Livable Cities - London AMPS | City, University of London Page 175 HUMAN HEALTH AND BUILDING MATERIALS: A HOLISTIC VIEW ON TYPICAL BUILDING MATERIALS AND APPLICATIONS Author: KIM HAGAN Affiliation: MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY, USA INTRODUCTION The use of hazardous materials in buildings has been a concern for decades. Prior to the discovery that some materials are more hazardous than others, they were common use in construction. For example, the decision to ban some asbestos uses from future construction buildings was done in 1989 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Specifically, in buildings built before this ban, these materials have been common use in construction. In contemporary interior architectural design practice, the possibility and practicality of reusing the materials in the original building have been evaluated and studied with an attempt of restoring and retaining historical structures. By understanding the life-cycle and the social, economic, and environmental factors of a building, the hazardous materials have the opportunity to be repaired, remanufactured, or repurposed. By preventing waste from entering a landfill,1 there is a positive impact on the surrounding community and the well-being of the building occupants. APPROACH FOR MINIMAL ENVIORNMENTAL IMPACT In order to accomplish sustainable design for future generations, we must design with the idea of minimal impact on the environment. This idea would be consistent throughout all phases of design, construction, and inhabitation. To that end, interior architectural designers should consider the role of the overall product life-cycle. The life-cycle starts from the creation and production, to transportation, installation, use, removal and disassembly. When considering removal and disassembly it is essential to understand the portion of the products that are recoverable and able to be reused. This cycle could be extended based on the product and material specifications. Therefore, designing for the environment and human well-being, implementing sustainable materials, and repurposing hazardous materials creates a continuous life-cycle of materials with little waste. In order to address these environmental and life cycle concerns, planning early in the process is integral. One example of this is the construction of Parson’s University New School, located in New York City, NY, which was successful in preventing 91% of building materials from landfills. While diverting 6,800 tons of waste from landfills, the overall demolition process also considered the impact of demolition debris on the surrounding area.2 This not only proves that ability for materials from existing buildings to be reused but also repurposed and diverted from landfills. Hazardous materials are not only harmful to the well-being of the inhabitant, but also detrimental to the balance of the ecosystem. By defining hazardous materials and having a clear understanding of the life-
