Sustainable Building: Health in Practice

The first course in "Sustainable Building: A Healthy Materials Framework" introduces participants to the fundamental relationship between building materials and human and environmental health.  Learners will examine the composition of common materials used in construction and interior finishes - unpacking how chemical ingredients, manufacturing processes, and material choices impact indoor air quality, occupant wellbeing, and ecological systems.  The course demystifies complex product labels and certifications, helping learners identify hazardous substances such as VOCs, flame retardants, and endocrine disruptors.  Full curriculum below.

CURRICULUM

6 Chapters · 46 Lessons

  1. 1
    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to our 2-Course Program

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      Sustainable Building: Program Intent

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      Learning Objectives

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      Methodology + Grading

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      Meet the Experts

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      Leading Experts Share Their Top Concerns

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      Introductions

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      Glossary

  2. 2
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      Introduction: Environmental Health and Vulnerable Populations

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      Hazard Identification and Retrospective on Asbestos

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      Material Composition and Exposure

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      What we make affects people's health

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      How do chemicals get into our bodies?

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      Putting Risk into Context

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      What Happens when Chemicals get Inside our Bodies?

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      Vulnerable Populations and Systemic Injustice

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      Working with communities

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      DISCUSSION 1: THE HUMAN HEALTH IMPACT OF BUILDING MATERIALS

  3. 3
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      Introduction: Unlocking the Science

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      We are not Fine: Toxic Chemicals in our Bodies

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      Case Studies relevant to hazards and building materials: Lessons learned?

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      Highly Fluorinated Chemicals

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      Antimicrobials

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      Flame Retardants

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      Bisphenols & Phthalates

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      Certain Metals

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      Organic Solvents

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      Current State of Regulation

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      Introduction to Green Chemistry

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      How does Green Chemistry fit into the big picture?

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      DISCUSSION 2: REDUCING EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL CLASSES OF CONCERN

  4. 4
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      Introduction: Life Cycle of Materials

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      The Backstory of Materials and Health

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      Equity and Material Health

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      Make Better Products

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      DISCUSSION 3: DESIGN FOR HEALTHIER LIFE CYCLES

  5. 5
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      Introduction: Indoor Air Quality

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      Toxicity indoors

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      Mitigating Indoor Air Pollutants

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      IAQ Case Study: The Air in There

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      DISCUSSION 4: BREATHE EASIER: IMPROVING YOUR INDOOR AIR QUALITY

  6. 6
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      Introduction: Health in Practice

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      Reporting and Disclosure of Product Content

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      Certifications and Rating Systems

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      Considerations in Practice

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      DISCUSSION 5: MAKING THE CASE FOR HEALTHIER MATERIALS

Resources to Design a Healthier Future

We are Healthy Materials Lab, a design research lab at Parsons School of Design, dedicated to accelerating the design and construction of healthy homes, communities, and ecologies.