Global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will has released new research in response to the need for architects and interior designers to develop a better understanding of flame retardants and their impact on health.
The white paper, “Healthy Environments: Strategies for Avoiding Flame Retardants in the Built Environment,” was developed by Perkins+Will’s Healthy Materials Group and Science Fellow Michel Dedeo. It identifies both new and existing opportunities to design healthier buildings without compromising fire safety or code compliance.
Flame retardants in the built environment are associated with a range of health impacts including cancer, endocrine disruption, and neurodevelopmental problems. Many flame retardants are persistent, bioaccumulative, and/or toxic, and their use in buildings is largely avoidable.
Perkins+Will’s white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 discovered in the indoor environment, and 33 discovered in human blood, milk, and tissues.
The research can help designers identify which products should be subjected to extra scrutiny during the design and construction process and provides options for less hazardous alternatives. The white paper also helps to identify gaps in current understanding of the sources and paths of chemical exposure.
“We want to bring awareness to this important issue impacting the health and wellbeing of building occupants,” said Perkins+Will’s Healthy Materials Leader Suzanne Drake. “The research we have conducted is a valuable resource for identifying healthy alternatives to flame retardant building materials.”
Related Stories
Airports | Dec 6, 2016
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport creates a destination inside Terminal 3
DWL Architects, SmithGroupJJR, and Corgan design passenger experience that connects to the surrounding city and Sonoran desert landscape.
Airports | Nov 1, 2016
FAA forecasts a modest dip in spending for airports over next five years
Latest report based on surveys of 3,340 existing and proposed public-use airports.
Airports | Aug 31, 2016
Aircraft manufacturing facility innovation from The Austin Company
Austin’s many innovations contributed to the success of our clients by enabling them to operate in more efficient environments, optimize the flexibility of their operations, and meet aggressive schedules.
| Jul 29, 2016
AIRPORT FACILITIES GIANTS: Airports binge on construction during busy year for travel
Terminal construction will grow by nearly $1 billion this year, and it will keep increasing. Airports are expanding and modernizing their facilities to keep passengers moving.
Airports | Jun 1, 2016
LaGuardia Airport’s massive redevelopment begins construction
The development consortium has secured financing for the $4 billion project, and signed an operating lease through 2050.
Airports | Apr 6, 2016
HOK leads joint venture to expand and modernize Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s domestic passenger terminal
The domestic passenger terminal is just the tip of the spear, as the world’s most traveled airport is about to undergo 20 years and $6 billion worth of changes.
Giants 400 | Jan 29, 2016
AIRPORT TERMINAL GIANTS: KPF, Jacobs, Hensel Phelps among top airport sector AEC firms
BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest airport sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2015 Giants 300 Report
Metals | Jan 19, 2016
6 ways to use metal screens and mesh for best effect
From airy façades to wire mesh ceilings to screening walls, these projects show off the design possibilities with metal.
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Airports | Dec 13, 2015
Skybridge connects a terminal and airport on each side of the U.S.-Mexico border
Cross Border Xpress is the first phase of a larger development that will include hotels and offices.
