HOW WE CAN DEMAND HEALTHY MATERIALS

As designers and builders, do we really understand the chemicals in the materials we specify? Are our materials making us sick? Since we first understood the problems of sealed buildings and sick-building-syndrome, we designers have embarked on understanding the health impacts of the way we build. As we place increasing scrutiny on the food we eat, we’re starting to focus on the detrimental health impacts of the chemical compounds in the materials and product assemblies that we specify. We surround ourselves with built materials for 90% of the day. We are still so ignorant about the material selections we make and represent, relying on the assumption that no one would would willingly put toxic chemicals in our materials. How can we insist that manufacturers disclose the health impacts of their products? How can we demand that the projects we deliver be healthy? How can we be certain our projects don’t expose ourselves, our fam ilies, and our clients to harm by simply specifying products in our library? Here’s how...

Moderators:

Brian Kaplan, Associate, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP

Seema Pandya, Senior Sustainability Manager, YR&G Sustianability

Speakers:

Nadav Malin, President, BuildingGreen

Tracy Backus, Director, Sustainable Programs, Teknion

Molly Zinzi, Google