Ewan was reading a copy of the Financial Times over the weekend, which included a sustainability section. One of the articles discussed in some detail was a growing movement in the UK and across Europe towards what is being called “longevity architecture”.
The focus is on homes designed to support long-term health and wellbeing—through the quality of air, water, light, sound, humidity, and temperature, as well as careful materials selection to reduce VOCs and a stronger inclusion of nature.
A company called Mavi is working in this space, both designing new homes and analysing existing ones.
Their research suggests that more people living in dense urban environments are recognising that aspects of their homes may be actively undermining their health, and are starting to prioritise these factors.
It is an interesting read, and their website goes further into the research behind this approach. It aligns very closely with what we have been exploring through the Living Building Challenge.
What is particularly useful is that some of the material on the Mavi website provides more evidence-based references and peer-reviewed sources underpinning the outcomes that are often seen as quite soft or difficult to define. It is of interest.