Resources
A curated collection of books, papers, standards, institutions, and tools, selected for quality and relevance.
This is not a comprehensive bibliography. It is a carefully selected collection of resources that represent the most significant, accessible, and useful contributions to the field. Each entry has been chosen for its quality, its influence on the discipline, and its value to readers across expertise levels. Where available, direct links are provided to the original source.
Books
Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity
Joseph G. Allen & John D. Macomber / 2020
A comprehensive overview of the science linking indoor environmental quality to human health and cognitive performance, written by the lead researcher of the Harvard COGfx studies.
Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life
Stephen R. Kellert, Judith Heerwagen, Martin Mador / 2008
The foundational text on biophilic design, establishing the theoretical framework and practical applications for integrating nature into the built environment.
The Architecture of Happiness
Alain de Botton / 2006
A philosophical exploration of how architecture shapes emotional experience and wellbeing, bridging the gap between aesthetic theory and lived experience.
Welcome to Your World: How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives
Sarah Williams Goldhagen / 2017
An accessible synthesis of environmental psychology and neuroscience research demonstrating how architectural design affects cognition, emotion, and behavior.
Livable Communities for Aging Populations: Urban Design for Longevity
M. Scott Ball / 2012
An examination of how urban and architectural design can support healthy aging, addressing mobility, social connection, and environmental quality across the lifespan.
Thermal Delight in Architecture
Lisa Heschong / 1979
A seminal work arguing that thermal experience is a fundamental dimension of architectural quality, not merely a comfort parameter to be optimized by mechanical systems.
Key Papers & Reviews
Associations of Cognitive Function Scores with Carbon Dioxide, Ventilation, and VOC Exposures in Office Workers
Allen, J.G. et al. / 2016
The original COGfx study demonstrating doubled cognitive function scores in green building conditions. Published in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Architecture, Light, and Circadian Biology: A Scoping Review
Lewis, P. et al. / 2024
The first comprehensive review linking architectural design elements to circadian biology through measurable metrics. Published in Science of the Total Environment.
Physiological and Cognitive Performance of Exposure to Biophilic Indoor Environment
Yin, J. et al. / 2018
A landmark randomized crossover study on biophilic design's effects on physiology and cognition. Published in Building and Environment. Cited 500+ times.
Neuroarchitecture: How the Perception of Our Surroundings Impacts the Brain
Abbas, S. et al. / 2024
A comprehensive review of neuroarchitecture research synthesizing evidence from neuroscience, psychology, and architecture. Published in Biology.
Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise
World Health Organization / 2011
The WHO's authoritative assessment of noise as an environmental health risk, establishing the evidence base for acoustic design in health-oriented buildings.
Circadian Rhythm Disruption and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Circulation Research (Meta-analysis) / 2025
A meta-analysis documenting a 25 to 30% increased risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with chronic circadian misalignment, independent of traditional risk factors. Establishes the mechanistic pathway through melatonin suppression, glucocorticoid dysregulation, and endothelial dysfunction.
Indoor Environmental Quality in 600 Passive House Homes
Multiple authors / 2024
The largest empirical study of indoor environmental quality in high-performance homes. Documented lower VOC, formaldehyde, radon, and CO2 concentrations, better humidity control, and 20 to 30 dB noise reduction in Passive House-certified residences.
Biophilic Design in Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review
Multiple authors / 2024
A systematic review documenting reduced hospitalization time, lower patient mortality, reduced pain and stress (measured via cortisol and HRV), faster psychological recovery, and reduced staff burnout in biophilic hospital environments.
Passive Design Strategies for Indoor Temperature and Energy Reduction
Systematic Review / 2024
A systematic review documenting average indoor temperature reductions of 2.2 degrees C, 31% cooling load reduction, 29% total energy savings, and 23% extension of thermal comfort hours through passive design strategies.
Circadian Lighting and Sleep Quality in Residential Settings
Multiple authors / 2024
Documented a 52-minute increase in total sleep time and 9% improvement in sleep efficiency through optimized circadian lighting patterns in residential environments.
Standards & Certifications
WELL Building Standard v2
International WELL Building Institute / Ongoing
The most comprehensive evidence-based building standard focused on human health, encompassing ten concepts with over 100 features. Third-party verified through on-site performance testing.
Living Building Challenge
International Living Future Institute / Ongoing
The most rigorous regenerative design standard, requiring net-positive energy and water, materials transparency, and the elimination of hazardous chemicals (the Red List).
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
U.S. Green Building Council / Ongoing
The most widely adopted green building certification system. While primarily focused on environmental sustainability, LEED v4.1 includes enhanced indoor environmental quality credits relevant to occupant health.
Fitwel
Center for Active Design / Ongoing
A building certification system focused on health outcomes, developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the General Services Administration. Emphasizes evidence-based strategies for promoting physical activity, reducing morbidity, and supporting social equity.
Passive House (Passivhaus) Certification
Passive House Institute / Ongoing
The most rigorous energy and indoor environmental quality standard for buildings. Specifies 0.6 ACH50 airtightness, heating demand of 15 kWh per square metre per year or less, and ERV/HRV systems with 90%+ efficiency.
EPA Indoor airPLUS v2
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / 2024
Updated in January 2024, this standard expands radon control requirements to all radon zones, strengthens ventilation and moisture control specifications, and provides a comprehensive framework for indoor air quality in new residential construction.
ASHRAE Standard 62.2
ASHRAE / Ongoing
The primary ventilation standard for residential buildings, specifying minimum ventilation rates. Essential reference for sizing HRV/ERV systems in longevity-oriented homes.
FloorScore Certification
SCS Global Services / Ongoing
Tests 35 specific VOCs against California Section 01350 standard. Required for LEED v4 and WELL Building Standard compliance. The primary certification for low-VOC hard-surface flooring materials.
GreenGuard Certification
UL Solutions / Ongoing
Tests building materials and furnishings against ANSI standards for chemical emissions. GreenGuard Gold certification meets stricter thresholds for sensitive environments including schools and healthcare facilities.
BREEAM
Building Research Establishment / Ongoing
The world's oldest and one of the most widely used environmental assessment methods for buildings, covering energy, health, innovation, land use, materials, management, pollution, transport, waste, and water.
RESET Air Standard
RESET / Ongoing
A sensor-based, performance-driven building certification standard focused on real-time indoor air quality monitoring and continuous data reporting, rather than point-in-time testing.
Declare Label
International Living Future Institute / Ongoing
A transparency platform and product label for building materials, functioning as a nutrition label for products. Lists every ingredient down to 100 ppm and screens against the Living Building Challenge Red List.
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
HPD Collaborative / Ongoing
An open standard for reporting the material contents and associated health hazards of building products. Increasingly required for LEED v4, WELL, and Living Building Challenge compliance.
Institutions & Organizations
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Healthy Buildings Program
Harvard University
Led by Joseph Allen, this program conducts foundational research on the health effects of indoor environmental quality, including the landmark COGfx studies.
International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)
The organization that administers the WELL Building Standard, the leading evidence-based certification for buildings focused on human health and wellbeing.
Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA)
A nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing knowledge linking neuroscience research to architecture, fostering the emerging field of neuroarchitecture.
Center for the Built Environment (CBE)
UC Berkeley
A research center focused on improving the environmental quality and energy efficiency of buildings, with particular expertise in thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and occupant satisfaction.
Lighting Research Center
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
A leading research institution in architectural lighting, responsible for developing the Circadian Stimulus metric and conducting foundational research on light's effects on human health.
Healthy Building Network
A nonprofit that advances public health by reducing hazardous chemical exposure in the built environment. Maintains the Pharos Project database for evaluating building product chemistry.
Building Transparency
A nonprofit providing open access data and tools for understanding the environmental impacts of building materials, including the EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) tool.
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The organization behind LEED certification. Provides education, research, and advocacy for sustainable building practices across the global construction industry.
International Living Future Institute (ILFI)
The organization behind the Living Building Challenge, Declare labels, and the JUST social equity label. Advocates for the most regenerative approach to the built environment.
Tools & Calculators
Circadian Stimulus (CS) Calculator
Lighting Research Center
A tool for calculating the circadian stimulus provided by a given light source, enabling designers to evaluate whether a lighting design provides adequate circadian entrainment.
CBE Thermal Comfort Tool
UC Berkeley Center for the Built Environment
An online tool for evaluating thermal comfort conditions based on the ASHRAE 55 standard, incorporating air temperature, radiant temperature, air speed, humidity, metabolic rate, and clothing insulation.
EC3: Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator
Building Transparency
A free, open-access tool that allows benchmarking, assessment, and reduction of embodied carbon in building materials and construction projects. Uses the largest database of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
Pharos Project
Healthy Building Network
A comprehensive chemical hazard database for evaluating building products. Provides hazard assessments, certifications, and ingredient transparency data for thousands of products.
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A free online tool for measuring and tracking energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste generation in buildings. Used to benchmark performance against similar buildings nationwide.
WBDG (Whole Building Design Guide)
National Institute of Building Sciences
A comprehensive, web-based portal providing government and industry practitioners with one-stop access to up-to-date information on a wide range of building-related design guidance, criteria, and technology.
Databases & Data Platforms
EPA Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Resources
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA's central hub for indoor air quality science, guidance, and tools. Includes technical documents on ventilation, pollutant sources, and health effects.
PubMed / National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
The primary database for biomedical literature. Essential for accessing peer-reviewed research on environmental health, circadian biology, acoustics, and the health effects of building materials.
WHO Housing and Health Guidelines
World Health Organization / 2018
Evidence-based recommendations on housing conditions that affect health, covering crowding, indoor temperature, accessibility, and neighborhood noise. A foundational reference for health-oriented residential design.
NIOSH Indoor Environmental Quality Resources
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Resources on indoor environmental quality in workplaces, including guidance on ventilation, temperature, humidity, lighting, and noise exposure.
mindful MATERIALS
mindful MATERIALS
A collaborative library that aggregates product transparency data from multiple certification programs (Declare, HPD, Cradle to Cradle, GreenGuard, FloorScore) into a single searchable platform.
External links are provided for reference and convenience. Longevity Architecture is not affiliated with any of the organizations, publishers, or platforms listed above. Links were verified at the time of publication but may change. If you find a broken link, please let us know.