We are taking a deeper look at ADG’s Healthy Home Guide - why a healthy home matters and how you can achieve it. We’ve already taken a look at no-cost and low-cost ways everyone can have a healthier home, but this post is dedicated to a strategy that is less about cost and more about a big way you can keep toxins out of your air and water: by not putting them in the first place.

Health-First Architectural Design

At Architectural Design Group, we provide architectural and interior design services through the lens of health. Our buildings and homes are the places we spend over 90% of our time and, therefore, are the primary places for improving our health, or for wrecking it. As has been discussed in previous posts, common building materials are notorious for containing chemicals that are known to be harmful to human health.

Here’s are the highlights of the 80,000 chemicals that are known to be hazardous:

• Asbestos: While not actively manufactured anymore, it's still everywhere in the built environment and can cause lung cancer, among other issues.

• Anti-Microbials: Commonly used as a preservative in buildings materials, but many are endocrine disrupters, which mimic hormones and wreak havoc on our reproductive systems.

• BPA (bisphenol-A):  We all know this one and how manufacturers stopped using it in water bottles and canned goods.  But guess what?  It was simply replaced with BPF (or BPS), which is essentially the same endocrine disrupter as BPA.  Regulators don’t see it that way though; it’s a completely different compound from a legal standpoint.  This is what we call a Regrettable Substitution.

• PVC: This chemical is used in many, many products including piping, flooring, fabrics, and many durable plastic goods.  It’s useful, and incredibly toxic when it breaks down.  There is no known safe limit and it contains other toxins as well, including lead, cadmium, and phthalates.  It also bio-accumulates, meaning it moves up the food chain without breaking down.  

• Phthalates: These have been found in many children’s toys and are, again, known endocrine disrupters.  They’re banned in Europe already, but the US government has not issued any warnings as of yet.

• PFAS: Also know as Forever Chemicals, you can find these all over the building industry.  Roofing, paints, coatings, sealants, adhesives, carpeting, and more products all contain PFAS chemicals, because they’re extremely durable.  They're so durable, in fact, that they will persist in our bodies for our entire lives, passing through the placenta to a fetus and continuing in the lives of our children.  They’re known to cause liver damage, developmental disorders, and disrupt immune function. 

These are some of the most common chemicals, but there are many others. If you’re interested in reading more, I recommend the Red List, from the Living Futures institute. They keep a running list of these chemicals and provide third-party certification for manufacturers who are producing products without any of these destructive chemicals.

Selecting the right Architect to keep your home chemical-free

So as you’re curating your healthy home or business, it’s critical that you work to eliminate these chemicals from your spaces. And that’s where ADG can help. We specialize in selecting products and designing spaces that reduce or eliminate harmful chemicals and that enhance the personal well-being of your family or employees. Working with trained designers is the number one way to reduce your exposure to these chemicals and has a great cost-benefit ratio. Wondering how much it costs? Reach out to us as we have multiple price structures and will work to find a way to meet your needs. We’re ready and excited to help you cultivate a healthy home at any scale, for any project.