In the September article “The uncertainty of COVID-19, second homes and suburbs“, we discussed a conceptwe exposed a concept called healthy spaces. A house is considered healthy when it provides a healthy environment that offers comfort and promotes rest and relaxation, both physical and psychological. But what makes our home a healthy home, and how can we create a space that is conducive to our health and well-being?
Lighting, colors, shapes, aesthetics and functionality make a space pleasant, but there are other factors that are not seen, they are perceived. From GRUPO PAGÈS BCN we invite you to become aware of your environment, to create optimal spaces for health and wellness.
Before any renovation or purchase of a house or work area, it is advisable to be previously informed of the materials present in it and to carry out a geobiological prospecting in order to take the necessary measures.
A geobiological prospection informs us about the characteristics of our environment, of our space, and gives us the possibility to take the necessary measures to create a healthy space in all senses. That it meets design standards and, at the same time, does not have repercussions on our health.
Biohabitability studies the extent to which an environment is habitable, and its level of well-being and health.
In the following link you can download our dossier in which we explain, in a much more extensive way, the concept of geobiology to understand and love your space.
5 keys to healthier cities – ISGlobal
The keys to healthier cities
Our health and that of the planet depends, no longer in the future, but today, on the design of cities. Urban life poses challenges that require us to rethink the way we plan urban environments. Cities should be made for people: places where they can live well and be healthy.
In the report interactive report by ISGlobal researchers addresses five points for building healthy and sustainable cities.
Air pollution. It affects us throughout our lives, from the time we are in the womb until we die. But are we aware of what we are breathing?
Noise. The traffic that clogs the city, the works in the street, the garbage truck, the domestic noises of the neighbors, the terraces… Cities are synonymous with noise. We think of noise pollution as just a nuisance and do not associate it directly with our health.
3. Natural areas. The city of the future must be a green city. Scientific studies associate green spaces – urban parks, gardens, tree-lined streets or forests, among others – with numerous health benefits in adults, such as stress reduction, living longer, and better general and mental health.
4. Physical activity. Sedentary lifestyles are a global public health problem: they are the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality and cause one in four cases of breast and colon cancer. Do you get enough physical activity?
5. Temperature. Did you know that temperatures in cities are usually higher than in the surrounding areas? In fact, nighttime temperatures can be up to 10 degrees higher in urban environments than in the surrounding area. This effect is known as “heat island”.
In addition, there are other factors that produce biological imbalances, weaken our immune system and produce diseases such as insomnia, fibromyalgia, irritations, headaches, among others. The strong charge of energy affecting certain sites is called GEOPATHY (Geo = Earth, Pathy = Illness). These are some of the natural and artificial alterations that we may encounter:
Natural disturbances that hinder healthy spaces
- Atmospheric electricity
- Cosmic radiation
- Hartmann Curry natural energy lines
- Faults
- Subway water currents
Artificial disturbances that discourage healthy spaces
- Ozone Hole
- Atmospheric pollution
- Electricity in the air or electromagnetism
- Radio and television waves
- Environmental and noise pollution
Due to these alterations, natural and artificial, a new concept called unhealthy houses and the sick building syndrome appears. In 1982, the WHO (World Health Organization) reported that some buildings can be a health hazard, calling it “Sick Building Syndrome” (SBS). These are technified buildings, with strong static and electromagnetic environmental radiation and radioactivity in the construction materials.
Generally, they are office buildings requiring high levels of technology with strong electromagnetic pollution, their external enclosures are usually mostly They are generally hermetically enclosed and the construction materials used include concrete, steel and oil-derivative materials. Basically, they are buildings where biological integrity has not been considered.
We spend 90% of our time indoors, whether at home or at work.
Factors such as air quality, light quality, relative humidity control, temperature, ventilation, noise pollution, energy consumption and construction materials (toxicity, sustainability, waste) are all factors to be taken into account when creating healthy spaces.
To maintain a healthy home, we have to try to reduce electromagnetic fields, chemical and biological pollutants” – Carmen Espinosa Architect -La Vanguardia
What do I have to take into account to have a healthy home?
As we have mentioned, poor living conditions can expose people to a number of health risks. To correct this situation, a series of recommendations can be followed, mainly focused on the reduction of risk factors.
We propose seven recommendations to achieve a healthy home:
- Maintain adequate temperature and relative humidity: indoor temperatures in dwellings must be high enough to protect inhabitants from the harmful effects of cold.
- Keeping the home clean: A clean home helps ensure that people are not exposed to contaminants and chemicals.
- Maintain appropriate safety conditions: homes should be equipped with safety devices (smoke alarms and CO2 probes, stair gates and window guards, etc.) and measures should be taken to reduce the risk of unintentional trauma.
- Maintain accessibility conditions: taking into account the current and expected proportion of functional deficiencies, and taking into account aging trends, housing should include accessibility measures for people with reduced mobility.
- Keeping the house ventilatedThe regulations establish that adequate ventilation must be ensured in all rooms of the dwelling, in order to provide a sufficient flow of outside air and to guarantee the extraction and expulsion of air fouled by contaminants that are produced on a regular basis during normal use.
- Control noise and light pollution: noise from outside often disturbs rest, especially in cities, where there is also pollution from noxious gases from engine combustion.
In terms of home lighting, solar incidence is one of the most valued factors in a home. The entrance of natural light is a source of health for people. It should be taken into account that we spend many hours in front of television screens, cell phones, computers, etc., which causes eye dryness and visual fatigue.
- Periodic maintenance: it is essential to carry out maintenance work on the materials, structures and installations of your home to prevent its devaluation. A well-maintained home will be more comfortable, safe, healthy and sustainable, i.e. a healthy home.
All these actions should lead to housing that, as defined by WHO itself, is “a shelter that supports a state of physical, mental and social well-being. Healthy housing provides a sense of home, including a feeling of belonging, security and privacy.”
The first indicator that there may be environmental pollution in our home is sleep disorders.
In GRUPO PAGÈS BCN, we care about building homes that take care of sleep, vitality, emotional harmony and well-being of its inhabitants; or provide solutions for easy implementation in those homes already inhabited, with diagnosed pathologies, a service designed for individuals.
However, we can also offer you an energy design system designed to bring quality to urban projects, tourist complexes, real estate developments, residences, offices orprofessional offices, among others.
Our group performs interventions that do not generate interferences or disturbances in the construction processes, with tools and harmonizers that are easy to implement.
Remember that if you have any questions you can contact us at contact with us. Let yourself be advised by experts who know the geo-energetic, electromagnetic and circadian influences of space that compromise your harmony, sleep and health.
REFERENCES
S&P. Healthy House: The Seven Fundamental Principles of a Healthy Home https://www.solerpalau.com/es-es/blog/casa-sana/
ISGLOBAL. 5 keys to healthier cities https://www.isglobal.org/ciudadesquequeremos
LA VANGUARDIA. Biohabitability or how to turn your home into a healthy space https://www.lavanguardia.com/vivo/lifestyle/20190815/463576883279/biohabitabilidad-casa-espacio-saludable.html
