Integrating health & comfort into building design

How Active House and other labels can help improve buildings

Abstract

In the current real estate market, sustainability and wellbeing are no longer seen as something extra, but rather as a point of departure. However, there is a plethora of different sustainability labels focussing on the built environment. This can lead to confusion for architects, developers, commissioners, contractors, and users in general: what label should I use, what label is best suited for my project, why use this or that label, what is the difference? This paper discusses the five best known labels in The Netherlands: BREEAM, WELL, GPR, Active House and Passive house. It explores how they are used, how they differ, and how using them at the design stage can help create more sustainable buildings.