Healthy Buildings II(Building Environment & Health)
| Course Code | BSS300 |
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| Fee Code | S2 |
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| Number of Assignments | 8 |
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| Duration (approx) | 100 hours |
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Explain and evaluate the impact of physical characteristics of a building, other than construction characteristics, upon human health, and to recommend innovative ways to improve the habitability of a building.
COURSE STRUCTURE
This course is divided into eight lessons as follows:.
- Environmental Impacts On Buildings
- Chemicals
- Building Surrounds
- Furnishings
- Finishes
- Pesticides & Alternatives
- Managing Interior Environments
- Consulting
AIMS
- Explain the impact of the macro-environment (location) on health.
- Explain the impact of building surrounds, including a garden, on the interior environmental conditions.
- Choose interior furnishings which are not likely to damage human health.
- Explain the health implications of using different types of finishes, including sealers, paints, preservatives and stains.
- Explain the health implications of using alternative methods of pest control inside buildings.
- Plan health conscious management systems of interior environments.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Here are just some of the things you will be doing:
- Explain how proximity to different bodies of water can affect human health, including: *Sea/Ocean *Freshwater lakes *River *Ground water.
- Explain how different aspects of prevailing weather patterns may influence house design in different regions, including: *temperature *rainfall *winds *day length.
- Explain in a summary, how proximity to electromagnetic radiation may impact on health.
- Explain in a summary, how proximity to different types of pollution can impact on health inside a dwelling.
- Compare the impact of different garden treatments upon temperature inside buildings, including: -tall trees -lawn -paving -mulched surfaces -climbers on walls.
- Explain how different garden design decisions can affect ventilation in a house, including: *earth shaping *planting *constructions *water features.
- Compare the affect different garden components on light inside a building, including: *Plant types *How plants are grouped *Walls *Topography *Pergolas.
- Explain how the visual characteristics of two different gardens influence the inside environment of a building.
- Analyse two different gardens for the impact they have on buildings they surround.
- Compare health aspects of different materials used for furnishings including: -metals -plastics -timbers -upholstery -curtains.
- Compare health aspects of different floor coverings including: -tiles -carpets -vinyl -cork -slate -timber.
- Explain health aspects of different electrical appliances including: -televisions -computers -refrigerators -microwaves -heaters -air conditioners -ovens.
- Evaluate the furnishings in a building inspected by the learner, to determine recommended changes to improve building habitability.
- Compare the health affects of different types of finishes including: sealers, paints, stains, preservatives and varnishes.
- Compile a resource directory of ten sources of healthy alternatives to traditional finishes.
- Describe the characteristics of three different specific products which are healthy alternatives to traditional paints and finishes.
- Explain the toxic affects of ten different pesticides commonly used in buildings, both during and after construction.
- List alternative "healthier" methods of controlling pests in buildings, including: -rodents -ants -termites -flies -cockroaches.
- Develop a detailed pest control strategy for a building, in the learners locality, which includes: -structural treatments during and post construction
-preventative measures for anticipated problems
-eradication measures for existing problems.
- Explain issues of building usage which can impact on health with respect to different factors including: -number of people -electricity -windows and doors -cooking -smoking -curtains -hygiene.
- Analyse the way two specific buildings including a home and a workplace are used; to determine health risk factors in that use.
- Recommend guidelines to the way in which different buildings, including an office, and a workplace, are used, to minimise negative impacts upon health.
Develops skills to evaluate, describe and explain how physical characteristics of a building and its surrounds have an impact upon the habitability of the building and human health. The course covers how weather systems and garden design influences the internal environment of a house, health aspects of different furnishings, paints, pesticides and chemicals (and alternatives), alternative methods of pest control, managing building surrounds and interior environments.