Building Facts Card Deck

The Building suit is one of four suits in the GuideBox to Healthy Places Card Deck. Its 13 cards focus on how the design of homes, workplaces, schools, and community buildings shapes the health of the people who occupy them. Each card pairs a visual image with health-related facts drawn from research on indoor environments, building performance, and occupant wellbeing.

Indoor Environments and Health

We spend roughly 90% of our lives indoors — in homes, offices, schools, and community spaces. The quality of those indoor environments profoundly affects health. Natural light supports circadian rhythms and mental health. Fresh air and proper ventilation reduce respiratory illnesses and cognitive impairment. Well-insulated, thermally comfortable buildings reduce stress and housing instability. Non-toxic materials reduce long-term exposure to harmful compounds.

The Building Card Deck brings these connections to life through accessible, fact-based content that resonates with diverse audiences — from architects and building officials to residents and community advocates. The cards make visible the health stakes of building design decisions that might otherwise seem technical or abstract.

Connection to the Health Assessment Lens

The Building suit aligns with the "Healthy Homes and Buildings" category in the Health Assessment Lens. Using Building cards alongside the Lens creates a more engaging and accessible evaluation process — cards generate conversation and raise awareness, while the Lens provides the structured framework for systematic health assessment.

Together, the GuideBox cards and the Health Assessment Lens offer practitioners and community members a complete toolkit for understanding and addressing the health implications of building design.

Other Card Deck Suits