Healthy Building Network

Healthy Building Network
Name	Healthy Building Network
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2000
Headquarters	Portland, Oregon
Focus	Building materials health, chemical hazard assessment

Healthy Building Network

Healthy Building Network is a nonprofit organization that researches the human health and environmental impacts of building materials and promotes safer alternatives. The organization publishes chemical hazard assessments, transparent databases, and guidance used by architects, contractors, policymakers, and institutions. It interacts with a range of actors including manufacturers, government agencies, standards bodies, and advocacy groups.

Overview

Healthy Building Network provides assessments of building products and materials to inform procurement, design, and policy decisions. Its work is used by facilities such as hospitals, universities, and municipal governments, and by professional communities including the American Institute of Architects, United States Green Building Council, Royal Institute of British Architects, and International WELL Building Institute. The organization compiles hazard data drawn from sources like the Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, and academic publishers such as Nature (journal), The Lancet, and Science (journal). Practitioners reference standards and certification programs including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, WELL Building Standard, BREEAM, Living Building Challenge, and procurement frameworks used by entities like the City of New York and U.S. General Services Administration.

History

Founded in 2000, the organization emerged amid growing scrutiny of industrial chemicals highlighted by events and actors such as the Love Canal, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and litigation involving DuPont. Early work intersected with advocacy campaigns led by groups like Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Greenpeace. Over time it expanded collaborations with research institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University. The organization’s methods evolved alongside regulatory developments such as reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 and international efforts like the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

Mission and Activities

The stated mission centers on eliminating hazardous chemicals from building materials and promoting safer substitutes. Activities include material hazard screening, development of databases, technical guidance, and training for professionals involved with projects by entities such as Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford University, and municipal governments like City of Portland (Oregon). The organization engages with standard-setting bodies including ASTM International, ISO, and certification programs like Green Globes to influence product standards and procurement. It also supports campaign work undertaken by non-governmental organizations including Health Care Without Harm and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Research and Publications

Publications include detailed hazard assessments, scorecards, and chemical profiles that synthesize evidence from regulatory agencies and peer-reviewed research in journals such as Environmental Science & Technology and Journal of the American Medical Association. The group’s outputs are cited in reports by think tanks like the Rockefeller Foundation and Brookings Institution and inform guidance used by professional associations including the U.S. Green Building Council and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Reports often refer to case studies involving manufacturers such as 3M, Dow Chemical Company, BASF, and Saint-Gobain, and building projects commissioned by institutions like Harvard Medical School and University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Advocacy and Policy Influence

The organization engages in advocacy that intersects with regulatory processes at agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and state-level bodies in California Environmental Protection Agency. It participates in rulemaking comment periods for statutes and programs including the Toxic Substances Control Act reforms and product disclosure initiatives like California Proposition 65. The group contributes to procurement policy development used by large purchasers such as the U.S. General Services Administration, State of Massachusetts, and municipal buyers, and interacts with international policy venues including the European Chemicals Agency and United Nations Environment Programme.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships have included foundations and institutions such as the Packard Foundation, Bullitt Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and academic partners like University of Washington and Princeton University. It collaborates with professional societies including the American Institute of Architects and advocacy networks such as Health Care Without Harm. In some projects it partners with industry stakeholders including manufacturers and certification bodies such as UL (company) and GreenBlue, balancing technical assessment with stakeholder engagement used in initiatives supported by entities like the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Impact and Criticism

The organization’s work has influenced procurement standards, product reformulations, and awareness among designers and institutional purchasers, cited in municipal ordinances in places like Seattle and San Francisco. Supporters include environmental health researchers at institutions such as Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Mount Sinai Health System. Critics and industry stakeholders have argued about methodology, transparency, and economic impacts, with debates echoed in comment letters from trade associations such as the American Chemistry Council and manufacturers including PPG Industries and Georgia-Pacific. Academic critiques appear in journals and policy analyses from think tanks like the American Enterprise Institute, prompting ongoing methodological refinement and stakeholder dialogue.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Portland, Oregon