Building biology is an integral way of building, taking into account all aspects of building, such as materials, installations, comfort, nature and you name it. Health - in the broadest sense of the word - is always central. Architect and building biologist Nathalie Groot Kormelink explains the five main themes of building biology. This time the eco-social living environment.
From building biology, 25 guidelines have been established as a starting point for a healthy, natural, sustainable and beautiful living environment. These guidelines are each divided into five main themes: indoor climate, building materials and furnishings, design and architecture, environment/energy/water, and eco-social living environment.
Holistic
'From this main theme, you can see very well that the field of building biology is holistic,' says building biologist Nathalie Groot Kormelink of architecture firm Sparc in Enschede. 'You can't design a building in a vacuum; everything is interrelated. You can design such a healthy sustainable home; if you put it on contaminated soil or right next to a freeway, those environmental factors will have a negative impact. Locations in the Netherlands are not free to choose; municipalities determine whether a site is zoned for housing. Also, how a building should stand on a lot - how far from the property line, orientation toward a road - is usually prescribed. There are five focal points that indicate ideal conditions, but often you have to make concessions. After all, you have to deal with the environment and that includes all sorts of things. Location, infrastructure, soil conditions, proximity to businesses that cause odor or noise pollution, and you name it.'
We go through the points of interest one by one.
1 When it comes to infrastructure, pay attention to distribution: short distances to the work site, public transport, schools and stores
'This is how it used to be,' says Groot Kormelink. 'People lived near their work, and all facilities were nearby. It's not like that anymore. Early in the morning there are countless vans and company cars on the highways, and in the afternoon everyone goes the other way. A travel time of an hour to a workplace or job, and sometimes much more, is not uncommon. Very inefficient, and bad for the environment. In certain Vinex neighborhoods you saw that it sometimes took years before there was enough support for schools and stores and public transportation was well organized. That created a lot of traffic movements, and people got into their cars for all sorts of things: to get groceries, to take kids to school, to play sports and you name it. It would be so nice to design such a neighborhood integrally and include all those amenities.'
2 Design the living environment in a humane and environmentally friendly way
Humane refers to a manageable scale and recognizable materials. So no alien buildings with steel facades, but buildings with friendly soft materials that people recognize and feel comfortable with. 'Environmentally friendly is often translated into nature-inclusive and by that is meant nesting boxes and bat bricks,' says Groot Kormelink. 'I find that a bit tricky, because do you really need to attract those animals to the built environment? Are we good hosts for the animals. There is actually too much noise, too much light (also at night) for them. And toxins, all kinds of scientific studies show that too. Did you know that anti-tick and flea remedies for dogs and cats kill more birds? That's because birds sometimes use fur from dogs and cats to make a nest. That fur is full of insecticides and pesticides ... and that gets back into the birds.
'Global warming is especially noticeable in cities. Green facades and green roofs have a cooling effect and are therefore very useful in urban areas. Fortunately, there is also more attention to this and there are wonderful examples. Just look at the references on the Sempergreen site.'
3 Make sure there are enough green areas in towns and cities
'Fortunately, there is now much more attention to greenery in villages and cities,' Groot Kormelink states. 'Think of the 3-30-300 rule. That's a guideline for making a neighborhood, school or workplace greener and healthier. It sets three conditions: sight of three trees, 30% tree canopy cover and 300 meters to green space. A wonderful aspiration. Green areas have a proven positive effect on our physical and mental health, and on biodiversity. In a park with sections where no people come, small animals such as squirrels are more likely to feel at home. In many gardens, some improvements can still be made. Tiles and gravel out; plants in. Apply the 80-20 rule here: 80% green, 20% hard. And by no longer discharging rainwater into the sewer but collecting it in gardens and wadis, all that greenery will also stay nice and green and we can use less drinking water from the tap to water the garden.'
4 Encourage regional economy and self-sufficiency; choose regional service providers and suppliers
Groot Kormelink: 'This overlaps with point 1: keep regional service providers and suppliers and don't travel endless distances. Our economy is so money-driven that we hardly ask ourselves what choosing a cheap material means for the world around us. The lowest price is so often the deciding factor, but it is very one-dimensional. We should consider the eco-social environment much more in all kinds of decisions.
In today's world with climate problems and (trade) wars, self-sufficiency is something to think about. We source gas and oil for the lowest price from other countries and sometimes signed long-term contracts for it. That makes us dependent and that can have big consequences, you saw that with the gas prices two winters ago. Everyone is searching: do we go for large district heating projects or is small-scale energy generation in combination with a neighborhood battery a better choice? Or do we go massively for hydrogen after all? It would be good if the government could guide us in this.
5 Choose construction land that is preferably not burdened by contaminants, radiation or noise
This is a complicated issue, says Groot Kormelink. She explains: "We live in a crowded country and building land is often not a free choice. In addition, noise or odor often does fall within standards. After all, you can measure or calculate things in different ways, but that doesn't mean that they don't bother people. And there is progressive insight: just look at the areas around Zwijndrecht where the 3M factories are located and the PFAS file, or the noise pollution from windmills. Another point regarding building land: we know the sea level is rising, what do we do with that? Head in the sand, keep building and see what happens? Or take measures now? Raise the dikes, go back to living on mounds, or perhaps floating homes are a solution. These are turbulent times, that's for sure!
