Table Of ContentMateja Dovjak · Andreja Kukec
Creating
Healthy and
Sustainable
Buildings
An Assessment of Health Risk Factors
Creating Healthy and Sustainable Buildings
Mateja Dovjak Andreja Kukec
(cid:129)
Creating Healthy
and Sustainable Buildings
An Assessment of Health Risk Factors
Mateja Dovjak Andreja Kukec
Faculty of Civil andGeodeticEngineering FacultyofMedicine,CentreofPublicHealth
University of Ljubljana University of Ljubljana
Ljubljana, Slovenia Ljubljana, Slovenia
ISBN978-3-030-19411-6 ISBN978-3-030-19412-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19412-3
Technicalediting:TanjaRejc,NationalInstituteofPublicHealth,Ljubljana,Slovenia
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For Sven and Borut.
Mateja Dovjak
For Lan and Aleš.
Andreja Kukec
Preface
ThestockofbuildingsintheEuropeanUnionisrelativelyold,withmorethan40%
ofitbuiltbefore1960and90%before1990.About75%ofthebuildingsareenergy
inefficient. According to legislation on energy efficiency, strategic action plans for
the improvement of the energy performance of buildings have been accepted.
However, current activities are mainly focused on increasing the thermal perfor-
mance of building envelope systems, building airtightness, and energy-efficient
mechanical systems. Such unilateral design of built environments results in
uncomfortable and unhealthy conditions as well as other adverse health outcomes.
Epidemiological studies show that approximately 30% of new and renovated
buildings worldwide may be related to unhealthy indoor environments. Studies on
residential buildings in Japan and in three northern European cities identified
12–30.8%ofoccupantsashavingsickbuildingsyndromesymptoms.Moreover,in
thestudiesonpublicbuildingsinCanada,theUK,andtheUS,20–50%ofworkers
experienced sick building syndrome symptoms. Finally, statistical data show that
15.1% of Europeans live in dwellings with leaking roofs, damp walls, floors, or
foundations.
Most of our exposure-related human activities are performed in indoor built
environments,livingaswellasactiveworkingspaces.From60to90%ofthetime
spent indoors, we are exposed to numerous environmental health risk factors.
Epidemiological studies define more than 23 health risk parameters related to
indoorbuiltenvironmentsthatmightcauseadversehealtheffectsonbuildingusers.
Particularly sensitive to risk factors are vulnerable groups of users, possessing
multiple, cumulative risk factors. The numbers of these are increasing as the
population ages. Poor indoor environmental quality conditions, longer exposure
times, the presence of vulnerable population groups, and increased user suscepti-
bility may all increase the risk of adverse health effects. Prevention and control of
health risk factors is the fundamental activity for the design of healthy and com-
fortable built environments.
vii
viii Preface
Creating Healthy and Sustainable Buildings: An Assessment of Health Risk
Factors is dedicated to all stakeholders involved in the design of built environ-
ments,particularlybuildingsasawholeortheirseparatepartsthroughouttheirlife
cycles. This scientific monograph systematically addresses the problem of inade-
quateindoorenvironmentalqualityandsynthesizesnewinsightsandownresearch
results in the direction of its improvement. It gives a comprehensive overview of
epidemiological studies, statistical data and user complaints that clearly demon-
strate the consequences of incorrect activities in current design processes.
Furthermore, the authors hope that the monograph will raise the awareness of
society and indicate that this is the right time for a change toward healthier built
environments.Inthiseraofincreasedrenovationrates,itisessentialtohaveawork
that can be used for effective prevention and control of health risk factors in all
stages of design of built environments.
The scientific monograph consists offour chapters, presenting the morphology
of the design of healthy built environments. In Chap. 1, a built environment as a
four-dimensionalspaceoftheproduct,system,location,anduserisintroduced.The
authorsdescribetheproblemofunhealthybuiltenvironmentswiththecause–effect
relationship. The chapter concludes with a list of objectives of planning toward
healthy sustainable buildings, and well-being. Chapter 2 is dedicated to under-
standingtheconceptualdifferencesbetweenhealthybuildings,beyondeco-friendly,
green,orlow-carbonbuildings.Itemphasizestheproblemofcurrentreimbursement
strategiesandplansthatoftendefinepriorityenvironmentsdrivenbyeconomicand
energetic criteria. Therefore, the chapter concludes with the definition of priority
environmentsforrenovationaccordingtovulnerablepopulationgroups.InChap.3,
readers,includingstudents,experts,orthegeneralpublicbecomefamiliarwiththe
identificationofhealthriskfactorsandtheirparametersandtheirroleinthedesignof
healthy built environments. Identified and classified health risk factors and their
parametersarethebasisfortheidentificationofsingle-andmulti-groupinteractions
amongthem,describedinChap.4.Followingtheevidence-baseddesignapproach,
the monograph synthesizes with the tool developed for decision-making processes
supportedby short-term andlong-term benefitsofthe presented holisticdesign.
The relevant topics related to the design of built environments are discussed
from public health and engineering perspectives. In such a way, multidisciplinary
cooperation between disciplines and professions as well as constructive commu-
nicationarestimulated.Indeed,thisisthemainmotivationforthemonograph.This
publicationisvaluableforalltargetgroupsinvolvedinalllevels ofdesignofbuilt
environments:
(cid:129) Academic levels: undergraduate, postgraduate, specialization, lifelong learning.
(cid:129) Experts involved in all stages of design (building, its systems, indoor/outdoor
environment): civil engineering, architects, environmental health engineering,
mechanicalengineering,medicine,publichealthexperts,andenvironmentalists.
(cid:129) General public: raising the awareness, knowledge.
(cid:129) Institutions, organizations: public health, occupational health (guidelines).
Preface ix
(cid:129) Legislative bodies: policymakers on the field of built environments (strategic
and legal documents).
(cid:129) Others: nongovernmental organizations, general people, and vulnerable popu-
lation groups.
Ljubljana, Slovenia Mateja Dovjak
Andreja Kukec
Acknowledgements
Mateja Dovjak would like to express her sincere appreciation to Prof. Scient.
Counc.Dr.AlešKrainer,Arch.,Prof.Dr.MasanoriShukuya,KristinaLikar,M.Sc.,
and Prof. Dr. Jože Krašovec.
Prof.Scient.Counc.Dr.AlešKrainer,Arch.isaformerProfessorattheFaculty
of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana (UL FGG), Faculty of
HealthSciencesUL,HeadofChairofBuildingsandConstructionalComplexesUL
FGG (1989–2013). Prof. Aleš Krainer introduced me to the role of the individual
user inbuiltenvironmentsandisstillraisingmyawarenessandmotivation toward
the design of healthy buildings. Prof. Dr. Masanori Shukuya is a Professor at the
Faculty of Environmental and Information Studies, Tokyo City University
(FEIS-TCU) and is also a Professor at and Chairman of the Graduate Program for
Environmental and Information Studies, Japan. He teaches me about exergy
thinking in the framework of connective thinking approaches to better understand
human-building relationships. Kristina Likar, M.Sc., is a former Professor at the
Faculty of Health Sciences UL and Head of Sanitary Engineering Department
(1981–1991, 2000–2006). She introduced me to the method of combining public
health and engineering approaches with emphasized benefits for society. Jože
Krašovec, Sc.B.D., Ph.D., Th.D. and Anth. Rel. D. is a member of The Slovenian
andEuropeanAcademyofSciencesandArts,ProfessorofBiblicalSciencesatthe
FacultyofTheology,UniversityofLjubljana.Hehelpsmetoacquireknowledgeon
theroleofhumanasanindividualandhisvaluesinthecontextofbuildingdesign.
Additionally, I would also like to extend my thanks to all users who have spoken
openly about problems related to building design.
And, last but not least, I wish to thank my closest ones, Sven and Borut, who
have appreciated me for my work and motivated me in writing this scientific
monograph; for tiny, inconspicuous steps in the right direction today toward con-
sequential enormous action for healthier built environments in our future.
Andreja Kukec would like to express her special thanks of gratitude to
Prof. Dr. Lijana Zaletel-Kragelj, Prof. Dr. Ivan Eržen, and Prof. Dr. Otto Haninen.
xi
xii Acknowledgements
Prof.Dr.LijanaZaletel-KrageljisaProfessorattheMedicalFaculty,University
of Ljubljana. She has taught me about different epidemiological study designs and
statistical approaches in the field of public health. Prof. Dr. Ivan Eržen is a
Professor at the Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana and Head of National
Institute of Public Health, Slovenia. He has taught me about the impact of envi-
ronmentalhealthdeterminantsonhealth.Prof.Dr.OttoHänninenisaresearcherat
the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland, Department of Health
Protection, Helsinki. He has introduced me to different assessment approaches in
the field of industrial contaminated cities. I would also like to thank my Aleš and
Lan.
Acknowledgements for proofreading to Mina Brajović, Romana Hudin, and
Terry T. Jackson, for technical editing to Tanja Rejc and for illustrations to Jurij
Mikuletič.
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Slovenian Research
Agency (research core funding No. P2-0158, Structural engineering and building
physics and No. P5-0142, Bio-psycho-social context of kinesiology), Faculty of
Civil Engineering and Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana.
Acknowledgements to reviewers: Prof. Dr. Vincenc Butala (Faculty of
Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), Assoc. Prof.
AleksandarBulog,Ph.D.(FacultyofMedicine,UniversityofRijeka,Departmentof
Health Ecology, Institute of Public Health of Primorsko-Goranska County, Health
Ecological Department, Croatia), Assist. Prof. Rok Fink, Ph.D. (Sanitary
Engineering Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana,
Slovenia), Prof. Dr. Masanori Shukuya (Department of Restoration Ecology and
Built Environment, Tokyo City University, Yokohama, Japan).
We would like to thank the staff at Springer Nature, in particular Shinjini
Chatterjee,ChristopherWilby,EvelienBakker,BernadetteDeelen-Mans,andRam
Prasad R. C., for their help and support. We would also like to thank Aleš Krulec,
Institute of Public and Environmental Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Mateja Dovjak
Andreja Kukec
