History has shown how the built environment impacts our health. Already in 1854, epidemiologist John Snow figured out how a specific impure water pump led to a cholera outbreak in London’s Broad Street. And in the 1970s, the oil embargo forced building designers to improve energy efficiency by making buildings more airtight. This led to a negative impact on health linked to time spent indoors – a phenomenon that is now labeled as “Sick Building Syndrome”.
“Sick Building Syndrome” is believed to be one of the main causes of absence from work and low efficiency. Factors like low air quality are proven to lower cognitive functions by 50%. What if we could improve these levels so that occupants’ brains can function in an optimal way, and we see less absenteeism at work? According to the, the numbers are on our side: doubling the ventilation rate would cost as little as 14 to 40 $ per year per person.
Examples like this show how investing in healthy buildings can be a triple win. If building owners and operators put occupants’ best interests at heart, they will benefit from higher productivity and lower absenteeism in offices while enjoying higher rental premiums. And, if done right, our environment will benefit from lower energy consumption and emissions.