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Nine COVID-combating features in a Living Building
Do buildings that are designed with nature in mind have advantages in the fight against coronavirus? Let us count the ways.
Intentional design
The design process for Living Building Challenge projects is disciplined and rigorous. That rigor lends itself to solving precisely the kinds of complex problems that infectious diseases present.
Green cleaning
A commonplace impulse kicks in when we’re faced with infectious microbes: Obliterate them with chemical disinfectants. Often, that’s not the most effective approach.
Composting toilets
The conventional toilet turns out to be an unexpected suspect in spreading coronavirus. Do foam-flush composting toilets pose less of a risk?
Wood surfaces
Who doesn’t love wood? Its texture and color exude a sense of warmth that is almost elemental. Plus, it’s relatively inhospitable to the COVID-19 virus.
Stairs before elevators
If you didn’t know better, you’d think elevators were designed to spread coronavirus. There’s an old-fashioned, less-infectious alternative: Stairs.
Outdoor space
Green buildings promote patios, porches, gardens and green roofs for many reasons. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 in a new one.
Daylighting
The sun is no friend to COVID-19. The Living Building Challenge requires “views outside and daylight for 75 percent of occupants.”
Operable windows
Epidemiologists agree on one point about SARS-CoV-2: The virus that causes COVID-19 is transmitted most easily in enclosed environments. Operable windows may be an elixir.
10 tips on salvage materials from Jimmy Mitchell
Here are 10 keys to success for anyone interested in making salvage material a key part of a commercial construction project
