Abstract | Canadians, like others in the industrialized world, spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, making these environmental conditions important determinants of our health and well-being. Building construction and operation consumes on the order of 30% of our national energy use, which also makes them important determinants of ecological well-being. Examples of the influences of buildings on our well-being include the adverse effect of noise exposure in the home and classroom on children?s? acquisition of reading skills and the effect of views of nature on speedier recovery from surgery. Conversely, buildings designed to reduce energy use are sometimes less successful than expected because of an inadequate understanding of occupant needs and habits. Definitions of sustainability incorporate both immediate needs (achieving the well-being of current inhabitants) and longer-term needs (while preserving the ability of future generations to met their own needs). In the built environment, this means providing conditions that support current occupants in a manner than consumes or pollutes as little as possible. Achieving these goals will require more knowledge than is currently available, and better cooperation between professions than currently occurs. This presentation will briefly summarize current research, and make the case for an urgent need for broadly-based interdisciplinary research to provide a basis for practical interventions. |
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