What is a Health House?

A Health House is a newly-built or renovated structure in which all of the building materials, techniques, interior decoration and design are selected to optimize the highest indoor air quality. 

Why Build a Health House?

Americans spend on average about 90% of their time indoors. As energy-conscious homes and office buildings are built more tightly and with better insulation, indoor air quality and proper ventilation have become important health issues. In some instances, the air indoors may be even more polluted than the outdoor air.

A dramatic increase in the incidence of asthma in our country over the last decade has been blamed, in part, on environmental factors. This has helped spark greater consumer interest in improving indoor air quality. Especially here in the environmentally-aware Pacific Northwest, families are looking for ways to create a healthier indoor environment.

American Lung Association® in Washington Health House projects:

• The Master Home Environmentalist^TM is a volunteer-driven program designed to help people learn more about health risks from pollutants in their home by conducting free home assessments.
• New Holly Health House (1998-99)
  A partnership effort with Seattle Housing Authority and Dr. Subrato Chandra, Florida Solar Energy Center, to incorporate health housing features in Holly Park, an affordable public housing development.
• Health House (1997)
  A demonstration Health House built by Finkbeiner Development and Cambridge Homes in Renton, Washington.

Criteria for Builders and Residents

Health House specifications are determined from site to site, building to building, based on four key principles: air-tightness for energy-efficiency; ventilation for fresh air and moisture control; source control for potential pollutants; and effective monitoring and maintenance.

These principles can be incorporated into new affordable construction as well as renovations, and can be maintained easily by the residents. These methods reduce exposure to common asthma and allergy irritants, such as dust mites, molds, mildew and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), like formaldehyde, acetone and toluene.

For more information please contact the American Lung Association® in Washington at alaw@alaw.org or (206) 441-5100 or within Washington state call 1-800-LUNG-USA.

Other Health House and IAQ resources:

American Lung Association®: www.lungusa.org
American Lung Association® of Minnesota's Health House: www.healthhouse.org
Built Smart for Affordable Housing: 206-684-4283
California Department of Health Sciences: www.cal-iaq.org
Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation: www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/rd-dr/en/hh-lms/index.html
EPA's Indoor Environments division: 800-438-4318 / (www.epa.gov/iaq)
Northwest EcoBuilding Guild: 206-622-8350
Seattle Habitat for Humanity: 206-292-5240