“Nature is the Gold Standard for a Healthy Human Environment”
Paula Baker-Laporte, FAIA, BBNC.
1 AIA LU|HSW Available

Since 1992, Paula has dedicated her Architectural practice to the precepts of Environmentally Sound and Health Enhancing Architecture. Together with her husband Robert Laporte, she directs EcoNest Natural Building Seminars and Workshops.

“Buildings designed with occupant health in mind are becoming more common. Minimizing known VOC’s, paying greater attention to building tightness and adding sufficient mechanical air exchange, a “Built tight-ventilated right” approach has become synonymous with healthy building throughout the industry. But I have found that there is more to the formula for creating truly health enhancing environments.

My talk is about an approach to health that goes beyond “non-harm” to spaces that deeply nurture our wellbeing while stewarding the environment. I will share some lessons that I have learned over the past 30 years about health in the built environment initiated by a mysterious illness that I developed after living in a sick building. Realizing that as a graduate architect I knew almost nothing about what makes buildings healthy I began to look for ways to regain my own health in a world where I was highly “allergic” to most buildings. When I happened across a body of knowledge that originated in Europe in the early 70’s called Bau-Biologie or Building Biology I found new answers that worked for me and for a growing body of sensitive clients.  Building Biology holds nature as the gold standard for a healthy human environment and from this perspective identified 25 guiding principles.

Some are now shared by Green Building Systems such as LEED and are familiar to most of us. Other principles are just now being rediscovered for discussion in Building Science. They are not code-enforced or in wide-spread practice in the building trades. Still others, equally crucial to the health and well-being of occupants cannot be easily achieved with the prevailing conventional light frame construction. I will share examples of alternative, nature-based materials that we have used with success.”