COURSE STRUCTURE
This course is divided into ten lessons as follows:.
- Introduction To Building Biology
- Building Materials
- Construction
- Services
- Temperature: Heating & Cooling
- The Internal Environment: Ventilation
- Light
- Acoustics
- Ergonomic Considerations
- Psychological Considerations
AIMS
- Explain the concept of healthy buildings including its relevance to human health.
- Select building materials which are safe to human health.
- Evaluate the health impact of different building techniques, including construction and design.
- Explain how the way in which services are installed, can impact upon the health of people using a building.
- Explain how building design can impact upon the quality of the physical environment inside.
- Explain ergonomic considerations in building design.
- Explain psychological considerations in building design.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
- Explain the concept of building biology, in accordance with the international building biology institute.
- Explain the history of building biology institutes, in
Germany,
America, and
New Zealand, with relevance to
Australia. - Explain the current status of bio-harmonic architectural practices in
Australia
. - Assess in a summary for each, problems with different dangerous building materials including:
- Asbestos
- Plastics
- Insulation materials
- Treated pine.
- Compare characteristics of different commonly used building materials, including:
- Rate of deterioration
- Thermal qualities
- Chemical properties
- Acoustic qualities
- Dust collection/repellence
- Light reflection.
- Develop a checklist, for evaluating the health impact of different building materials.
- Evaluate the impact of different building materials on health, in a building inspected by the learner.
- Develop a checklist of building design factors, to assess the affect of design on human health.
- Develop a checklist of building construction factors (other than materials) which may impact upon human health.
- Explain how design can impact upon different aspects of the internal environment, including:
- Thermal comfort
- Light intensity
- Humidity
- Condensation
- Acoustics
- Control of pests
- Noise insulation.
- Compare the impact of building techniques, including construction and design, upon human health, in two different specific buildings studied by the learner.
- Explain the impact of electric fields on human health in a building inspected by the learner.
- Explain how electrical fields can be minimised by the way in which electric wires are laid in a specific house plan analysed by the learner.
- Compare differences upon the impact on health from different power supplies including:
- Mains power
- Self generated systems
- Different voltages.
- Compare the potential impact on health, of different waste disposal systems including:
- Chemical treatments
- Reed beds
- Settling ponds
- Combustion systems
- Land fill.
- Explain potential impact of different water supply systems on human health, including:
- Mains water
- Ground water
- Different types of rain water tanks.
- Explain possible impacts of gas supply systems on human health including:
- Mains gas
- Bottle gas
- Self generated bio gas.
- Compare the impact of different types of artificial light sources on human health, including:
- Electric light
- Combustion systems.
- Compare the impact of different types of heating systems on human health.
- List ways temperature can be controlled inside a building by design.
- Explain health impacts of air conditioning in a building studied by the learner.
- List ways acoustics can be controlled, by building design.
- List ways light can be controlled, through building design.
- List ways ventilation can be controlled, by building design.
- Explain solar energy applications in a specified building.
- Evaluate the impact of the design of a building visited by the learner, on the interior environment.
- Redesign a building from a specified building plan, to improve the quality of the physical environment inside.
- Evaluate the heights of three different kitchen benches for ergonomic suitability to the people who are primary users of those benches.
- Explain the importance of clear and easy access into and through the building for all users, including the disabled.
- Explain health aspects of the relationship between the human body and the interior of a specific building.
- Explain the affect that four different colours may have on human health.
- Explain the affect of space perceptions may have on human health, in a visited interior workplace.
- Evaluate the psychological impact of the interior environment in two distinctly different offices, upon the people who work in each of those offices.
