What We Love (Series) - Part 3 of 3: 'Comfortable'
At a fundamental level buildings are supposed to provide shelter…
In fact, it is a human right (article 25):
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.
So, it's not just about shelter but also the quality of life for health and wellbeing. I'm sure it wouldn't be contentious to say we have been falling short of that in NZ.
What would a truly comfortable building feel like? One that would be healthier to live in and reduce doctors visits (lessening the strain on that vital service), lessen time off work, etc? A building that is in the goldilocks zone — not too hot or not too cold, but "just right" — is one that doesn’t drop lower than 18ºC in the winter months nor much exceed 20ºC in the summer. This sweet spot is known to medical professionals as a safe environment in which our sometimes vulnerable lungs can battle seasonal illness and recover quickly. By contrast cold, damp houses are associated with chest infections that can lead to permanent lung damage.
Indoor housing temperatures should be high enough to protect residents from the harmful health effects of cold. For countries with temperate or colder climates, 18 °C has been proposed as a safe and well-balanced indoor temperature to protect the health of general populations during cold seasons. — World Health Organisation
All that is to say that the buildings we occupy can have an immense impact on our bodies.
At heart, our love of comfort is intrinsic to one of our core values: tangata. Architectural spaces should work well for the people that use them.
Yet, the impact of architectural design is felt in other ways besides physical health. What about a building that you can move in easily, rather than a weird layout with functions located in places that make the whole space awkward to use? Or have you ever suffered from living or working in a space that didn’t make good use of sunlight so that it felt gloomy all the time, or was like being stuck inside a greenhouse?
We’ve all experienced the effects of architecture that doesn’t fulfil our daily need for warmth, shelter and a sense of calm. So how can we approach a new project - whether building from scratch or renovating/redeveloping — in a way that maximises serious comfort?
Here are some ways we can achieve that:
Appropriate ventilation - reducing C02 and preventing moisture. Easily done by a balanced heat recovery ventilation system that retrieves fresh air from outside.
Higher levels of insulation than code minimum and reducing or avoiding thermal bridges where heat leaks through structural junctions (e.g. too many corners).
High quality, thermally efficient joinery to reduce winter heat loss and summer heat gain. Install appropriately sized windows in the right places.
Airtightness: Make the most of the all the benefits of your insulation and high performance joinery so that energy isn't wasted from heat leakage.
Create a layout that flows logically, beautifully, and ergonomically. An experienced architectural designer can help you identify practical considerations like what rooms will be used the most and in what ways, how people will need to move through the space, etc.
Activating these methods can support better health and energy, improve breathing disorders (eg Asthma), reduce colds (or the time it takes to recover), reduce or eliminate mould, and just make the building function optimally for the end user.
In a new build situation you could take this as a package approach where you tick all of these off. There are ways, however, to improve an existing situation and this can be done in stages. We are also aware budgets don't always stretch to the full extent and can work with clients to do the best with what they have.
Because every little bit makes a difference.
Got an existing building and don't know where to start?
Contact us and we can work through the options and put a plan together for improving the comfort.
Thinking about a new build?
Put comfort as high on your list as the beauty and sustainability of the build so you can fully enjoy it and be sure it will make a difference for years to come.
*Feature image: iStock by Getty Images
