As I write this, much of the country — including Western Pennsylvania, where I reside — is dealing with another stretch of extreme heat. It’s days like these that remind me just how much I’ve come to rely on my home to keep me safe and comfortable. Most of us think first about lowering the thermostat, finding a fan, or closing the blinds. Building Biology encourages us to look a little deeper. Why does one home stay comfortable while another traps heat? What choices were made when it was designed, built, or renovated?
Heat has a way of revealing the strengths and weaknesses of a building. The path of the sun, the amount of insulation, the windows, roofing, interior materials, and the movement of fresh air all play a part. These aren’t new ideas. They have been part of Building Biology since its beginning.
That made the timing of our first BBI 216: Building Biology & Interior Design seminar especially fitting. For five days, Lauren Riddei and Clay Ruby led students through the thinking behind healthy interior design and the practical decisions that shape healthier spaces. They explored the philosophical and historical movements that helped form today’s Building Biology principles, then connected those ideas to the materials, finishes, furnishings, and design choices we make every day.
One of the things I appreciated most was that the course never treated healthy design as decoration or a checklist. Every material selection, every layout decision, and every finish becomes part of the environment where people spend their lives. When you look at a space through that lens, interior design becomes an integral part of the strategies to improve health and well-being.
Lauren and Clay deserve tremendous credit for creating and teaching this new course. Developing a seminar from the ground up takes months of research, planning, testing, and refinement before students ever walk into the classroom. They brought deep knowledge, practical experience, and a genuine commitment to helping students understand not only what to do, but why it matters. Everyone who attended benefited from their work, and Building Biology Institute now has an outstanding addition to our educational program.
Whether you’re looking for ways to stay cooler during this summer’s heat or planning your next renovation, I hope you’ll take a moment to notice how your own home responds. Which rooms stay comfortable? Which ones heat up first? Where does fresh air move easily, and where does it struggle? Those simple observations often point us toward meaningful improvements. Building Biology has always started by paying attention to the places where we live, work, and sleep. The more carefully we observe them, the better equipped we are to create spaces that truly support our health.
Finally, we’re going to slow down for the summer at BBI, so our next EcoDwell won’t come out until September. Of course, we’re always just a phone call or email away. Wishing you all a very joyous summer!
Erik Rosen
Executive Director
Building Biology Institute