The Fundamentals of Great Design: Sustainability + Well Being

Recent studies indicate that we spend 90% of our time indoors or in cars. With figures as low as 7% of our time spent in nature. Because of this, architects face the challenge of creating comfortable and healthy interiors. The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.” Indoor air quality, acoustics, thermal comfort and biophilic features are now considered during the design process.

Sustainability

When we think of sustainability in building we usually think of energy efficiency, water conservation and insulation etc. These are incredibly important and specialist topics within themselves.

Less obvious but just as important to note is that we should design for longevity – choosing long lasting materials, don’t buy “on trend” items with the view to “change them in a few years”. It’s not just about adding solar panels etc. Its about not being wasteful and choosing natural products where possible.

Acoustics

Acoustics within a room are so important because they impact our perception of the space. As we move within the space, we produce sound which bounces off the surrounding walls and elements within the room.

Depending on the makeup of these elements, the sound is absorbed or bounced around (which can cause an echo or a reverberation) and the level at which the sound bounces increase the noise within the space. Each of us has a different comfort level with noise. This can be particularly tricky for people with hearing difficulties or sensory sensitivities. So, when we are designing a space, it is important to know is this a quiet space (for studying or relaxing) or is this a social space – where a certain noise level is anticipated, but you still want to be able to hold a conversation without straining to be heard. The sound absorption needed to make these room function should be designed in, on a basic level I would look at soft furnishings – curtains, flooring, amount of furniture in the room. If this doesn’t create the right environment, acoustic ceilings or sound absorbing panels can be introduced.

Thermal comfort

When it comes to thermal comfort in buildings, we want to be able to control and maintain a comfortable temperature for occupants. The best way of achieving this is a “fabric first” approach of insulating and draft proofing the building.

Secondly, we look at how we heat these spaces. All new build houses in Ireland must be built to a very high standard and the existing stock is improving with the help of a suite of SEAI grants that are available for people to retrofit insulation and renewable heating systems.

For info on SEAI home energy grants: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/

Air Quality

Poor indoor air quality is the cause of 50% of all respiratory diseases. Surprisingly, air pollution is much higher indoors than outdoors due to microorganisms such as moulds, CO2 and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that originate from building materials, furniture or cleaning supplies.

With a rush to better insulate and draft proof of buildings and homes, air quality and ventilation become increasingly important to consider. As we seal up and insulate our homes, we need to think carefully about how we remove stale/ poor quality air, and bring in fresh air.

We can do this in a number of ways; with traditional hole in the wall vents in living spaces and bedrooms with extracts in the bathroom and utilities But we have little control in that scenario and you will lose some of the good quality warm air you have paid to heat.

Heat Recovery Ventilation systems are becoming more popular with more affordable retrofit solutions that will remove stale air, retaining much of the heat while ensuring fresh filtered warm air is pumped back into living spaces.

Another less high-tech option is a humidity sensitive extract system that is less costly than heat recovery and will react to humidity levels in the house.

Biophilic Design

Biophilic design responds to human need for a connection with nature.

From a design point of view, designers look bring elements of the natural world into built spaces, such as water, greenery, natural light, or natural materials like wood and stone. These have been proven to increase health and wellbeing, reduce stress and enhancing creativity.