Breathable Walls

For too long the common building practices of most Americans has been a harmful one, harmful to not only the earth, but to us ourselves. The classic example of this is the average contemporary building. We have been taught for years that for a structure to be more energy efficient we have to seal it off from the outside. In theory this is a great idea, but in reality the result is a “sick” building. According to the Environmental Protection Agency some symptoms of (SBS) or Sick Building

By creating an interactive air filtration system within the wall you can further strictly control the indoor air quality of the structure. Each day we are finding new and alarming facts about indoor air quality and our health. Recently it was estimated that direct health care costs related to poor indoor air quality are 30 billion dollars, with almost an extra 100 billion added annually due to sick leave and loss of productivity (7). This is far more of a serious problem then previously thought. Some common irritants that contribute to poor indoor air quality are Carbon monoxide [CO], Carbon dioxide [CO2], Formaldehyde [HCHO], Nitric oxide [NO] and Nitrogen dioxide [NO2] (3). Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, poisonous gas from incomplete combustion in gas flames, wood coal and tobacco smoke. Carbon dioxide reduces absorption levels of oxygen, causing headaches, dizziness, nausea and loss of appetite (3). Nitric oxide and Nitrogen dioxide are strong smelling gasses from incomplete combustion of gas flames via cooking and heating appliances. These gases have very serious harmful effects to the respiratory system (3). Carbon dioxide is another colorless odorless gas that is associated with the bottled gas heaters. Continuous exposure may affect the central nervous system and slow down reactions (3). Formaldehyde is widely used as a bonding agent and adhesive in timber and plastic products. Formaldehyde has been found to be an irritant to skin, eyes, nose and throat. Its toxic qualities have been shown to cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and breathing difficulties (3). It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans. Indoor air quality of a building directly impacts the health and productivity of its occupants. One aspect I particularly took notice in was our school system. Did you know that twenty percent of the U.S. Population spends their days in the Elementary and secondary schools (2)? As of today over 115,000 schools have health problems linked to poor indoor air quality (2). One disease that is associated with poor indoor air quality is induced asthma. In the United States nearly 5,100 people die a year from asthma (4). Breathing is something that most of us take for granted; 15 million people in America suffer from Asthma, one third of that is children. Although breathing walls are not the sole solution to this, they can moderate indoor humidity and practically eliminate a major source of harmful indoor airborne toxins. According to the Environmental Protection Agency harmful indoor toxins have been attributed to the promotion of asthma, cancer, reproductive and developmental problems.

Now imagine, as you did before that you are coming home from work. Except this time you had a wonderful productive day at work. Your mind was sharp, your thoughts clear. Upon entering your house you hear the sounds of your children playing in the living room. It amazes you as to the amount of playful energy they have. You look around and things seem bright and alive. Once you enter your house you take a big deep breath. The air you pull into your lungs is cool and clean, refreshing. Now ask yourself the simple question “Isn’t this the way it should be?”

History has given us an excellent example of how we should think about building. In the middle ages, peasants were given the right to cut turf sods for cottage building. The Wattle and Daub cottages were common in medieval Europe. The Watt

Some topics in this essay:
Wattle Daub, HCHO Nitric, Architects Isofloc, Architects Norway, Dr Darlington, , Europe Wattle, Syndrome Building, Dr Darlington’s, Protection Agency, indoor air, air quality, indoor air quality, breathable wall, style insulation, poor indoor, poor indoor air, carbon dioxide, construction breathable, environmental protection agency, protection agency, dynamic insulation, dizziness nausea, construction breathable wall, headaches dizziness nausea,