Insulate Magazine - Essential Insulation Inside - March 2018 Issue 16

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Insulate Columnist
Wellbeing
and the Built Enviroment
Simon Storer, Chief Executive of Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA)
Wlhether it is at home, in workplaces, leisure facilities or healthcare environments, there can
be no doubt that people spend large amounts of their time in buildings. In the drive towards
both sustainability in construction and reducing our carbon footprint, we need to ensure that
we build with this in mind. So, naturally we should be creating buildings that ultimately make people
feel healthier and happier.
We already know that a well-designed
and insulated building fabric
provides the benefits of energy
reduction, lower fuel bills and
better control of internal temperature,
keeping the occupants warm
in winter and cool in the summer
which all adds to their comfort and
wellbeing. But it’s not just an issue
of temperature that impacts our
wellbeing; we need to design to
control humidity and consider the
acoustic and visual comfort of occupants.
Well-designed ventilation
systems promoting good indoor air
quality, coupled with good natural
light are essential elements for
good health.
Of course, the improved health of
building occupants is a key consideration
since warm, dry homes
help to reduce the impact on the
NHS by the most vulnerable in our
society. Living in under-heated,
cold and draughty homes can
pose severe health risks, due to
the higher instances of damp and
mould, which exacerbates health
issues such as asthma, bronchitis,
heart and lung disease.
A comfortable thermal environment
that will meet all these needs and
those of all occupants is of course
a challenge, particularly when you
take into consideration individual
preferences and also the vagaries
of a building’s thermal environment.
High performance PIR insulation
has an important role to play in
any new build or retrofit project
which aims to substantially raise
thermal performance standards
and improve the building’s internal
environment. Good design and
workmanship also play their part,
as does good detailing. Ultimately,
it’s a balancing act of a complex
set of interdependent factors –
however, the benefits of getting it
right are worth it.
Sustainable buildings are not just
about energy performance, aesthetics
and the materials that are
used to build them, we must also
ensure that the people that use
them are comfortable and happy.
The design of our built environment
has a significant impact on
the nation’s health and we need
to ensure that we get it right first
time in order for everyone to feel
better about themselves in the
longer term, and to ensure that we
do not have to go back and retrofit
buildings in the future because we
failed to deliver today the highest
performing insulation that is
practically and economically
available.
For more information about
Insulation Manufacturers
Association visit the official
website:
www.insulationmanufacturers.org.uk
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