The 25 Principles of Building Biology®

edited and revised by James Finn

"There are the LEED building standards, and then there are the Building Biology Institute's building standards; the highest health, safety, environmentally and socially conscientious guidelines in the world. " - James Finn, certified Building Biologist®, EMRS

 

The Site and Community Design

  1. Verify that the site is free of any natural or engineered health and safety hazards.

  2. Situate dwellings so that all occupants are safe from pollution sources, including air, soil, water, noise, or engineered electromagnetic energy.

  3. Situate homes within well-planned communities that provide ample access to fresh air, sunshine, natural drinking water, and nature while fostering community building, social harmony, and privacy for both families and individuals regardless of age or physical limitations.

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Occupant Health and Well-Being

  1. Use natural and unadulterated building materials.

  2. Allow natural self-regulation of indoor air humidity using hygroscopic (humidity buffering) building materials.

  3. Assure low total moisture content and rapid desiccation of wet construction processes in new buildings.

  4. Design for a climatically appropriate balance between thermal insulation and thermal storage capacity.

  5. Plan for climatically suitable surfaces and air temperatures.

  6. Provide for ample ventilation.

  7. Use appropriate thermal radiation strategies for heating buildings, including passive solar, wherever viable.

  8. Provide an abundance of well-balanced natural light and full-spectrum low EMI illumination while using color by nature.

  9. Provide adequate acoustical protection from harmful noise and vibration.

  10. Utilize non-toxic building materials that have neutral or pleasant natural scents.

  11. Use appropriate water and moisture exclusion techniques to prevent the interior growth of fungi, bacteria, dust, and allergens.

  12. Assure the best possible potable water quality by applying purification technologies if required.

  13. Utilize physiological and ergonomic knowledge in interior and furniture design.

  14. Consider proportion, harmonic measure, order, and shape in plan.

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Natural and Engineered Electromagnetic Radiation Safety

  1. Minimize indoor engineered electromagnetic interference.

  2. Support healthy levels of vital cosmic, terrestrial, and solar radiation.

  3. Minimize occupant exposure to both engineered power system and wireless system radiation generated from within the building and from ambient sources to "as low as reasonably achievable." (ALARA Principle.)

  4. Avoid the use of building materials that have elevated radioactivity levels.

Environmental Protection, Social Responsibility, and Energy Efficiency

  1. Construction materials, including their production and all building processes, shall consider and provide general health and social well-being during each phase of the building's "life-cycle."

  2. Avoid using building materials that deplete irreplaceable natural resources or harvested in an unsustainable manner.

  3. Minimize energy consumption throughout the building's life by utilizing a climate-based energy-efficient design to include water-saving technologies and renewable energy.

  4. Consider the embodied energy and environmental life cycle costs when choosing all materials used in construction.

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Credit: Paula Baker-Laporte, Christopher Bell, Lawrence Gust, Spark Burmaster for the Building Biology® Institute