Better Places for People in India: Our research shows green buildings support healthier, happier lives
Eight out of 10 people working in green offices, factories and shopping malls in India have reported good thermal comfort, showing they are happy with the temperature inside those spaces. Nine in 10 occupants of those same buildings have been educated on the benefits of introducing environmental measures.
These are just two findings of a major piece of research we released in May, capturing the perceptions and experiences of the occupants of 25 green buildings - including offices, institutional buildings, factories and malls - across seven major cities in India… all certified under our green building rating system.
The objective of the study was to understand how people’s perceptions and experiences could be used to inform and enhance health and wellbeing features in certified green buildings.
Our rating programmes address concepts of physical, emotional, intellectual, and social wellbeing. They include green strategies such as ample daylight, greenery within the spaces, increased fresh air ventilation, as well as health and fitness amenities which all enhance the overall wellbeing of occupants. Certified green buildings must also provide an environment which is thermally, visually, and acoustically comfortable for occupants. They also ensure that the ergonomic design of spaces and furniture further enhance the comfort level of the occupants.
The study of green buildings provided some fascinating findings, including:
These findings are some of the first of their kind to come from India on the actual impacts that green buildings have on the people inside them, and are the first to come from the India Green Building Council itself. In our country, there are still tremendous opportunities to advance the development of green buildings, and this report may help to strengthen the business case for health and wellbeing in buildings in India, thus potentially increasing the demand and supply of green buildings.
Full Article: http://www.worldgbc.org/
