UK-GBC members launch study into healthy homes

The UK Green Building Council has launched a new Task Group examining health and wellbeing in homes.

A diverse group of more than 30 UK-GBC members, from architects and developers to housebuilders and housing associations, attended the first meeting of the Task Group, which will look at the issue of health and wellbeing in UK homes.

UK-GBC has been a champion of the healthy buildings agenda since early 2014. Last year a UK-led project team contributed to the publication of the World Green Building Council’s Health, wellbeing and productivity in offices report, and UK-GBC was instrumental in helping to launch the Better Places for People campaign – a global initiative under the WorldGBC banner. A separate Task Group on health and wellbeing in retail buildings is being led by UK-GBC as part of the campaign.

The Healthy Homes Task Group, itself a part of the Better Places for People campaign, marks the next phase of work in this area, and will consider the following issues:

• The evidence base - Does robust evidence exist of the health and wellbeing benefits of well-designed, sustainable homes? Where are the gaps?
• Developing common metrics - How can we measure health and wellbeing outcomes in residential buildings? What metrics and indices should be used?
• Linking the benefits to value - Where evidence of health and wellbeing benefits does exist, does this translate into financial ‘value’?
• Guidance and best practice - What guidance and best practice information on green building features that enhance health and wellbeing currently exists? And what marketing messages resonate with consumers?

The Task Group’s findings will be shared with key stakeholders, and the final report will be launched at an industry event in autumn 2016.