Team L&M
There is one more reason why architects and builders should lay emphasis on the construction of green buildings. Green buildings are not just environment friendly but also make people intelligent. Amazed? Don’t be. This is now scientifically proven too.
A new research done by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the US states that people working in these buildings think better in the office and sleep better at home.
This is because these buildings have better ventilation, lighting and heat control system which improves workers’ performance and boosts their productivity. And if the green building is designed beautifully, it also makes workers happier and increases their productivity further. A ‘green’ building is a building that, in its design, construction or operation, reduces or eliminates negative impacts, and can create positive impacts, on our climate and natural environment. Green buildings preserve precious natural resources and improve our quality of life.
The research analysed workers in certified green buildings in five US cities and compared them with other workers in the same cities employed in different offices owned by the same companies.
The workers in these buildings scored over 25% higher in a standard test which uses a Sims-like computer game to assess the ability to think and plan. The tool assesses complex decision-making performance, which mimics the real-world decision making that we encounter every day in our normal work routine.
The quality of sleep of the workers was also assessed using special watches with sensors that measured the length of sleep, tossing and turning and interruptions. Those in green offices had 6% higher sleep scores
Further, the workers reported 30% fewer sick building syndrome symptoms such as headaches and eye and respiratory irritation. This is because these buildings have better ventilation, they have lower levels of carbon dioxide and chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted by furniture and carpets.
