What Sustainable Building Means for Triad Health

Photo by Francesco Ungaro  on Pexels

If you live in the Triad, ‘sustainable building’ may sound like an industry buzz word. However, the reality is that the current state of the environment creates conditions that increase the rate of childhood asthma, excessive heat in the summer months, rising utility bills, and potential flooding from heavy rains. One fact remains indisputable. The way buildings are built or renovated affects how people feel while living in them.

1.  How Healthy Is a Building?

North Carolina’s humidity provides ideal conditions for mold to grow, especially inside older buildings that suffer from leaking roofs, inadequate insulation and old inefficient ventilation systems.

 A building with what professionals refer to as ‘a high performance envelope’ simply means that the walls, windows and roof are sealed tightly to one another and well-insulated so that moisture cannot enter. This, paired with thoughtful indoor air quality strategies, ensures that there are fewer triggers for asthma flare-ups.

 In a humid climate such as the Triad, providing good indoor air quality through the construction and renovation of high-performance buildings is not an ‘upgrade.’ It is an intervention for their health.

2. Heat Can be Dangerous

Triad summer temperatures can become extreme without sufficient insulation or efficient cooling. This can discomfort for everyone, but it can put seniors, children and people with chronic illnesses in danger.

Sustainable design addresses this issue very simply; improving insulation prevents heat from coming in. Energy-efficient windows can also help prevent excessive solar gain.

 Modern HVAC systems allow for temperature regulation and stabilization. Even something as simple as installing reflective roofs and/or planting more shade trees around a building helps maintain a cooler indoor temperature.

3. Flooding and Stormwater Are Not Just Infrastructure Concerns

Anyone who lives in the Piedmont Triad knows what happens during a heavy rain event. With large amounts of impervious surface (concrete and roofs) and older drainage systems that are typically unable to handle the volume of water, serious flooding, roadway erosion, and the potential for contaminated runoff occurs.

Sustainable building practices typically incorporate methods to slow down stormwater runoff and facilitate infiltration into the ground. Typical sustainable design elements include rain gardens, pervious pavements, and green roofs, which help manage stormwater onsite rather than allowing it to overburden existing systems.

By providing these onsite solutions, sustainable buildings can reduce the chances of flooding and enhance the safety of surrounding communities.

4. What LEED, WELL, and ENERGY STAR Actually Signal

You have probably come across marketing brochures or plaques displaying these certifications. . However, they are much more than just labels. The U.S. Green Building Council has developed the LEED framework as a means of evaluating buildings based on energy use, water efficiency, materials used, indoor environmental quality and many other factors.

Many of the credits awarded through the LEED framework directly correlate to improvements for a building’s occupants in terms of ventilation rates, use of low-emission materials, and access to natural daylight. LEED professional training can help you understand how sustainability is measured

While LEED is based mostly on environmental responsibility, the WELL Building Standard is explicitly focused on humans, including air quality, water quality, lighting, physical movement and mental well-being. ENERGY STAR certification focuses primarily on a building’s energy performance.

5. Materials Matter

The term ‘low-embodied carbon’ means very little emissions are produced in the manufacturing and transportation of building materials. Although this concept may not seem personally relevant, it plays a key role in climate change.

 Lowering carbon emissions results in slower global warming which ultimately has an important effect on public health and safety at the local level.

Sustainable Building Is Community Health in Disguise

In the Triad area, sustainable building is now recognized as a viable social agenda beyond an abstract environmental movement. It can help promote cooler classrooms, lower asthma triggers, reduced utility costs, and safer neighborhoods during periods of significant rainfall.

Sustainable design fulfills its purpose as a means to help improve quality of life. It enhances the safety of homes during extreme heat, increases health in schools, and makes the overall community more resilient to severe events.