Creating Healthy and Sustainable Buildings - Health-Focused Design

In this review of Creating Healthy and Sustainable Buildings: An Assessment of Health Risk Factors, the bottom line is that the book is a focused, research-driven resource for professionals who need to connect building design with occupant health. It is especially valuable to public health specialists, architects and planners who want a synthesis of literature and real-world complaint patterns showing how energy-focused design can inadvertently harm wellbeing. The authors make a clear case that green credentials alone do not guarantee occupant comfort, and this review highlights why the book is worth reading for anyone shaping built environments.

Key Features

• Comprehensive literature review: The book assembles relevant studies to give readers a clear overview of how building features affect human health.
• User complaint analysis: Practical examples of complaints help link abstract risk factors to everyday occupant experience.
• Focus on interactions: Authors map how multiple health risk factors interact with specific building design elements, guiding multidisciplinary problem solving.
• Health-first perspective: Emphasizes the need to balance energy efficiency with occupant wellbeing rather than prioritizing environmental metrics alone.
• Open access availability: Being openly accessible removes barriers for practitioners and researchers seeking applied guidance.

Who It's For

The book is best for architects, building engineers, public health professionals and urban planners who need evidence-based arguments to integrate health considerations into design and policy. It is also useful for graduate students researching indoor environmental quality or sustainability who want a literature-driven synthesis.

It is less suitable for casual readers seeking light introductions to green building or for those wanting step-by-step construction manuals; this is an analytical assessment rather than a how-to handbook.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a clear synthesis of literature linking building design and health for use in multidisciplinary teams.
• Highlights practical user complaints that illustrate real consequences of design choices.
• Argues convincingly that energy-efficient buildings can still pose health risks when human factors are ignored.

Cons

• Focused, academic tone may be dense for readers seeking a breezy primer or practical construction checklists.

Specifications

Title	Creating Healthy and Sustainable Buildings: An Assessment of Health Risk Factors
Authors	Mateja Dovjak, Andreja Kukec
Subject	Human health, built environment, sustainability
Scope	Literature overview and user complaint analysis
Approach	Assessment of health risk factors and interactions with building design
Access	Open access book

Our Verdict

This book is a well-structured, evidence-based assessment for professionals who must advocate for occupant health within building and planning decisions. Its value lies in synthesizing literature and complaint data to show why health should be integrated into sustainable design, making it a worthwhile read for multidisciplinary teams aiming for truly healthy buildings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book practical for designers?
Yes; while academic in tone, it connects research to user complaints and design elements that practitioners can use when arguing for health-focused changes.

Who authored this assessment?
The book is authored by Mateja Dovjak and Andreja Kukec, who compile literature and examples relating health risks to building design.

Do I need a subscription to read it?
No, the book is available as open access, so it can be consulted freely by researchers and practitioners.