Better Health in Green Buildings

The key to working better, sleeping better and feeling better could be rooted in the design, maintenance, and operation of the buildings where we spend the majority of our time, a new Harvard study has found.

The study found that occupants in high-performing green-certified office environments scored 26% higher on tests of cognitive function, had 30% fewer symptoms of sick building syndrome, and 6% higher sleep quality scores than those working in high-performing but noncertified buildings, Harvard.news.edu reported. Brighter, blue-enriched lighting, such as daylighting, in the green-certified buildings was also associated with better sleep quality at night, which in turn led to better cognitive performance the following day.

Green-certified buildings are newly constructed or go through a major renovation and improvement work. The buildings are resource efficient, use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.