany when there was a great demand for reconstruction. Many new buildings were built quickly and cheaply. This had a devastating effect on the health of a large portion of the population and placed an enormous burden on their health care system. It was discovered that commonly used building materials and certain methods of construction were causing these problems.

In light of this, many Germans realized it was better, and ultimately much less expensive, to construct buildings in a healthy manner. As a result, the study of Bau-biology or Building Biology was developed by people such as Anton Schneider, Ph.D., Hubert Palm, M.D., and Alfred Hornig. Over the years guidelines for healthy homes and workplaces were established to ensure the health of buildings.

Although well known to architects and health professionals in Europe, this specialized science, or way of building and living, is still relatively unknown in the USA. Today, in our country, it is a science whose time has come.
Winston Churchill said, "We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us". Let’s make sure we shape the future with everyone’s best health in mind.

Athena Thompson is a certified Bau-biologist. Her new book Homes that Heal and Those That Don’t: How Your Home Impacts Your Family’s Health will be available in 2004.

Athena is also the co-founder of Humabuilt Healthy Building Systems, a company that collaborates with architects, builders, developers and individuals to create a healthier built environment based on the principles of Bau-biologie. Humabuilt also supplies the building community with affordable, healthy building products and solutions.

For more information see www.homesthatheal.com and www.humabuilt.com or call 503-699-0052.

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1. Baker-Laporte, Paula, Bau-Biologie and the Healthy Home. www.bakerlaporte.com/articles/baubiologie.htm. 2001-2002, 1-2.

2. Carolyn Raffensperger and Joel Tickner. Implementing the Precautionary Principle. http://www.islandpress.org/eco-compass/health/ 2002, 1.

3. Governor of Oregon, Ted Kulongoski, Executive Order: Sustainable Oregon EO-03-03