Building Materials, Health and Indoor Air Quality
No Breathing Space?

The impact of building materials and construction methods on the health and wellbeing of occupants is often underestimated. This book is an essential guide to understanding and avoiding hazardous materials and poor air quality in buildings. The author covers a range of issues beginning with an explanation of how buildings work and how this influences the health of occupants and users. The text covers:

• Ventilation, air conditioning and indoor air quality
• Damp and mould
• Asthma and respiratory problems
• Cancer and endocrine disorders
• Radiation and radon
• Hazardous building materials used in construction
• Indoor air quality and emissions
• Ecological alternatives and approaches and remedies for ?sick? buildings

The book also guides the reader through the confusing world of regulations, EU and international guidelines and certifications, and provides a critical analysis of different theories of healthy buildings and philosophies.

Written in a clear and accessible style, this book provides indispensable advice and information to anyone wishing to better understand healthy buildings and materials. It is essential reading for architects, surveyors, public health professionals, facilities managers and environmentalists.

1. Introduction

2. Volatile Organic Compound Emissions

3. Emissions from materials – Why do we need to use hazardous chemicals?

4. Cancer, Carcinogens and Building Materials

5. Other Hazards and Radiation

6. Hazardous Materials to be avoided and why

7. Mould, Damp, Fuel Poverty and Breathability

8. Ventilation and a critique of Passiv Haus

9. Dealing with problems in existing buildings

10. Healthy building theories

11. How to build healthier buildings

12. Policy Issues for Healthy Buildings – A critical analysis

Tom Woolley is an architect and environmental consultant in County Down, Northern Ireland. He has been a practising architect and academic, teaching at UK institutions including Strathclyde University, Hull School of Architecture, Queens University Belfast, University of Central Lancashire and the Centre for Alternative Technology. He co-authored the Green Building Handbook and is author of Natural Building, Hemp Lime Construction and Low Impact Building.