Understanding the Importance of Sustainable Buildings in Occupants Environmental Health and Comfort

Abstract

Where and how buildings are built affects the ecosystems around us in countless ways. And the buildings themselves create new indoor environments that present new environmental problems and challenges. In addition, the growing use of synthetic materials, solvents and mechanical systems of environmental control within buildings carry threats to health and personal well-being. This paper investigates how indoor environmental quality influences the health and comfort of occupants. The solutions to sustainable indoor environment are reviewed afterwards.

The results show that maintaining the conditions of a building improves the health of its occupants. Meanwhile, with regards to the importance of improving environmental conditions in green buildings, the well-being, health and safety of building occupants and all those potentially affected by a building should be a primary goal of a sustainable architecture.