We’ve always looked for ways to make our built environment safer. But what if they could also make us healthier? Can buildings impact overall health and health-related issues such as obesity, diabetes and asthma? SCA, makers of the Tork brand, looked for answers, partnering with architect and sustainability consultant Alan Scott.
This white paper, Health in the Built Environment, Trends in Building and Product Certifications, outlines the way both building structures and their surrounding community affects our overall health and wellness and how we can improve upon them. Beyond traditional standards that help preserve the natural environment, this paper offers a summary of current health-focused building standards that promote health and wellness in the people who occupy the buildings.
Through well-known building standards like LEED, to newer certifications like FitWel, WELL Building Standard, Living Building Challenge (LBC), this paper explains how each standard promotes physical, mental and social wellbeing. Additionally, it details the three levels of building materials certification, including third-party certifications like ECOLOGO, Safer Choice, Green Seal, FSC, BPI and NSF, all distinct systems for evaluating product performance, health and environmental criteria.