Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building

This course is an exploration of the impact of building materials on human health, society, and the environment. You learn about toxic exposure and the way toxic chemicals enter the human body. Finally, you consider vulnerabilities in communities and methods for making healthier material choices. This course covers a wide range of toxics and health concerns. It is designed to give you a basic understanding of healthier materials as context within the Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building specialization. This course is intended for anyone, but experience in design, architecture, or a similar field will be beneficial. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: • Assess the human health impact of toxic chemicals in building materials • Evaluate the health impact of building materials using current methods and resources • Apply strategies for reducing the health and environmental impacts of building materials throughout their life cycles

This course takes a wide-lens view of the role of materials decisions in circular design and the promotion of a healthier world. You find out how to execute a healthier project. You learn why healthier materials matter to the entire project team and the importance of communication between teams. You look at circularity, embodied carbon reduction, and the evolution of the built environment. You examine the role designers play in executing a healthier project, from construction to installation to use, and its significance in the context of cities. Participants in the course should have leadership-level career experience in design, architecture, contracting, or a similar field. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: • Analyze the role of contractors, subcontractors, and material procurement in the execution of a healthier project • Discuss the relationship between circular design and design innovation • Examine the capacity of material systems to contribute to a circular, low-carbon, regenerative, and equitable world

This course is an examination of the role designers play in protecting health through specification of materials and choices made in the building design phase. You learn about strategies and principles employed in the execution of healthier design projects. Finally, you look at how the use of healthier materials can lead to a healthier world. Participants in the course should have leadership-level career experience in design, architecture, contracting, or a similar field. This course will enable you to: • Shift from traditional design to a healthier materials design approach • Evaluate tools and resources for protecting human health • Apply strategies for choosing healthier materials