Holistic Health Considerations to Prevent Sick Buildings for a Sustainable Caring Society

Abstract

Welcome to this Special Issue of Indoor and Built Environment. This Special Issue of journal papers is based on the advanced research studies that had been carried out by the Center for Sustainable Healthy Buildings (CSHeB) in Korea. The 30 papers in this Special Issue of Indoor and Built Environment were selected from presentations given in two Sustainable Healthy Buildings (SHB) Symposia held on 27 February 2012 (6th SHB) and 18 May 2012 (7th SHB) in Seoul, South Korea. These papers were further developed by the authors and peer reviewed by international experts. The International Society of the Built Environment (ISBE) is proud to be associated with this Special Issue and recommend you to study the papers presented. ISBE shares the same missions and beliefs with the CSHeB of Korea. We hope by our disseminations, we may contribute to the further advancement of innovative technologies for sustainable built environments; better designs that will improve health and wellbeing for everyone and an influence on policies and planning for sustainable development of Healthy Buildings for all cultures and nationalities. CSHeB has become one of the leading research organisations in all the subjects concerning the built environment, emphasising the need for interdisciplinary research into architectural, medical, psychological, physiological, social and environmental aspects of healthy buildings. Progress has been made in understanding the need for social integration, design, construction, maintenance and occupants’ requirements for development of sustainable and healthy buildings. A number of reports and studies have been published providing the latest ‘‘state-of-the-art’’ dissemination of research relating to lighting, ventilation, architectural engineering, social environment, SMART Homes, indoor air quality, acoustics, thermal comfort, moisture and structure for the built environment. The theme for these two SHB Symposia was: Holistic Health Considerations to Prevent Sick Buildings in a Sustainable and Caring Society. The main focus of this special issue of papers was on prevention of sick buildings due to indoor air pollution in low carbon buildings and holistic considerations for development of inclusive communities towards caring SMART design of housing and community to accommodate not just the young and able professionals but also the aged and infirmed. As the society is increasingly growing ‘‘old’’ with a higher proportion of ageing population, there is a corresponding need to assess what is required in the design of new SMART housings and communities that would accommodate the aged and infirmed people. For a caring and sustainable society, there is a need also to consider those who are ‘‘lonely’’ (low income singleton people, living alone) to introduce technologies that would enable these people to feel secure, while conserving energy consumption and to maintaining a sustainable habitat. Sustainable development and sustainable buildings are important part of architecture and governments’ guidelines and building regulations in many countries of the