Building Biology

Building Biology is the study of how buildings and people interact.

After World War II, many new building materials and mechanical equipment (especially air conditioning) changed the way we built. In so doing, a rash of building related illnesses and sick building syndromes affected many unsuspecting victims. For the first time people began to realize, on a large scale, that buildings have a direct impact on occupant health.

Developed in Germany as “Bau-Biologie,” this new approach to evaluating buildings and designing healthy structures was continually improved and eventually brought to the United States in the 1970s. Now Building Biology is being taught by the International Institute of Building Biology & Ecology, a non-profit educational organization based out of Florida. In addition to courses in Building Science and Environmental Testing, this is the only organization in the US currently offering certificate programs for people demonstrating proficiency in quantifying and mitigating problems associated with electromagnetic fields (EMFs or EMR).

Building Biology consulting falls into two primary camps:

Design and Construction Consulting

HBS will evaluate foundation, wall, and roof assemblies for potential moisture problems, specification and plan reviews, healthy material evaluation, and working with contractors to ensure owner requirements for health are achieved.

...and Healthy Building Inspections

HBS will thoroughly inspect existing buildings for possible contaminants including EMF, lead and other heavy metals, mold, VOCs, etc. Often projects start as an inspection, and evolve into design consulting, because our knowledge of “what to do about it” is so clearly needed on the design/build team. Building Biology consulting brings a unique environmental and occupant-health perspective to an often nuts-and-bolts industry. Healthy Building Science’s founder is the only practicing Building Biology Environmental Consultant in the San Francisco Bay, but we can provide Building Biology consulting to any project across the country.