Greening buildings means designing, constructing and operating spaces in a resource-efficient, healthy and environmentally responsible way. It involves choosing sustainable materials, optimising energy and water use, improving indoor air quality, and applying design strategies that support wellbeing throughout a building’s lifecycle.
In a world where the built environment accounts for a significant share of global emissions — and where people spend more than 90% of their time indoors — the way we design interior spaces is critical for both planetary health and human wellbeing.
Social benefits: what the evidence shows
Recent research consistently demonstrates that healthy, sustainable buildings do far more than reduce environmental impact: they improve people’s health, comfort and performance.
Key findings include:
- Improving indoor air quality can increase productivity by 8–11% (WorldGBC).
- Moving into sustainably designed workplaces can boost productivity by +16% (2024 studies).
- Enhanced ventilation can increase cognitive function by up to 61% (Harvard Healthy Buildings).
- Symptoms linked to poor indoor environmental quality can be reduced by up to 30%.
Although most of these studies focus on office settings, the fact that we spend over 90% of our time indoors — including at home — means these outcomes are directly applicable to residential environments as well.
Cleaner air, non-toxic materials, good thermal comfort and acoustic quality support improved sleep, mood, concentration, respiratory health and overall wellbeing at home and at work.
Chart: The impact of healthy buildings on productivity
The following chart summarises three of the most representative studies. It shows how healthier indoor environments — driven by better air quality and ventilation — can generate substantial improvements in human performance:
from modest gains of 8–11% to dramatic increases of over 60% in cognitive tasks.
This evidence reinforces the importance of designing spaces that prioritise indoor health — from ventilation and daylighting to thermal comfort and the selection of safe, low-emission materials.
Honext: real circularity and material health for high-performance interiors
In this context, Honext adds clear value to healthy building design by providing a material that is:
- 100% recycled and recyclable,
- non-toxic,
- certified Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold and Material Health Gold,
- compatible with LEED and BREEAM material health and low-emission credits.
Used in partitions, wall cladding or acoustic applications, Honext helps improve indoor environmental quality by minimising chemical emissions and supporting healthier, more comfortable spaces — both in workplaces and in homes.
Beyond the workplace: benefits for the home
If healthy indoor environments can demonstrably increase productivity, wellbeing and comfort at work, the impact in our homes is equally significant:
- improved sleep quality
- reduced stress
- better thermal and acoustic comfort
- fewer respiratory irritations
- enhanced emotional wellbeing
Health begins with the materials that surround us. Choosing circular, non-toxic and low-emission solutions like Honext is a direct investment in interiors that support both people and the planet.
Sources
World Green Building Council (WorldGBC)
- Health, Wellbeing & Productivity in Offices
- Building the Business Case: Health, Wellbeing & Productivity
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Healthy Buildings Program
- Allen, J. et al. Cognitive Function and Ventilation Study
Recent studies (2023–2025)
- MDPI (2025). Indoor Environmental Quality & Occupant Health
- MDPI (2025). Sustainable Buildings & IEQ
- Science Direct (2021). Moving to a green building: Indoor environment quality, thermal comfort and health
- Science Direct (2025). Evaluating comfort and well-being: A post-occupancy approach for improvements – Insights from 10 residential case studies