Healthy Buildings

The second in our series of Autumn Talks took place in October and was hosted by Architect and Director of Austin Design Works, Matthew Austin.

Matt’s talk centred around the importance of using the correct materials when building or retrofitting your home. Amongst other topics covered was an enlightening discussion on VOC’s - Volatile Organic Compounds. Sadly it seems we all love to have substances in our homes that are not good for us. Did you know that sources of VOC includes:

DYI Materials, Glues, Varnish & Solvents, Hairsprays & Perfumes, Nail Varnish, Air Freshener & Scented Candles,
Softeners.

Of course heat loss is also a major concern for everybody at the moment - a surprisingly few small changes can make a huge difference.

One thing that we as Architects, who are committed to designing healthy buildings, find helpful is the’ Well Building Standard.’ There are seven main topics regarding the standard - these being Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness and Comfort and Mind. Conciously designing for Air, Water, Light and Comfort via architectural elements needs to happen early on in any project.

However, don’t despair - we are here to help. When you are looking to make any alterations to your home contact us first as we are committed to using the very latest in energy-efficient materials and environmentally friendly products.