Building Biology

Since the beginning of time homes have been built that were in harmony with nature, starting with caves or trees to provide shelter. A good number of species on the planet build homes for themselves for a variety of reasons using what nature has provided to supply them with the needed building materials creating healthy environments for their inhabitants.

But as time went on humans began adding chemicals to numerous if not virtually every part of the building process from the wood that we use to build, to the carpets, padding, paints and a lot of the materials that are used in furnishing a home.

When you consider the amount of chemicals that are off-gasing in new homes and remodels, it create all kinds of illnesses from something as small as sinus conditions to asthma and various forms of cancer from being surrounded by a “toxic soup”.

Cleaning supplies. Household chemical detergents.

We should be respectful of the fact that our homes are living organisms and act as a third skin to keep us safe from harm. Your physical skin being your first, your clothes being the second. This also means that our homes need to breath like a living organism. But instead we are building homes that are air-tight that capture all of the pollutants inside of our homes with no way to escape.
We also need to consider how you feel after spending the day in some fresh air and sunshine most people would agree that they feel wonderful. Your home should mimic this as close as possible and make you feel the same, bringing in air and sunshine.

Architects spend a lot of time on the proportions and the aesthetics, but very few consider the health impact that the materials used in the construction has on its occupants. If you walk down any isle in a home improvement store and read the labels on some of the adhesive or paints you may see a warning such as “This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.” Knowing that these products are used in our homes should not make us all warm and fuzzy. I believe that we have become immune to seeing labels such as this and consider it the status quo. Bau-biology or building biology challenges this way of thinking.

Bau-biology is a field of study that has opened up to enlighten us of the harm and damage that we are causing to ourselves.
This field of study ranges not only to our homes and building materials, but also to everything that as a consumer we bring into our homes. We should be considering items such as laundry detergents, cosmetics, clothing, bedding, furniture, pool and spa chemicals, pesticides, automotive products, etc. More and more our furniture is being made from much more cheaper building materials such a MDF and particle board which have been impregnated with various types of synthetic resins instead of real wood. This is especially true of a lot of wood floors that consist of a fine veneer on top of an inferior product.

Electricity transmission pylons.

Also included in the field of Bau-biology is the electro magnetic radiation or EMR which includes all the dangers of the radiation that is affecting us on a daily basis from our computers, modems, cell phone transmission towers and microwaves.

Cell Phone Tower

At Vuelosanto we will be considering all the aspects of Bau-biology and paying attention to the impact it has on the community and its inhabitants and doing our best to eliminate most if not all of these factors so that our living environment will elevate us and protect us from harm.