Introduction: Welcome to Fostering Health and Wellness Indoors: strategies + best practices + engagement.

In this course you will learn the background and context regarding “healthy” buildings and spaces, and best practices for fostering healthier indoor environments and engaging with sustainable spaces. This course is geared towards sustainability practitioners and those who work in office environments, as well as a more general audience looking to learn more about sustainable spaces. 

Course Agenda:  This course is divided into three sections: first, we will describe the context and background for how we talk about concepts like “healthy.” Second, we will discuss why we care about “healthier” spaces and some of the relevant research and opportunities. Finally, we will describe some best practices for creating “healthier” spaces and strategies for fostering engagement with these spaces.

Learning Objectives (describe, explain, analyze, apply lessons learned / apply learned principles, list, identify, compare and contrast, distinguish, adapt, analyze strengths and weaknesses of, research, consider the impacts of, apply case studies to):

1.    Identify key considerations when defining “healthy?”

2.    Describe “healthy-washing” or “wellwashing” and its impacts.

3.    Explain how indoor spaces impact human health.

4.    Consider what opportunities the built environment presents to mitigate climate change, and as a refuge from a changing climate. 

5.    Apply strategies, including passive design, framing and signage, to increase engagement with sustainable aspects of indoor spaces.

Disclaimer: the information contained in these materials is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and is only designed to provide an overview of select examples.