An article in today’s New York Times (17 January), lauding the three winning green-designed houses of the Connecticut Zero Energy Challenge, states that “All green houses start with three things: rigorous design elements that seal the building envelope as tightly as possible, state-of-the-art insulation, and passive solar and renewable energy systems.” And yet a home design that seals “the building envelope as tightly as possible” is also sealing in the off-gasses from building materials and furnishings, as well as tracked in toxins and pollution, putting the occupants at risk. This is just one more example of hazards that Building Biologists have been warning against and helping to remediate for more than fifty years.

If you have or know of other real life examples where architects, designers, and homeowners have created perils to human health by failing to “Go Beyond Green”, post them here by clicking to leave a comment.